Brazil to Introduce e-Visa for U.S., Canadian, and Australian Citizens
Brazil has announced the re-introduction of e-Visa requirements for citizens of the U.S., Canada, and Australia. The visa will be introduced as of January 10, 2024 and will be valid for numerous entries to Brazil.
American citizens will be able to apply for a 10-year visa, while applicants from Canada and Australia will be granted a 5-year visa.
The re-introduction of visa requirements for citizens of the said three countries is a step backward in terms of ease of travel. Up until early 2018, Americans had to obtain a Brazil visa at a consulate.
Later in 2018, Brazil implemented an e-Visa system offering online visa applications to certain eligible countries. One year later, in 2019, Americans could travel visa-free to Brazil.
So now, Brazil has decided to go back to the 2018 visa policy. At least, there is no need to go to consulates to obtain visas as it used to be before.
Brazil e-Visa requirements
The Brazil visa processing time will take around 5 business days. However, applicants are highly encouraged to apply earlier to ensure timely visa approval.
Applicants will also need to submit certain supporting documents, including:
- passport-style photo
- roundtrip flights
- printed bank statements (showing transactions for a min. 30 days)
- proof of having sufficient funds for travel (at least $2,000)
Why Brazil introduces the new e-Visa requirement
The introduction of new e-Visa requirements in Brazil is justified by the explanation that it is a reciprocal policy followed by other countries' travel requirements for Brazilians.
For example, it is very unlikely that the United States will soon lift the current requirements for Brazilian nationals.
The Brazilian government announced it would continue to negotiate visa exemption agreements with Australia, Canada, and the United States based on reciprocity policy and equality between states.
Therefore, there is a possibility that the new visa requirement would be waived if the said three countries were to lift their visa requirements for Brazilian citizens.
Japan and Brazil have already reached a reciprocal visa agreement, and travelers from Japan can travel to Brazil visa-free, while Brazilian citizens can go to Japan without a visa.
