In a late-night session on 12 November 2025, the Chamber of Deputies’ Foreign Affairs Committee voted 21-5 to approve Draft Legislative Decree 206/2023, which would overturn the Lula administration’s April re-imposition of visitor-visa requirements on citizens of the United States, Canada and Australia.
Background and context – Brazil had granted unilateral visa-free stays of up to 90 days to the three nationalities in 2019 in an effort to spur tourism and corporate travel. The waiver was scrapped on 10 April 2025 in the name of reciprocity, obliging travelers to obtain an e-visa costing roughly US $80. Industry data cited in the committee hearing indicated that advance bookings from North America and Oceania fell by as much as 27 percent after the announcement, prompting intense lobbying from airlines, hotel groups and state tourism boards.
![Brazilian Lawmakers Advance Bill to Restore Visa-Free Entry for U.S., Canadian and Australian Visitors]()
What the bill does – If enacted, the measure would immediately reinstate visa-free entry for tourism and business trips, renewable once for a total stay of 180 days per 12-month period. Rapporteur Marcel van Hattem noted that the earlier waiver generated an estimated 80,000 additional visitors and R$ 328 million (US $65 million) in local spending within ten months. The draft now proceeds to the powerful Constitution & Justice Committee before heading to a floor vote in both houses, where supporters hope to pass it before Brazil’s summer high-season kicks off in December.
Business implications – Global-mobility managers cheered the development, saying it would remove a layer of paperwork for last-minute executive visits and short-term technical assignments. Travel-management company CWT estimates corporations saved about US $200 per trip during the previous waiver period when courier fees and processing time were factored in. Airlines serving Brazil from Miami, Houston, Toronto and Sydney have already begun preparing promotional campaigns contingent on a “visa-free summer.”
Practical advice – Until the bill is fully enacted, U.S., Canadian and Australian nationals must still obtain an e-visa before departure. Mobility teams should continue to budget five working days for processing and ensure that assignees carry printed visa approvals at boarding. If the law passes, companies should update their travel-approval workflows and revise intranet guidance to reflect the restored exemption.
Background and context – Brazil had granted unilateral visa-free stays of up to 90 days to the three nationalities in 2019 in an effort to spur tourism and corporate travel. The waiver was scrapped on 10 April 2025 in the name of reciprocity, obliging travelers to obtain an e-visa costing roughly US $80. Industry data cited in the committee hearing indicated that advance bookings from North America and Oceania fell by as much as 27 percent after the announcement, prompting intense lobbying from airlines, hotel groups and state tourism boards.
What the bill does – If enacted, the measure would immediately reinstate visa-free entry for tourism and business trips, renewable once for a total stay of 180 days per 12-month period. Rapporteur Marcel van Hattem noted that the earlier waiver generated an estimated 80,000 additional visitors and R$ 328 million (US $65 million) in local spending within ten months. The draft now proceeds to the powerful Constitution & Justice Committee before heading to a floor vote in both houses, where supporters hope to pass it before Brazil’s summer high-season kicks off in December.
Business implications – Global-mobility managers cheered the development, saying it would remove a layer of paperwork for last-minute executive visits and short-term technical assignments. Travel-management company CWT estimates corporations saved about US $200 per trip during the previous waiver period when courier fees and processing time were factored in. Airlines serving Brazil from Miami, Houston, Toronto and Sydney have already begun preparing promotional campaigns contingent on a “visa-free summer.”
Practical advice – Until the bill is fully enacted, U.S., Canadian and Australian nationals must still obtain an e-visa before departure. Mobility teams should continue to budget five working days for processing and ensure that assignees carry printed visa approvals at boarding. If the law passes, companies should update their travel-approval workflows and revise intranet guidance to reflect the restored exemption.
