Brazil Delays Reinstatement of E-Visa Requirement for U.S., Canada, and Australia

Brazil has postponed the reinstatement of the e-visa requirement for visitors from the United States, Canada, and Australia, shifting the effective date from October 1, 2023, to January 10, 2024.

Until the new date set by the Brazilian government, citizens of these countries can continue to travel to Brazil for tourism and business purposes without the need for short-stay visitor visas (up to 90 days). The Brazilian Tourism Board (Embratur) assures that once the new regulations come into effect, the visas will be issued through a fully electronic process, ensuring a quick and easy application process.

The Brazilian government is currently finalizing procedures, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will provide all the details regarding the visa process in the near future.

E-visas for travel to Brazil were in place until 2019, when then-president Jair Bolsonaro suspended the regulation to boost tourism. However, the lifting of visa requirements did not yield the expected results, likely impacted by the subsequent COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier this year, the decision to reinstate e-visas was announced, citing a return to the “old way” by Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlighted that the visa exemption had breached the historical principles of Brazil’s migration policy, based on reciprocity and equal treatment. The 2019 decision weakened Brazil’s negotiating position with the U.S., Canada, and Australia, as these countries continued to require visas for travelers from Brazil.