Brazil will re-introduce visa requirements for US citizens on the basis of reciprocity, but one of the e-visa requirements strikes me as patently absurd.
US Citizens Visiting Brazil Will Need E-Visa Effective January 10, 2024
As I predicted in June 2022 and again earlier this year, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is the type of demagogue who would bring back visa requirements for US passport holders visiting Brazil. Sure enough, plans were announced earlier year and now a specific date and policy have been published.
Here are key details of the Brazil e-visa for US citizens:
- The cost for the visa will be $80.90 per-person
- It is valid for 10 years with multiple entries, though no one stay can exceed 90 days
- Australians and Canadian only get five years
- Processing times are estimated to be five business days, although you are encouraged to apply earlier if necessary
- The following documents will be required:
- Passport (signed, valid up to end of your Brazil trip with two blank pages)
- Visa application form (completed online).
- Passport-style photo (2 inches x 2 inches on a white background)
- more details here on which photos are accepted
- E-visa fee payment (US$80.90)
- Confirmation of round trip reservation (flight, ship, or bus reservation showing entrance by air, sea or land into Brazil and exit from Brazil)
- Printed bank statement showing transactions for the last 30 days and showing at least US$2,000.00 for travel
You can apply for the visa here (don’t be tricked into scam websites that purport to “help” you get the visa for a processing fee).
The bank statement requirement is absurd…an unjustified attempt to require far too much information than is necessary. If you happen to have more than $2,000 in your account, I recommend you transferring it to a secondary account and submitting that info. I do not see why a credit card statement showing a credit line of at least $2,000 would also not suffice…I may try that out when I apply or a visa.
Some say they won’t go to Brazil because of this banking requirement, but that’s a little bit of an overreaction…it isn’t too hard to set up a bank account just for this trip if you are worried about your privacy.
This Is Not About The USA….
Folks, I CONDEMN how hard the US government makes it to obtain a visa to the USA. It is ridiculous what my wife had to go through to get her visa and she’s a German. Those in the developing world have it far worse. Pricing is absurd and the sort of documentation required and arbitrary nature of the whole process is worthy of our scorn.
But here’s the truth: in 2020 it is estimated that 48,881 Brazilians overstayed their visa in the USA. That is not a reciprocal problem. I love Brazil and would love to spend a lot more time there. But no, I don’t plan to illegally stay there.
The US system may still be far too arduous, but it is not without reason…Lula is guilty of “cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face” in his attempt to protest US visa policy. The only ones who will be hurt are Brazilians who rely on tourists for survival and the multiplier effects throughout the economy. The padding of government coffers from this new revenue sources won’t help the very people most hurt by the move to reintroduce visas.
Such needless barriers to entry are counterproductive.
CONCLUSION
Brazil will introduce a new e-visa system for US travelers (and Australians and Canadians) effective on January 10, 2024. I lament the new system, but we’ve seen it coming for two years now so it hardly come as a surprise.
Will the e-visa requirement impact your decision to travel to Brazil?
Shithole country. Was better when my friend Jair was running the show. Sad!
Rather bizarre to see an American describe Brazil as a “shithole country,” given that it is far more lovely and generally more pleasant than the USA in essentially every way. It is subjected to a horrible and self-serving leader at the moment, but then again, so is the USA.
Brazil’s absurd new visa policy is of a piece with Trump/Biden trade policies, which are designed for the credulous to appear to strike a blow against oppressive foreigners but is really a self-serving measure by politicians to appease domestic political interests at the expense of the entire nation. This is incredibly stupid policy, and I wouldn’t blame Americans for giving Brazil a miss as a result, but this sort of political grandstanding is hardly unique or unknown in the USA.
Umm… satire.
Brazil is a huge country which has masses of industry etc- it’s not like Aruba, or even Greece. Tourism makes up less than 3% of the GDP and the majority of tourists in the country come from Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay. Of course, Rio does attract some high spenders from North America, but the numbers are tiny and claiming that this decision will do any quantifiable harm to the economy isn’t much more grounded in reality than the fear that wealthy Americans would fail to comply with the terms of their visa-free entry. The requirement for bank account details is standard for visa applications all over the world, I remember having to do that when I visited Russia around 2009 and I even know someone who was detained at MAD and sent back to South America for having dared to turn up for a visa-free stay without copies of their bank statements!
In terms of visitor numbers, Americans are second only to Argentina. Higher than Chile and Uruguay. Canadians and Australians, however, do make up a negligible amount of visitor numbers.
Do you really think Americans are trying to smuggle themselves into Brazil!?!
All the Venezuelans, Hondurans, Columbians, Mexicans, El Salvadorans, etc are heading North of the Boarder, not south!!
I’ll pay an administrative fee like the Euro Short-stay Schengen visa. But proved you with a bank statement….only for an extended stay or permanent citizenship!!
It is about reciprocity. Getting a visa to the US in Brazil can take over 1 year if you don’t have the funds to hire an agent. The interview process is brutal, they treat people like shit and it a very unpleasant experience. Thus, they do the same to Americans although a much much easier process. Note that under the previous Government, Americans did not need a visa to go to Brazil .
You’re doing something stupid so we need to too? What could possibly go wrong?
The us visa fee for people coming from the UK is $100 so you are being a hypocrite correct
@Matthew, my wife too had a foreign passport for a number of years after we got married. She had her green card, but outside of Canada and Mexico only a few countries in Central and Latin America didn’t require a visa because of her citizenship. I helped her fill out visa applications when she travelled Matthew and let me tell you most required a bank account AND proof employment unless retired/student. Brazil’s requirements are not excessive when viewed through the lens of what countries typically require when a visa is required. It’s great now, as most have moved away from Visas to E-Visas. I also think the fee is reasonable, as Brazil is using a Indian outsourcing firm to do most of the processing but ultimately someone form the government has to review and has the final say and both that civil servant and the contractor need to get paid. I ask you, how much would a Brazilian be charged for a 10 year visa to the USA?
I don’t believe that “reciprocity” is a valid reason for a visa, but of course that is a self-interested position.
@Matthew I get you don’t believe in reciprocity, because if it was, Brazil would be charging a lot more than $80 for a visa.
Correct – I think reciprocity is foolishness and certainly will not influence US policy but certainly will deter US tourists.
La firme VFS Global qui s’occupe des visa pour le Brésil, refuse le relevé de carte de crédit. Ils exigent le relevé bancaire avec minimum 2000$ US, ce qui est ridicule car une fois le visa obtenu ce solde pourra être remis à zéro….. Les exigences de preuve d’entée et sortie sont très limitatives car elles empêchent toute spontanéité quant aux déplacements dans la visite du pays pendant la période de 90 jours du visa de tourisme, par exemple un aller seulement au Brésil et une sortie vers d’autres pays comme l’Argentine en bus.
Per your comment, this is about reciprocity. The US requires visas from Brazilians so Brazil is reciprocating. Why is that a problem? And as you point our, the US requirements for visas are arduous, plus having to deal with the rude and unprofessional US embassy staff, so why are you complaining? Why should US citizens get special treatment?
It’s not about special treatment, it is about self-interest to encourage business and tourism without artificial roadblocks which stymie commerce.
But the impact is virtually imperceptible in the context of a huge country with a vast economy. You don’t see lots of Americans on the beaches of Florianopolis- working class ones can’t really afford to travel that far while those who are wealthier prefer other destinations.
Furthermore, the evisa system can actually be rather helpful for those who do decide to go ahead and obtain one – my arrival experience with the Indonesian eVoA was so much smoother than getting into CDMX at 5am and having to spend an hour queueing so that somebody could look at my passport and confirm that I didn’t need a visa.
With all respect, your wife is German and she got the easy treatment for getting a US visa. For people of underdeveloped countries you basically get probed, asking from financial statements for several paychecks to health check ups, multiple interviews, and in the end, if the person doesn’t like your face, even if everything else is shining you might still be denied, at the airport, in the US, and have to travel back to country of origin.
Please save your petty comments to yourself.
What an idiotic comment that makes dramatic and incorrect assumptions. I’ve written about what my wife went through and it wasn’t pretty.
Sorry to hear about your wife’s troubles. Might I suggest she enter the US across our Southern border instead. Then she will not have to bother with the immigration authorities until 2036 (date range they are currently scheduling hearings), As a bonus she can also get an new iPhone AND a pre-loaded VISA gift card valued at $3K.
Brazil is now off my list. It will be Argentina and Uruguay
To be sure, the biggest beneficiary of this policy will be Argentina. To tourists from the USA these countries are interchangeable – even if that isn’t the reality – but Argentina is vastly less expensive and now much simpler to travel to. Congratulations Argentina . . . where things are looking up for this and other reasons at the moment.
Argentina has a similar “It’s not a visa but you have to pay to get in” permit and fee requirement upon landing.
The scrapped it several years ago. No fees. Only a passport required to enter.
Nope. I was just in Argentina. They got rid of that years ago
You won’t be missed in Brazil
Other than easy access to hookers and blow, there really isn’t a reason for average Americans to visit Brazil. Add in the rampant crime and it may be safer to walk around San Francisco than Sao Paulo.
Yes, Rio de Janeiro is horribly ugly and pales against the charms of say, Dayton and Orlando. Stay far away. Nothing to see there.
74 million annual visitors to Orlando, 5 to Rio including 2 million foreigners.
But let me guess, you have “business” there.
I’m not sure why yotue comparing mere numbers of tourists. Orlando is theme park central, Brazil is still hot in winter and had beaches.
If you’re flying to Brazil in (North American) winter to experience summer, Argentina works. If you need to take children to a theme park, you’re going to Orlando either way.
I hope you are being sarcastic. Rio is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Orlando is the ugliest.
Spousal visa and permanent resident applications for the US is slightly different compared to a temporary visitor. Also, it’s the same lengthy process regardless of one’s nationality.
Hilarious to see all the bloviating outrage here from ignorant, knuckle-dragging hypocrites. As the USA makes many foreign nationals go through so much more/worse bureaucratic nonsense when trying to get a tourist visa to here. Oh, right, but we are exceptional…
Pot, meet kettle.
Two wrongs don’t make it right.
two wrong don’t make a right? as long as an American can go in someone’s country and not answer to anyone. it’s their law. you don’t like it don’t go. you will not be missed.
You totally miss the point.
Brazil is a sovereign nation and can do what it want concerning the admission of foreigners into its borders.
But the fact is the ridiculous American visa process is not changing and is certainly not changing because of a reciprocity visa in Brazil. Maybe when 40K Brazilians per year stop overstaying their visa it will…
Thus, it becomes a silly pride issue on the part of Lulu that only hurts Brazil.
It’s not about me going (I’ll still be going) or whether I’ll be missed. Nothing to do with that.
“Brazil is a sovereign nation and can do what it want concerning the admission of foreigners into its borders.”
This!
You’re contradicting yourself. You don’t accept it.
It could be there is more to this move than reciprocal visa procedures.
Many countries are getting more and more fed up with US Foreign Policy and its vassals. And some countries are growing balls.
Again, Brazil can do whatever it wants. It certainly has that prerogative. But I will opine on it, even as I will abide by it.
Suggestion! Why don’t you make a visit to an American consulate in Brazil and then write an article about your observations. Lula is a retard, so you cannot expect too much of him. But Biden supported him in the elections. How about Russian interference in American elections? Usually, everything Americans criticize about other nations they do in a double and triple doses. America goes to war for freedom (synonym for crude oil). Russia goes to war for annexations.
Lsat time I tried to photograph a US embassy I had security staff running after me demanding my passport and that I delete my photos. The US is a whole different beast.
Lula, even though he is not a good president, is infinitely better than the corrupt madman Bolsonaro.
I am with with you.
This week, Indonesia announced that next month it will announce (is that bureaucracy, announce an announcement?) visa free travel for several countries including probably the US? They cite increased business travel and tourism is the anticipated results.
I applaud Indonesia. I have been to Brazil and Indonesia only once but considered those countries many times. In contrast, I have visited a country that no visa is required (no, not Thailand.not a sex tourist) 9 times.
I definitely dont like this at all but can understand the tit for tat nature. The only reason they’re making us jump through the bureaucratic hoop of showing a bank statement is because we do it for them. We have our reasons, which you allude to, but they’re just doing it tit for tat. While I dont like it one bit, I understand why they’re doing it. I love Brazil and I’ll work around this, but I do find it annoying.
That’s not an absurd requirement, in fact, many countries (like New Zealand, Schengen area countries) have some sort of financial requirement for tourists, even for those who can travel without a visa. What’s unusual is this mandatory requirement for an American citizen as a precondition for travel authorization.
Having said that, I don’ t think this bank statement requirement will lead to an sharp decline of visitors to Brazil. In fact, if a burdensome visa process were an impediment for travel, the US would be getting less tourists than Nauru and I don’t believe Nauru’s Department of State is as incompetent, sadistic as its American counterpart.
And yes, those reciprocity measures are almost self-defeating. But, sometimes, you reach a point that’s the only measure left, I mean, look how awful is the U.S. consular service, you have to wait some 800 days (like in Mexico) to get a chance to be humiliated by an obnoxious, rude consul hellbent on being outright mean for no purpose at all other than showing off an unresolved superiority complex. If you exhausted all diplomatic means to ask for a better, more humane, more efficient service for your own citizens, all to no avail, what do you have left available? Reciprocity. Pointing out as well that services for American citizens aren’t that great either, 3 months for a passport is just absurd.
Sure, two wrongs don’t make it right, and it’s correct to point out Brazil’s pointless, useless reciprocity policy. However, there’s no discussion at all about the American visa policy, treatment of visa applicants in terms of wait times, rudeness of consular officials, and overall visa experience.
I do discuss the American approach and condemn it – I’m not sure what else to say. The US is a whole different beast, and a bad one, when it comes to visas.
My sister-in-law and nephew just got denied for a tourist visa in Brazil to come to visit us in New York. They had to travel to another city and even though she has a permanent job and owns a house, they denied her after a 2 minute interview.
I applaud Brazil for actually taking a stand. If someone thinks applying for an e-visa to enter Brazil is that arduous, then don’t travel. It’s not that difficult. Even getting a visa at a consulate was an easy process.
Two wrongs don’t make a right.
Two wrongs don’t make a right, but three lefts actually do.
It is ridiculous what White Europeans, Argentinians, and etc have to go through to get a Visa or etc to come to the U.S. or the harassment and arbitrary questions and possible denial of entry when it’s obvious these are normal people. It’s fair to have tough requirements for others because billions of people would come to the U.S. and stay as illegals. High airfare is one deterrent but with low cost airlines having a visa requirement helps. What sucks is rich tourists or middle class tourists have to jump through hoops when buying a bond that’s mostly returned would be easiest so no ridiculous questions upon arrival by a Kenyan immigrant wearing a customs uniform. Millions of legitimate tourists get shafted while millions of violent and low culture illegals walk through the border and are giving $40,000 in benefits a year.
It is really foolish for Brazil to have a visa requirement for American citizens and Europeans because very few want to go from here and stay in Brazil illegally. Economically, it doesn’t make sense. Brazil has a great opportunity to grow its economy with tourism because Europe can get tiring and Brazil is only 9 hours from NY instead of the longer journey to Asia.
Face plant. Snore. ZZZ. You blame everything and everyone, every day, but fail to look in the mirror. My wish is that one day you will do so. God bless.
It sucks, and IMO other countries are starting to make it a bit harder for US passport holders to enter, whether it’s ESTA-like requirements or visa’s like the one in topic. But then again, no other country has given me a harder time to enter their country as much as USA… and I say that as a US citizen with a US passport.
I guess that whats most absurd about this is that Brazil doesn’t seem to acknowledge the large number of their citizens who are overstaying in the USA with the ridiculously onerous current visa system and that the USA would have to open the gates to (presumably) much larger numbers of overstays if the visa system was dropped. Maybe Brazil would do better by getting the USA to cut down visa application times to a week or two wait time. That would be practical and helpful without being wildly unrealistic.
Handing over an unredacted US bank account statement electronically nowadays is just a generally bad idea. While it’s not been unusual that some countries want to see such info from some visa applicants as a condition to approving the issuance of a visa, it’s now far easier and faster for crooks to misuse such info nowadays than it was say 20-40 years ago.
Brazilians can enter the Schengen area without European-issued visas. So maybe still for now Brazil is ok with not requiring such applications from EU/Schengen country citizens. But the general trend pushed by countries is unfortunately one of ending up with more de facto visa requirements for even high income countries’ citizens to travel abroad, it’s just ever more electronic than it used to be and the info demands can be problematic for applicants even after legitimate visa approval.
Personally, as long as it can all be done electronically, I would much rather conform to some random paperwork requirements set by a bureaucrat in a cushy office and get out of the airport using automated passport control than standing up for ages in a queue in a poorly ventilated hall before I have to answer random personal questions by someone who is annoyed at having to work at stupid o’clock and probably envious of the amount of stamps in my passport. YMMV.
The de facto visa requirements — and that includes evisa requirements — don’t necessarily mean an ability to use automated passport control kiosks and get no/shorter lines and no/fewer questions to enter than before.
You are, of course, correct that one doesn’t automatically lead to the other, but quick and painless clearance has been what I have experienced of e-visa systems in recent visits to Korea, Indonesia and [2x] Kenya, and it was a lot smoother than Mexico and South Africa where I travelled without a visa.
And I think it is safe to say that TAP wouldn’t have incorrectly denied me boarding on a flight to MPM (they misinterpreted the rules which state that residents of Portugal require a visa from the Mozambican general consulate in Lisbon and were insisting that I am a passenger ‘from Portugal’ even if I am neither a citizen nor a resident of the country just because my ticket was originating from LIS) if Mozambique had implemented the e-visa system by the time I visited.
What an idiotic article. We require equal or worse of folks when applying for a US visa and our economy doesn’t suffer, neither will theirs.
White Europeans and Argentinian are normal people? As opposed to whom?
Anyway there’s no visa requirement for Europeans going to Brazil.
In 2009, scheduled a cruise with a one day stop in Brazil. Tried to get a visa. Could only use the consulate in my geographic, Los Angeles (served SW US, Hawaii, and Pacific Islands). Consulate was changing out its computers, only issuing 1 or 2 visas per day, and had to appear in person to get it. Found another cruise leaving same port one hour earlier not going to Brazil. About 20 % of those on the same cruise had changed for the same reason. Wrote to embassy in Washington upon return, no response. Swore to boycott Brazilian products and have done so since.
I’m just going to Brazil to smuggle drugs back to United States and I have to go through all these extra Hoops now?
CHORA GRINGO!
Prior to the pandemic, there were approximately 2M Brazilians (out of a total population of 200+M) who annually visited the U.S. If only 40,000 on average overstayed that would then be 2% overstay rate. If I’m recalling correctly, one of the criteria for consideration of the Visa Waiver Program is that a country has an overstay rate <5%. In fact, prior to the pandemic there were countless posts and rumors that the U.S. would be considering Brazil for program participation. What I'm about to say is a bit outside the scope of this discussion thread — it feels as though the U.S. at once is punishing Brazilians (with arduous visa requirements and processes) while simultaneously benefitting from the reduced cost of labor of overstayed Brazilians. No judgment from me as each country determines what it wants/needs to do. Ultimately, $80 is not a make-or-break point; rather it's a nuisance. I would say for (North) Americans it is well worth the time and effort to secure the Brazilian e-visa especially if you want to travel to beaches (outside of SP or RJ) where you won't encounter other (North) Americans!
I wish I spoke Portuguese. Brazil is such a rich country beyond São Paulo and Rio.
Do you know that the USA requires Africans to apply for visas and have a stipulated amount in the bank before doing so?
Why are you angry another country requires the same of the USA?
Why are you angry another country requires the same of the USA?
Because two wrongs don’t make it right.
Maybe in Pomerode or in the Sinos Valley area you can get by with German still?
It is what it is! If you want to go you do what you got to do to get there. Every country does their own thing That’s what the rules are. I remember years ago I had to get one for India and held a lot more difficult than that! Big deal. A base statement whooptie do
No idea why I’m reading this, will never visit bizarre Brazil
Oh, how terrible! Brazil is going to require Americans to have an e-visa that will cost $85.
Meanwhile, the US charges 185 dollars to renew a visa, making you wait almost two years (brazilians have to wait average of 20 months to get US visa) Also, you have to go in person to an US Embassy or Consulate, in humiliating conditions. In a giant country like Brazil, a person from Manaus, for example, has to fly to Brasilia or Sao Paulo to get a visa, a trip that is sometimes more expensive than going to Miami.
The truth is that it is not reciprocity if Brazil charges less than half for a visa that is obtained online in a few days. Reciprocity would mean humiliating Americans like the US does with Brazilians. Which I don’t agree with, of course.
Meh. There are many better places to see in the world than Brazil. In fact, just about every country in Europe is much more deserving of a visit than Brazil. Even Argentina is now a better place for tourists than Brazil. Just say no and move on, take your money elsewhere.
I just did my first application and have been to Brazil a lot over the last few years. Now somebody somewhere has enough information to pass along (for a small finders fee) to somebody who might be in the business of express kidnapping enough information to make it pretty easy.
After the application, some low level bureaucrat will know exactly what airport/airline and time I arrive. Roughly that I have enough money in the bank to make it worthwhile for an express kidnapping, and for convenience sake, a nice recent picture of myself to know exactly which person they need to follow out of the airport.
That’s a valid point, Rob.
How ridiculous Rob! Paranoid level 1000!
You’ve got much imagination!
Don’t travel, better stay at home.
I am going to Brazil in January and applying for the e-visa has been a frustrating process. They will ask me to reupload the financial proof, but accept the photo and flight info, and then second time around, they will ask me to reupload the photo and flight info, but accept the financial proof. I just got another message to reupload all three documents. We have contacted the embassy to have them help us, but we were just asked to upload the documents. We will probably have to go take a visit to NYC to apply in person. Payment was also difficult. They were rejecting credit cards and payment was only successful through Apple Pay.
Given how rude, hostile and aggressive US immigration is to citizens of any other country, I’d like to see a visa requirement for US citizens to travel anywhere and a special and long queue for you on arrival overseas. You make everyone unwelcome in your country, time you got some of it back.
The author doesn’t know [redacted by admin] about Lula. He had to keep his ignorant political views out of his pieces, unless he is a professional propagandist, which maybe he is.
Do Colombians holding double citizenship and passports (US and Colombia) traveling from USA to Brazil in May 2024 requiere Brazilian visa? Or would be suffice to show the Colombian passport as Colombians do not need visa to enter Brazil? The question is because we are going to travel from the United States.
Thank you.
pb