In a telephone call on the evening of 22 January, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva told Chinese President Xi Jinping that Brazil will waive short-stay visa requirements for holders of ordinary Chinese passports. A presidential note released on 23 January confirms that the exemption covers business, tourism, family visits, academic exchanges and transit trips of up to 30 days per entry, with a maximum stay of 90 days within a 12-month period. China unilaterally extended identical privileges to Brazilians in June 2025 and recently prolonged its policy until December 2026; Brasília’s decision now establishes full reciprocity.
Background: Since 2019 Brazil has pursued selective visa-waiver agreements to stimulate trade, investment and inbound tourism, but most past deals have involved OECD partners such as the EU, US, Canada and Japan. Chinese visitors currently represent Brazil’s largest long-haul source market outside North America and Europe, and Chinese companies are major investors in Brazilian energy, agribusiness, telecoms and logistics projects.
Practical implications: Mobility managers can expect faster deployment of Chinese technicians, executives and project teams, who will now be able to enter Brazil for short assignments without first obtaining a VIVIS business visa. Immigration counsel still recommend filing work-authorisation requests for stays beyond 90 days or for activities that fall outside the visitor category. Airlines and travel departments should update booking platforms and employee travel policies to reflect the waiver; Chinese nationals must carry proof of onward travel, sufficient funds and, if applicable, Yellow-Fever vaccination certificates.
![Brazil Grants Short-Stay Visa Exemption to Chinese Citizens]()
Companies that lack in-house immigration specialists can streamline the new process by partnering with VisaHQ, whose Brazil-dedicated portal (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) provides up-to-date guidance on entry waivers, health declarations and any ancillary documentation. The platform aggregates embassy notices, allows travellers to pre-check eligibility and connects corporate accounts with on-demand support, making the transition to visa-free short stays both compliant and hassle-free.
The move also signals deepening Brazil-China cooperation in infrastructure, technology and “frontier-knowledge” sectors, themes highlighted by the two leaders during the call. Analysts see the exemption as another step towards a long-discussed fast-track business-traveller corridor within BRICS+ that could, over time, include preferential immigration-processing lanes at São Paulo-Guarulhos and major Chinese hubs.
For multinationals, the immediate benefit lies in reduced lead-times and lower administrative costs for China-origin travel, while relocation vendors should prepare marketing materials emphasising Brazil’s simplified entry rules to prospective assignees from the People’s Republic of China.
Background: Since 2019 Brazil has pursued selective visa-waiver agreements to stimulate trade, investment and inbound tourism, but most past deals have involved OECD partners such as the EU, US, Canada and Japan. Chinese visitors currently represent Brazil’s largest long-haul source market outside North America and Europe, and Chinese companies are major investors in Brazilian energy, agribusiness, telecoms and logistics projects.
Practical implications: Mobility managers can expect faster deployment of Chinese technicians, executives and project teams, who will now be able to enter Brazil for short assignments without first obtaining a VIVIS business visa. Immigration counsel still recommend filing work-authorisation requests for stays beyond 90 days or for activities that fall outside the visitor category. Airlines and travel departments should update booking platforms and employee travel policies to reflect the waiver; Chinese nationals must carry proof of onward travel, sufficient funds and, if applicable, Yellow-Fever vaccination certificates.
Companies that lack in-house immigration specialists can streamline the new process by partnering with VisaHQ, whose Brazil-dedicated portal (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) provides up-to-date guidance on entry waivers, health declarations and any ancillary documentation. The platform aggregates embassy notices, allows travellers to pre-check eligibility and connects corporate accounts with on-demand support, making the transition to visa-free short stays both compliant and hassle-free.
The move also signals deepening Brazil-China cooperation in infrastructure, technology and “frontier-knowledge” sectors, themes highlighted by the two leaders during the call. Analysts see the exemption as another step towards a long-discussed fast-track business-traveller corridor within BRICS+ that could, over time, include preferential immigration-processing lanes at São Paulo-Guarulhos and major Chinese hubs.
For multinationals, the immediate benefit lies in reduced lead-times and lower administrative costs for China-origin travel, while relocation vendors should prepare marketing materials emphasising Brazil’s simplified entry rules to prospective assignees from the People’s Republic of China.
