Ubatuba, located on the northern coast of São Paulo, has announced an increase in its environmental preservation fee by 5.59%, as detailed in a municipal decree released in November 2024. This fee is applicable to tourists driving cars who stay in the city for over four hours and has been in effect since February 2023.
The population of Ubatuba swells significantly during the summer months, with the resident count of 93,000 soaring to five times that figure. The objective of the environmental preservation fee is to generate additional municipal revenue, which is earmarked for ecological investments, and to mitigate the negative impacts associated with the influx of visitors.
ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION FEE IN UBATUBA – DETAILS
UPDATED RATES
| Vehicle Type | Current Daily Rate | Previous Daily Rate |
| Motorcycle | R$ 3.69 | R$ 3.50 |
| Small Vehicle (Car) | R$ 13.73 | R$ 13.00 |
| Utility Vehicle (Pickup/Van) | R$ 20.59 | R$ 19.50 |
| Tourist Vehicles (Vans) | R$ 41.18 | R$ 39.00 |
| Microbus and Trucks | R$ 62.30 | R$ 59.00 |
| Bus | R$ 97.14 | R$ 92.00 |
Funds collected from this fee are directed to the Environmental Fund, which collaborates with the Environmental Council for community management. These funds will be invested in city infrastructure aimed at preserving and protecting local beaches, Atlantic rainforest, and biodiversity, alongside initiatives for river and coastline recovery and effective waste management plans.
Visitors arriving on foot or via public transportation are exempt from the fee, as are vehicles registered in Ubatuba, second homes in the city (limited to three registered vehicles), and those from neighboring municipalities. Vehicle identification occurs via license plate readers at city entrances, but the fee is not collected at entry points.
For those using a windshield tag, payments are processed automatically, similar to shopping center parking fees. Payments can also be made online or at designated locations in the city and on highways. The service app allows users to pre-purchase daily passes, which do not expire if unused.
Motorists can settle payments within 30 days of leaving Ubatuba through online platforms or the app. Failure to do so may result in the owner’s name being added to the municipality’s active debt list, which could incur interest charges.
