Brazil shuts air borders to Southern African countries

Update 21 January 2022: Interministerial Ordinance 666 of 20 Janeiro 2022 eventually lifted the ban imposed on flights and travellers from Southern African countries. While Ordinance 22/2022 revoked previous regulation, it maintained COVID-19 vaccine and testing mandates as a condition of entry, with a few exceptions.

There have been no changes in the requirements for crew changes and repatriations at Brazilian ports under the new regulation.

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Update 9 December 2021: Interministerial Ordinance 661 of 8 December 2021 maintains the travel ban on the Southern African countries and made mandatory for air travel proof of full vaccination against COVID-19, with one of the vaccines approved by the Federal Health Surveillance Agency ANVISA.

ANVISA had proposed to expand the list of African countries with temporary restrictive measures to also include flights and travellers from Angola, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia. However, Ordinance 661/2021 did not feature these countries.

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Amid the recently identified SARS-CoV-2’s variant of concern Omicron, following suit with other nations, the federal government has banned the entry of foreign passengers who, in the past fourteen days, have departed or transited the Republic of South Africa, Republic of Botswana, Kingdom of Eswatini, Kingdom of Lesotho, Republic of Namibia, and the Republic of Zimbabwe.

The temporary ban was imposed on the basis of advice from the federal health surveillance agency ANVISA last week.

Currently, there are no direct flights between those countries and Brazil anyway.

Ordinance 660 of 27 November 2021 will come into effect from 29 November 2021 thereby revoking the previous Ordinance 658 of 5 October 2021. An English free translation of the new regulation can be downloaded on the link above.

Exceptions

As in previous travel restrictions during the pandemic, the Ordinance does not apply to Brazilian citizens and travellers falling under the following categories:

I – foreign nationals with a permanent residence permit;

II- foreign professionals on a mission at the service of an international organisation;

III – foreign official accredited to the Brazilian Government; and

IV – foreign nationals who are:

a) spouse, partner, child, parent, or guardian of a Brazilian national;

b) whose entry is specifically authorized by the Brazilian Government in view of the public or for humanitarian reasons; and

c) holder of a National Migration Register card (Registro Nacional Migratório – RNM)

Brazilian travellers who have been in South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, in the 14 days before boarding a flight to Brazil, must undergo a 14-day quarantine in the city of their destination in the country.

Air travel

Except for the above six African nations, Brazil’s air borders remain open to travellers arriving from other countries who are still required to provide the airline with:

• Proof of completion of the Traveller’s Health Declaration (DSV), in print or electronically, within 24 hours before boarding, agreeing with the health measures that must be observed during the stay in Brazil. The form can be completed on ANVISA’s DSV website and is also available in Spanish and English; and
• A document on screening for infection by SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), with negative or undetectable result, of antigen type test, performed up to 24 hours before boarding, or laboratory RT-PCR test, taken up to 72 hours before

For flights with connections or stopovers in which the passenger remains in a restricted area of the transit airport, the 24-hour period will be considered for the first leg of the journey. Passengers who leave the airport’s transit area for more than 72 hours since the molecular test, or 24 hours after the rapid antigen test, must perform a new test with negative or undetectable results at check-in for the final flight to Brazil.

Crew changes and repatriations

While Ordinance 660/2021 does not address seafarers who have been in the banned Southern African countries in the last 14 days, we understand that they will have to complete the 14-day in another country before flying to Brazil to join a vessel or platform.

Otherwise, there have been no changes in the procedures for maritime crew transfers in Brazil. Foreign seafarers are still welcome to disembark from vessels and platforms to seek medical assistance or for repatriation upon the termination of a contract of employment.

Seafarers can also join vessels and platforms in Brazilian waters, under the following conditions:

• financial undertaking of the shipping agent defraying the costs incurred with the on or off signers during their transit in Brazil;
• screening document for infection by SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), with negative or undetectable result of laboratory RT-PCR test or antigen test, performed within 72 hours or 24 hours, respectively, before disembarkation, or from the boarding of a flight to Brazil;
• prior consent of ANVISA; and
• presentation of off-signers’ air tickets

Land travel

Brazil’s land borders to its neighbouring South American countries remains restricted, except for the border with Paraguay in the south. However, foreigners who are in a border country and need to cross over to board a flight home will be allowed in, provided there is a formal request from the travellers’ consular authority in this regard, they present the corresponding air tickets and head directly to the airport.

The ban on entry by land does not apply to:

• Implementation of cross-border humanitarian actions previously authorised by local health authorities
• The transit of border residents in twin cities as long as the neighbouring country reciprocates the treatment
• Transport of cargo or to road freight’s drivers and helpers
• the implementation of emergency assistance measures for the reception and regularisation of migration, per the immigration laws, to persons in vulnerable situations resulting from migratory flow caused by a humanitarian crisis
• Professionals on a mission at the service of an international organisation, if duly identified
• Spouse, partner, children, parents, or guardian of a Brazilian national
• Foreign nationals whose entry is authorised by the Brazilian Government in the public interest or for humanitarian reasons
• Holders of the RNM card
• Foreign officials accredited to the Brazilian government

Read more in our practical guide on measures against COVID-19 for ports, vessels and seafarers.

Published 19 November 2021. Updated 21 January 2022.

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Related topics:

Entry requirements and restrictions updated

Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Brazil