Before booking transport and a guide for a group, identify who will deliver each service and establish the route. Checking documents for charter transport and guiding involves several separate questions: tourism registration, the transport operator's status, the vehicle's status and the documents for the actual operation.
One certificate does not answer all these questions. To organise your checks, request the providers' details during negotiations and agree when you will receive the trip documents.
Trip photo from Guatambu's archive. Vehicle markings and stickers do not replace checks of authorisations and trip documents. Guatambu photo archive.
First, identify the transport jurisdiction
Your itinerary determines which authority to consult:
Within one municipality: contact the municipal government or its transport authority about local rules. Municipal responsibilities for matters of local interest and public transport are set out in Article 30 of Brazil's Constitution. This guide does not identify a single municipal permit that applies throughout Brazil.
Between municipalities within Rio Grande do Sul: DAER states that it authorises, manages and oversees intermunicipal charter transport in the state under the Brazilian categories of fretamento eventual and contínuo. Its page refers to Resolução Regimental nº 8263/2024.
Between Brazilian states: consult ANTT for interstate charter road passenger transport. The Agency also covers international transport; its search does not cover companies providing only intermunicipal or urban transport, as explained in its official guidance on company searches.
Provide every leg, including separately booked local journeys. If you are unsure which rules apply, submit the itinerary to the relevant authority before confirming the booking.
Cadastur: check the agency, tourist transport operator and guide
Cadastur is the registration system run by Brazil's Ministério do Turismo. Travel agencies and tourist transport operators are among the businesses required to register, according to the official tourism provider registration service.
Request the certificate and check the identity of the party you are booking. The agency arranging the tour and the company transporting passengers may be different legal entities; check each under its corresponding activity.
For the guide, request their name and registration details. The Ministry states that lawful practice requires technical training and Cadastur registration, with a certificate and professional identification badge. See the official tour guide registration service.
Start a public search at the Cadastur portal, using the option for tourists. Compare the result with the certificate and proposal. The Ministry's Viaje Legal guide directs users to this system to check registered providers.
Treat registration as a documentary check. It is not a quality guarantee and does not replace the transport authorisations discussed below.
Intermunicipal travel in RS: what to request from the operator
For a journey under DAER's jurisdiction, request the licence corresponding to the service and the transport operator's details. DAER advises passengers to request the licence issued by the authority before the trip. It also advises checking that the Laudo de Inspeção Técnica (LIT), or technical inspection report, and insurance policy are current, along with proof of insurance payment. See how to check the company's status.
Do not confuse company registration with the service licence. DAER's procedure distinguishes registration with RECEFITUR from the operator's application for a Licença de Turismo through the SID system. See the registration and renewal instructions.
Ask the operator to identify the correct document for the booked service category and check that it matches the operation. If anything differs, seek clarification from the Divisão de Fretamento e Turismo through DAER's official channels. Do not automatically apply state documents to municipal or interstate services.
Interstate travel: check the company, vehicle and trip separately
At ANTT, the Termo de Autorização para Fretamento (TAF) establishes the company's authorisation. The fleet and drivers must also be registered. For this operation, request the driver's identification, confirmation of registration and an appropriate driving licence, as well as vehicle details. These steps are covered in ANTT's Guia de Empresas — Fretamento.
To check the operator and vehicle, ANTT directs users to its charter transport search, using the legal company name, CNPJ and/or vehicle registration plate. This instruction appears in the official answer on authorised companies. If the search is unavailable, check with the Agency by calling 166.
For interstate transport under the Brazilian categories of fretamento turístico or eventual, the authorised operator must issue the Licença de Viagem through ANTT's system before departure. It includes the company, contracting party, vehicle, drivers, itinerary, times and passenger list. Check these details against the booking, as outlined on the Operação e Fiscalização page.
The list should not be left to the last minute: agree with the operator how passenger details will be collected. For insurance, request evidence of the applicable cover; ANTT's guide addresses Seguro de Responsabilidade Civil and the need to keep it valid. Do not confuse this cover with any separately purchased travel insurance.
Checklist for organisers and travel agencies
Divide your checks into three stages:
When requesting a quote: provide the full route, purpose, dates, passenger numbers and whether you need transport, guiding or both. Identify the providers and request the relevant registrations.
Before confirming: check responsibilities, documents already available, included services and how changes of vehicle or professional will be communicated.
Before boarding: obtain the documents specific to the operation, compare the itinerary, dates and vehicle, and resolve discrepancies before departure.
For agencies, establish who will collect passenger details and follow up on documents with the operator. Filing a commercial proposal is not the same as checking the operation's documents.
How to request services from Guatambu Travel
Guatambu Travel arranges transport and acts as an intermediary with partner transport operators; it does not own a fleet. It also arranges guiding, separately or together with transport, through a nationwide partner network, subject to availability for the itinerary.
Send your route through the charter bus services page or Guatambu Travel's WhatsApp. Explain what your group or agency needs and request the identity of the parties responsible for each service.
Official sources
Consulted on 22 October 2026. Official source titles and documents remain in Portuguese:
