Canada’s first travel advisory of 2026 singles out Brazil—alongside Mexico, Tunisia and others—for “heightened security concerns” and “persistent visa-processing delays.” The notice, released on 2 January, urges Canadians to exercise a high degree of caution in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and border regions where organised crime and armed robberies remain prevalent.
The advisory points to an uptick in gang-related shootings near tourist corridors and continued smuggling violence along Brazil’s porous frontiers with Bolivia and Colombia. It also notes that Canadian citizens applying for Brazilian e-visas have faced processing times stretching past the published five-business-day target, attributed to seasonal surges and sporadic IT outages on the vfsevisa platform.
Canadians eager to keep their travel plans on track can simplify the paperwork by using VisaHQ’s digital concierge service; the portal monitors real-time embassy updates, pre-screens documents and submits e-visa requests directly to Brazilian authorities, often shaving days off the queue. More information is available at https://www.visahq.com/brazil/
![Canada warns travellers about crime risks and visa delays in Brazil in new January 2026 advisory]()
While the advisory stops short of recommending that travellers avoid Brazil altogether, insurance underwriters often use such notices to adjust premiums or restrict coverage. Tour operators in Canada’s C-to-B leisure segment—responsible for roughly 155,000 arrivals to Brazil in 2025—fear bookings could soften if the alert remains in place through the northern summer.
Brazilian tourism officials responded by highlighting a 15 % year-on-year jump in international arrivals and emphasised that high-visibility policing is being reinforced in key tourist zones ahead of Carnival in February. They also pledged to clear the e-visa backlog by deploying additional contract staff at the Federal Data-Processing Service (Serpro).
Corporate security managers with Canadian assignees in Brazil should revisit ground-transport protocols, ensure emergency-contact trees are current and verify that travellers’ e-visa applications are filed at least 20 days before departure until system stability improves.
The advisory points to an uptick in gang-related shootings near tourist corridors and continued smuggling violence along Brazil’s porous frontiers with Bolivia and Colombia. It also notes that Canadian citizens applying for Brazilian e-visas have faced processing times stretching past the published five-business-day target, attributed to seasonal surges and sporadic IT outages on the vfsevisa platform.
Canadians eager to keep their travel plans on track can simplify the paperwork by using VisaHQ’s digital concierge service; the portal monitors real-time embassy updates, pre-screens documents and submits e-visa requests directly to Brazilian authorities, often shaving days off the queue. More information is available at https://www.visahq.com/brazil/
While the advisory stops short of recommending that travellers avoid Brazil altogether, insurance underwriters often use such notices to adjust premiums or restrict coverage. Tour operators in Canada’s C-to-B leisure segment—responsible for roughly 155,000 arrivals to Brazil in 2025—fear bookings could soften if the alert remains in place through the northern summer.
Brazilian tourism officials responded by highlighting a 15 % year-on-year jump in international arrivals and emphasised that high-visibility policing is being reinforced in key tourist zones ahead of Carnival in February. They also pledged to clear the e-visa backlog by deploying additional contract staff at the Federal Data-Processing Service (Serpro).
Corporate security managers with Canadian assignees in Brazil should revisit ground-transport protocols, ensure emergency-contact trees are current and verify that travellers’ e-visa applications are filed at least 20 days before departure until system stability improves.
