Brazil reopens international flights to foreign tourists

Update 8 January 2021: Ordinance 651 of 8 January 2021, reaffirms the ban on flights arriving from our via the UK as well as COVID-19 testing. Ordinance 648/2020 has been revoked.

Update 24 December 2020: Ordinance 648 of 23 December 2020 reiterates the ban on the entry of foreigners by land and sea, with some exceptions, as well as the need for air travellers to present a negative RT-PCR test when checking in to embark to Brazil. It also banned flights departing from or via the UK.

Update 18 December 2020: Ordinance 630 of 17 December 2020 extended the ban on entry of foreigners by land and by sea for an indefinite period and revoked Intern-Ministerial Ordinance 615/2020. It imposed new requirements for non-resident Brazilians and foreigners travelling to Brazil.

Update 12 December 2020: Ordinance 615/2020 of 11 December 2020 extends the ban on entry of foreign nationals by land and by sea for 7 days.

Update 16 November 2020: Ordinance 518/2020 of 12 November 2020 extends for the ban on entry of foreign nationals by land and by sea for 30 days (until 12 December 2020). Entry through the land border with Paraguay is permitted.

Update 16 October 2020: Ordinance 478/2020 of 14 October 2020 extended the ban the entry of foreign nationals by land and by sea for 30 days. The Ordinance allowed entry of foreigners through the land border with the Republic of Paraguay.

Update 2 October 2020: Ordinance 470/2020 of 2 October 2020 extended, for 30 days, the entry of foreigners by land and by sea. It removed the obligation previously imposed on short-term visitors of purchasing health insurance valid for the duration of the stay.

Update 25 September 2020: Ordinance 456/2020 of 24 September 2020 extended, for another 30 days, the entry of foreign nationals by land and by sea.

Update 31 August 2020: Ordinance 419/2020 of 26 August 2020 extended, for 30 days, the entry of foreign national by land and sea. The new regulation allows the entry of foreign tourists arriving by air for stays of up to 90 days as long as the traveller produces, upon boarding abroad, proof of health insurance coverage valid in Brazil throughout the intended stay with a minimum cover of BRL 30,000, under penalty of being denied entry. The international airports in the states of Goiás (GO), Rio Grande do Sul (RG), Rondônia (RO), Roraima (RR) and Tocantins (TO) are closed to foreign travellers.

While the federal government extended, for another 30 days, restrictions for foreign nationals to enter the country by land or sea, following advice from the federal health agency ANVISA, for the first time since 30 March, when the air border was closed to foreigners in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Interministerial Ordinance 1/2020 of 29 July 2020 allowed the entry of foreign tourists arriving by plane, except at the airports of the states of Mato Grosso do Sul, Paraíba, Rondônia, Rio Grande do Sul and Tocantins, which otherwise remain closed to international flights.  

The temporary ban on the entry of foreigners by land and sea does not apply to:

• Foreign citizens with permanent residence
• Foreign professionals on a mission at the service of an international organisation
• Foreign employees accredited to the Brazilian government
• Spouse, partner, immediate family member or curator of a Brazilian citizen
• Foreign nationals whose entry is deemed by the government to be of the public interest or for humanitarian reasons
• Bearers of the National Migration Registry (RMN)
• Cargo transportation by any means of conveyance

Foreign tourists arriving by air can stay in the country for up to 90 days, though a visa may be required for citizens of certain nationalities. Before boarding the plane abroad, the traveller must produce to the airline staff proof of health insurance coverage that is valid in Brazil throughout the intended stay, under penalty of being denied entry.

The restrictions do not prevent the entry, by air or sea, of seafarers arriving to join vessels or platforms operating in Brazilian jurisdictional waters, provided that the migratory requirements appropriate to their condition are observed, including that of carrying a visa when one is required. Foreign crewmembers can also disembark at Brazilian ports, upon permission from the immigration authority (Federal Police) and the port health authority (ANVISA) for medical assistance or repatriation due to operational issues or termination of the employment contract.

Crew changes are still subject to pre-boarding and pre-landing quarantines of 14 days, including rapid tests for COVID-19. Read more here.

Published 30 July 2020. Updated 8 January 2021.