Brazil Visa and Entry Requirements (2026)
There's no single answer — it depends on your passport, and one major rule flipped recently: US, Canadian, and Australian citizens now need an e-visa (about $80.90), reinstated in April 2025 after six years of visa-free entry. UK, EU/Schengen, and South Africa (as of March 2026) get up to 90 days visa-free. China gets 30 days visa-free (as of February 2026). India needs a visa arranged in advance, with no tourist e-visa option.
If you're American, Canadian, or Australian and haven't booked a Brazil trip since before 2025, the single most important thing in this guide is: the rule changed. Here's the real, current breakdown by nationality.
Visa and entry rules by nationality (as of mid-2026)
| Passport / nationality group | Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| United States | E-visa required | Reinstated April 10, 2025. Apply online at brazil.vfsevisa.com, ~$80.90. Valid 10 years, multiple entry. |
| Canada | E-visa required | Same reinstatement, same official portal. Valid 5 years, multiple entry. |
| Australia | E-visa required | Same reinstatement, same official portal. Valid 5 years, multiple entry. |
| United Kingdom | Visa-free | Up to 90 days per visit, standard tourist entry. |
| EU / Schengen countries | Visa-free | Up to 90 days within any 180-day period, reconfirmed by an updated EU-Brazil agreement in force since March 2026. |
| China | Visa-free (new) | Up to 30 days as of February 22, 2026, extendable to 90 days within a 12-month period — a recent, still-underreported change. |
| India | Visa required in advance | No tourist e-visa available — apply in person at an embassy or consulate. A separate business e-visa exists for eligible applicants. |
| UAE | Visa-free | Visa-exempt since 2018. |
| Saudi Arabia | Visa required in advance | Brazil applies a reciprocity policy — Saudi nationals need a visa since Brazil requires one from Brazilian citizens visiting Saudi Arabia. |
| South Africa | Visa-free (new) | Up to 90 days within a 12-month period, introduced March 2026 — a very recent change most guides haven't caught up on yet. |
| Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Peru, Colombia and most of Latin America | Visa-free | Most South American nationalities travel visa-free; several Mercosur countries' citizens can enter with just a national ID card, no passport required. |
| Other nationalities not listed above | Check Brazil's current reciprocity list | Brazil's visa policy is largely reciprocal — if your country requires a visa from Brazilians, Brazil will generally require one from you. Confirm your specific passport before booking. |
The e-visa requirement for US, Canadian, and Australian citizens is the single most-missed update on this page — a lot of travel content published before April 2025 still says these three nationalities can enter visa-free, which is no longer true. Apply only through the official portal, brazil.vfsevisa.com, and budget at least two weeks before travel even though most approvals come back in 48–72 hours.
The e-Visa for US, Canadian and Australian citizens
The application is fully online through VFS Global's official Brazil eVisa portal — no in-person appointment required. The fee is roughly $80.90 per applicant, paid by card during the application. Most approvals arrive within 48–72 hours, though the official processing window extends up to 10 business days during peak periods, so don't apply the week of your flight. Once approved, the e-visa allows a maximum stay of 90 days per visit, capped at 180 days total within any 12-month period — and it's valid for multiple entries for the full validity period (10 years for US citizens, 5 years for Canadian and Australian citizens), so it covers your entire trip even if you cross into Argentina or Uruguay and back.
Visa-free nationalities — what to know
UK and EU/Schengen citizens get a standard 90-day visa-free tourist entry, most South American neighbors travel visa-free (some, under Mercosur rules, with just a national ID card), and two recent additions — China (February 2026) and South Africa (March 2026) — are genuinely new enough that a lot of other travel sites haven't updated yet. If your nationality isn't listed in the table above, Brazil's policy is largely reciprocal to what your country requires from Brazilian citizens, so check the current official list for your specific passport.
Entry basics for everyone
- Your passport should be valid for at least 6 months from your date of entry.
- Immigration officers occasionally ask for proof of onward or return travel, and sometimes proof of sufficient funds — have a return ticket ready to show if asked.
- There's no mandatory digital arrival form for all travelers the way some Southeast Asian countries require — just your passport (and e-visa confirmation, if applicable) at the immigration desk.
Extending your stay
Visa-exempt and e-visa entrants alike can typically request one extension from Brazil's Polícia Federal before their initial stamped period expires, generally doubling the original stay up to the applicable maximum (90 or 180 days depending on your visa type). Apply before your current permitted stay runs out, not after.