With the imminent Rio de Janeiro Carnival 2024 expected to draw increased foot traffic, Brazil has opted to postpone the reintroduction of entry visa requirements for certain countries until April.
Notably, Australia, Canada, and the United States can now plan their visits to Brazil without the immediate concern of obtaining visas, with the new deadline set for April 10. The original plan was to reinstate visa requirements for these nations, a move being reconsidered after a five-year waiver granted in 2019.
This delay also aligns with the Brazilian government’s strategy to implement a new electronic visa system more efficiently. The decision, explained by the tourism board in a statement to Skift, a travel intelligence media company, aims to avoid disruptions to the influx of tourists during the peak season.
“The extension is intended to complete the process of implementing the requirement system E-Visa and prevent the change from interfering with the flow of tourists from these countries to Brazil during the high season,” stated the tourism board.
Before 2019, citizens from the U.S., Canada, and Australia had to apply for travel visas when visiting Brazil. The policy shift occurred in 2019 when then-President Jair Bolsonaro eliminated visa requirements to stimulate the tourism sector. Subsequently, travelers from these countries could stay in Brazil for 90 days, with the option to extend their visit for up to 180 days.
