***”Visa Requirements Reinstated for US, Canadian, and Australian Travelers to Brazil”***
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil will be reintroducing visa requirements for citizens of the United States, Canada, and Australia starting Thursday, marking the end of the open entry policy that had been in place for the past six years. The U.S. Embassy in Brasilia announced on Monday that Americans visiting from April 10 onwards will still have the option to apply for visas electronically.
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump, had eliminated the visa requirements in 2019 in an effort to promote the country’s tourism industry, going against Brazil’s usual practice of requiring visas based on reciprocity and equal treatment. However, the current President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, suspended the visa-free access for Americans, Canadians, and Australians in March 2023, citing the need for reciprocity as Brazilian citizens are still required to obtain visas for those countries.
Despite efforts to retain the visa exemption through a Senate bill earlier this year, the lower house of Congress shifted its stance following recent trade disputes with the U.S., leading to the passing of a reciprocity bill that grants the executive branch the authority to impose retaliatory tariffs on countries that hinder Brazilian exports. The bill is awaiting approval from President Lula before becoming law.
