As of June 17, 2019, travelers from the United States may enter Brazil for periods up to 90 days without a Brazil eVisa or any other type of travel authorization. Travelers may now enter Brazil with only their valid passports. In addition to the United States, travelers from Canada, Australia and Japan also no longer need to obtain a visa for trips to Brazil of up to 90 days. Trips can be extended for another 90 days as long as the total visit does not exceed 180 days within a year.

This change marks a continued effort by Brazil to encourage travel from the U.S. to Brazil. In 2016, Brazil temporarily waived visa requirements for U.S. travelers to the country in connection with the Summer Olympics. Then, in 2018, Brazil launched an eVisa program allowing U.S. citizens to simply obtain a visa online, and significantly reduced the associated fees.

Now, even without a visa, travelers from the U.S., Canada, Australia and Japan may now enter, exit, transit and remain in Brazil, without the intention of establishing residence, for purposes of tourism, business, transit, performance of artistic activities or sporting events or in exceptional situations which are in Brazil’s national interest.

Though the impetus for the change was to increase tourism to Brazil, the move has positive implications for businesses in the U.S., Canada, Australia and Japan that regularly send employees to Brazil for short business trips. The change to visa rules will allow these employers to deploy employees to Brazil with less red tape—no visas to obtain and no associated fees.

For trips to Brazil which are scheduled for longer than 90 days, or for individuals who wish to work for extended periods or live in Brazil, an appropriate visa must be obtained from a Brazilian embassy or consulate. Again, a Brazil work visa is required for anyone who seeks to be employed for an extended period of time in the country. Importantly, an individual who enters Brazil as a tourist must exit the country in the same status. This means that tourists are not permitted to change a visa from one type to another during their stay in the country. The intended employer must initiate the application for a work permit on behalf of the applicant. Once approved, applicants must exit Brazil and return to his or her country of origin, where he or she can claim his or her work visa through the Brazilian Consulate.

At this time, the United States is not planning on reciprocating and easing visa requirements for Brazilian travelers to the U.S.

If you have any questions regarding the topics discussed in this article, please contact Sara B. DeBlaze  +1 (312) 609-7534, Ryan M. Helgeson +1 (312) 609-7729, or any Vedder Price attorney with whom you have worked.