Long-distance friendship and dating between Brazil and the US

Updated October 17, 2026

Many friendships and relationships between Americans and Brazilians start long distance. It works, but it takes clear expectations and a bit of planning.

Know the time difference

• Brazil (Brasília time) no longer has daylight saving time (since 2019).
• US East Coast (New York, Florida, Boston): 1 hour behind Brasília during US daylight saving time (March to November) and 2 hours behind the rest of the year.
• Central (Texas, Chicago): 2 or 3 hours behind.
• West Coast (California): 4 or 5 hours behind.

In practice, evening in Brazil is late afternoon or early evening in the US, a sweet spot for calls.

Build a routine

• Set regular days for a longer video call.
• Short messages through the day keep the connection: a photo of lunch, a voice note on the way to work.
• Do things together from afar: watch the same movie, cook the same recipe, play an online game.

Talk about expectations

Friendship, language exchange, dating: be clear about what each of you wants and how often you'd like to talk. It prevents frustration on both sides.

Visits

Meeting in person is a big step. Each person should pay for their own trip, book their own place to stay and check entry requirements on official websites. Read our first meeting safety checklist.

Red flags

Long distance is a scammer's favorite setting. Be careful if the person always has a reason not to video chat, if the visit keeps getting postponed because of a “problem”, or if a request for money ever shows up. See romance scam warning signs.