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Effective 10 April 2025, holders of passports issued by Australia, Canada and the United States will be required to obtain a visa to enter Brazil
Update 10 April 2024: on 9 April 2024, the federal government published Decree 11,982 whereby the requirement for nationals of Australia, Canada and the United States to obtain a visit visa (VIVIS) to enter Brazil was postponed, once again, this time until 10 April 2025.
Visa policy
Principle of reciprocity
Brazil discretionarily adopts the principle of reciprocity. Following the provisions of treaties and bilateral agreements, it waives the need for non-immigrants of certain nationalities to obtain entry visas prior to travelling to the country.
The length of stay for visa-exempt visitors varies from 30 to 90 days, depending on nationality, and there are penalties for those who overstay.
Visa requirements
Brazilian embassies, consulates, and diplomatic missions abroad issue tourist and business visas (“VIVIS”) and other categories of visas. It is impossible to apply for a visa after arriving at Brazilian airports, ports, or ground crossings. Visitors without a visa, when required, will be denied entry without prejudice to fines being levied on the illegal traveller and the carrier.
Seafarers’ travel documents
Crewmembers arriving to join a ship or platform in Brazil or disembarking at a Brazilian port for repatriation are not required to hold a visa as long as they are in possession of a valid seafarer’s identity document – SID issued in accordance with Convention no. 185 of the International Labour Organisation (ILO C185).
The list of countries whose seafarers without a valid SID C185 need a visa can be found on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. The list is regularly updated.
Changes to visa requirements
Resumption of visa reciprocity
By virtue of Decree 9,731/2019, which aimed to facilitate tourism in the country, from June 2019, travellers holding Australian, Canadian, Japanese and North American passports were unilaterally exempt from visas. Since then, they could stay in Brazil for 90 days, renewable for the same period, but limited to 180 days per migratory year. Even so, Brazilian citizens were still required to obtain a visa to enter these four countries.
However, through Decree 11,515/2023, as amended, the Brazilian government reconsidered the issue and decided to suspend the unilateral visa exemption afforded to nationals of Australia, Canada, and the United States. The visa restatement for these nations was originally scheduled for 10 January 2024, but the government has today postponed it to come into effect from 10 April 2024.
Beginning October 2023, Japan has waived visa requirements for Brazilian travellers who stay in that country for up to 90 days. Brazil reciprocates the treatment and exempts Japanese visitors from visas for stays of a maximum of 90 days.
Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated its interest in negotiating visa exemption agreements with the three countries based on the principles of reciprocity and equality between States, as occurred with Japan.
E-visas
Citizens from Australia, Canada, and the USA can apply for an electronic visa online without visiting a Brazilian consulate or embassy. The application for an e-visa can be made through this secure link: https://brazil.vfsevisa.com/.
Penalties
Since none of the above three countries ratified the ILO C185 Convention, seafarers from these countries will not have a compliant SID and, therefore, must hold a passport with a valid visa.
Violation of immigration regulations results in fines ranging from BRL 100 to BRL 10,000 against individuals and from BRL 1,000 to BRL 1 million against the carriers who brought them to the country.
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