Brazil Adds E-Visa Requirement For Americans & Others

Traveling to Brazil is about to become a bit more costly and complicated for Americans…

Brazil adds e-visa requirement for US citizens & others

As of January 10, 2024, Brazil is adding a new e-visa requirement for citizens of the United States, Canada, and Australia. Specifically, an e-visa will cost $80.90 per person, and will be valid for multiple entries. For those from the United States, it will be valid for 10 years, while for those from Canada or Australia, it will be valid for five years.

You can apply for an e-visa directly on this government website, and processing times for an e-visa will be up to five business days, though it’s recommended that you apply long before that if possible.

Application requirements for the e-visa include filling out an application form, submitting a passport-style photo, providing proof of roundtrip flights, and sharing printed bank statements showing transactions for the last 30 days, and showing at least $2,000 available for travel. I think that bank statement requirement will probably make some travelers pretty uncomfortable.

Unfortunately this is quite a step backwards for Brazil in terms of ease of travel. Just for some context:

• Up until early 2018, it was complicated for Americans to get a visa for Brazil, as it required going to a consulate
• Then in 2018, Brazil introduced the option of e-visas for eligible travelers
• Then in 2019, Brazil completely eliminated visa requirements for Americans, in an effort to boost tourism

So now we’re going back to the 2018 policy, though fortunately we at least don’t have to go to consulates to get visas, as was the case prior to that.

How Brazil justifies this new e-visa requirement

The Brazilian government is justifying this new visa requirement by explaining that it’s a reciprocal policy, and is being added because other countries have the same travel requirements for Brazilians. The government claims to be “negotiating visa exemption agreements with these three countries, based on principles of reciprocity and equality between states.”

It’s unlikely that the United States will lift the current requirement for Brazilians, and therefore I doubt we’ll see much change. A few thoughts:

• I absolutely think the US largely has too much red tape when it comes to issuing tourist visas, so I by no means think the United States is right and Brazil is wrong
• However, no matter how you slice it, needing to apply for an e-visa is a minor headache and adds further expenses to a trip, and has some impact on tourism demand
• It seems pretty clear to me that this is simply a technique for the government to generate revenue, more than anything else

So I guess we’re still better off than we were up until early 2018, where you had to go to a consulate to get a visa. However, it’s unfortunate to see the country adding barriers to travel.

Bottom line

As of early 2024, Brazil is adding a new e-visa requirement for citizens of the United States, Canada, and Australia. This is being justified on a reciprocal basis, and represents the reversal of a policy that was intended to promote tourism in the country.

Ultimately if you want to visit Brazil, it’s not that big of a hurdle to overcome. But I still find it frustrating how many countries (including the United States) require these kinds of e-visas, which just add cost and frustration for travelers.

What do you make of Brazil adding back a visa requirement for some foreigners?

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