Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has authorised visa-free entry for Chinese citizens travelling for tourism, business or family visits of up to 30 days, the government announced on 23 January. The move, reported by Daily Economic News in China, mirrors Beijing’s own waiver for Brazilian passport-holders that took effect in early 2025 and underscores deepening China-Latin America ties.
Implementation details—including the exact start date and whether e-gate access will be offered—will be published in coming weeks by Brazil’s Foreign Ministry and Federal Police. Officials in Brasília said the policy is designed to “match China’s openness and stimulate two-way travel, investment and higher education links.” Chinese arrivals totalled 62,000 in 2025, still just half of the 2019 peak; the tourism board Embratur hopes the exemption can restore pre-pandemic volumes within two years.
![Brazil to grant visa-free entry to Chinese short-term visitors, reciprocating Beijing’s waiver]()
Travellers who are unsure about the evolving entry procedures can tap VisaHQ’s expertise for smooth compliance. Its dedicated China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) offers real-time updates, document checks and courier services—helpful for Chinese visitors heading to Brazil as well as Brazilians planning onward journeys to China or other destinations with changing requirements.
For Chinese companies operating in Brazil’s energy, agribusiness and telecom sectors, the change eliminates the need to courier passports to consulates and wait up to ten working days for a visitor visa—yielding cost savings estimated at US$200–300 per traveller. Corporate immigration teams should update global travel approval systems to reflect the waiver while noting that stays beyond 30 days or remunerated activities will still require appropriate permits.
Brazil joins a growing list of countries—including Turkey (from 2 January) and Cambodia (trial period from 15 June)—that have introduced visa concessions for Chinese nationals in 2026. Travel-industry analysts say the trend reflects confidence in China’s outbound-tourism recovery and competition among destinations to capture its spending power.
Implementation details—including the exact start date and whether e-gate access will be offered—will be published in coming weeks by Brazil’s Foreign Ministry and Federal Police. Officials in Brasília said the policy is designed to “match China’s openness and stimulate two-way travel, investment and higher education links.” Chinese arrivals totalled 62,000 in 2025, still just half of the 2019 peak; the tourism board Embratur hopes the exemption can restore pre-pandemic volumes within two years.
Travellers who are unsure about the evolving entry procedures can tap VisaHQ’s expertise for smooth compliance. Its dedicated China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) offers real-time updates, document checks and courier services—helpful for Chinese visitors heading to Brazil as well as Brazilians planning onward journeys to China or other destinations with changing requirements.
For Chinese companies operating in Brazil’s energy, agribusiness and telecom sectors, the change eliminates the need to courier passports to consulates and wait up to ten working days for a visitor visa—yielding cost savings estimated at US$200–300 per traveller. Corporate immigration teams should update global travel approval systems to reflect the waiver while noting that stays beyond 30 days or remunerated activities will still require appropriate permits.
Brazil joins a growing list of countries—including Turkey (from 2 January) and Cambodia (trial period from 15 June)—that have introduced visa concessions for Chinese nationals in 2026. Travel-industry analysts say the trend reflects confidence in China’s outbound-tourism recovery and competition among destinations to capture its spending power.
