General

Visa requirement postponed for tourists from Australia, Canada, USA

The measure, originally set for January, has been pushed to April

Pedro Rafael Vilela

Published on 05/01/2024 - 10:15

Agência Brasil - Brasília

Passengers gather at Sao Paulo International Airport amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and after Omicron has become the dominant coronavirus variant in the country, in Guarulhos, Brazil January 12, 2022. REUTERS/Roosevelt Cassio — © REUTERS/Roosevelt Cassio/Proibida reprodução

The visa requirement for tourists from Australia, Canada, and the United States, planning to visit Brazil, has been postponed until April 10. Originally set to come into effect on January 10, the measure was delayed by a decree signed by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Thursday (Jan. 4) to allow for the completion of the electronic visa system implementation process and to avoid disruptions during the peak travel season at the start of the year.

“The government aims to ensure a smooth transition without adverse effects on the tourism sector,” as stated in a release from the Planalto presidential palace.

No reciprocity

The decision marks a reversal from 2019 when former President Jair Bolsonaro removed tourist visa requirements for citizens of these three countries, as well as Japan, without demanding reciprocal treatment for Brazilian tourists visiting the US, Australia, and Canada.

In September of last year, visas were waived for Brazilians traveling to Japan, following an agreement signed between President Lula and Japan's Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, during the G7 Summit held in the Japanese city of Hiroshima in the first half of 2023.

The reintroduction of the visa requirement aligns with Brazil's historical diplomatic principle of reciprocity.