04/07/2019
Brasil's Visitor Visa Permanent Exemption for USA Nationals Effective March 18, 2019:
An executive order issued by President Jair Bolsonaro will enter into force on June 17, 2019 and is expected to increase the foreign tourist flow into Brazil. The visa exemption for citizens of the United States of America, Australia, Canada and Japan who wish to travel to Brazil was enacted on March 18, 2019. This will enable visitors from these four countries to enter Brazil without a visa. The order was signed by President Jair Bolsonaro, Foreign Minister Ernesto Araújo, Tourism Minister Marcelo Álvaro Antônio and Justice Minister Sérgio Moro.
The measure benefits holders of a valid passport traveling for tourism, business, artistic or sports activities or in exceptional situations of national interest. The initiative also covers travelers transiting through Brazil. Visitors will be granted a stay of up to 90 days, which can be extended once for the same period, as long as they do not exceed 180 days within a 12-month period, counted from the date of the first entry. If the regular stay is exceeded, the visitor will be considered an illegal alien subject to the applicable measures by the Brazilian government.
“This is a historical day for Brazilian tourism and we are certain it means a new level for our country among the main tourist destinations around the world. Our sector is able to contribute to the national economic growth by creating jobs and income and soon we will have positive results to share”, stressed Tourism Minister Marcelo Álvaro Antônio.
The four countries covered by the visa exemption announced on Monday were part of a pilot project that began in 2017 and introduced the electronic visa for visitors who wished to travel to Brazil. The Tourism Ministry expects that the new measure will help the country reach 12 million foreign visitors by 2020, in comparison with 6.6 million current visitors.
