Brazil: Visa Requirement to be Reinstated for Nationals of Australia, Canada, Japan and the United States
April 9, 2024
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At a Glance
Update April 9, 2024: The government has again postponed the reinstatement of the visa requirement for nationals of Australia, Canada and the United States until April 10, 2025.
Update January 5, 2024: The government has again postponed the reinstatement of the visa requirement for nationals of Australia, Canada and the United States until April 10, 2024.
Update August 28, 2023: The government delayed the reinstatement of the visa requirement for nationals of Australia, Canada and the United States until January 10, 2024, after it was set to be implemented on October 1, 2023.
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- Effective October 1, 2023, nationals of Australia, Canada, Japan and the United States will no longer be visa-exempt when entering Brazil for tourism, business, sports activities, or artistic performances, or when transiting through Brazilian airports; instead, they will need to obtain an e-visa for entry.
- The new visa requirement will impose administrative hurdles, additional costs and potential delays on these nationals seeking to enter Brazil for the above-stated purposes.
The situation
The government of Brazil announced it is revoking visa exemptions for nationals of Australia, Canada, Japan and the United States as of October 1, 2023, requiring such nationals to obtain an e-visa when traveling to Brazil for tourism, business, sports activities, or artistic performances or when transiting through Brazilian airports.
Update April 9, 2024: The government has postponed the reinstatement of the visa requirement for nationals of Australia, Canada and the United States until April 10, 2025.
Background
- Current waiver. The visa waiver for nationals of Australia, Canada, Japan and United States was implemented in 2019 during the tenure of former President Jair Bolsonaro, with the aim of increasing tourism to Brazil from these countries.
- Change in government. The new president's government has stated that nationality-based visa exemptions should be based on reciprocity, and Australia, Canada, Japan and the United States all currently require nationals of Brazil to obtain visas to enter for tourism or business.
A closer look
- The process. Nationals of Australia, Canada, Japan and the United States will need to apply for a visitor visa (e-visa) online prior to traveling to Brazil. The e-visa is usually issued in five business days. Details on the online system, process and processing time are expected to be forthcoming.
- Validity and maximum stay. Details on the validity and restrictions of the new e-visa have not yet been announced but are expected to be forthcoming shortly. Prior to the introduction of the 2019 visa waiver, the e-visa was valid for up to two years and typically allowed an initial stay of up to 90 days per entry. Foreign nationals on e-visas who were traveling for tourism or business purposes could apply at the Federal Police to extend their stay in Brazil for up to 180 cumulative days per year, the same amount as visa-exempt foreign nationals. Foreign nationals on e-visas who were traveling to Brazil for sports and artistic performances could only stay in Brazil for 90 cumulative days per year and could not extend their stay in country.
Impact
The visa requirement adds administrative hurdles, additional costs and potential delays to nationals of Australia, Canada, Japan and the United States seeking to enter Brazil for tourism, business, sports activities, or artistic performances or to transit through Brazilian airports.
Looking ahead
According to the announcement, the Brazilian government aims to enter into negotiations with the four countries to discuss potential reciprocal visa exemption agreements. However, until then, the government is expected to publish an official decree soon with further details on the e-visa for nationals of Australia, Canada, Japan and the United States. Fragomen will report on relevant developments.
As a result of having a new government in office, additional changes to immigration policies may be forthcoming.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected]. Fragomen in Brazil is Fragomen Brasil Serviços de Imigração Ltda., operating exclusively as an immigration consultancy and not as a law firm in Brazil.
