In a move that solidifies the fast-warming Brazil-China relationship, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has approved visa-free entry for holders of ordinary Chinese passports making short trips to Brazil.
The announcement was disclosed on 26 January after Lula’s phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping. It mirrors Beijing’s unilateral visa-waiver for Brazilians that has been in force since June 2025 and recently extended through December 2026. Under the reciprocal arrangement, Chinese travellers will be able to spend up to 30 days per visit in Brazil for tourism, business, family visits, cultural exchanges or transit without first applying at a consulate.
The foreign ministry will publish an implementation decree in the coming weeks, including the exact start date and any documentation that airlines must check prior to boarding. Industry insiders expect the waiver to be in place before China’s nine-day Spring Festival break in mid-February—traditionally a peak window for outbound travel.
![Brazil Confirms Visa-Free Short-Stay Entry for Chinese Citizens]()
For travellers and corporate mobility teams that still need help navigating Brazil’s broader entry rules—such as work permits, longer stays or multi-destination itineraries—VisaHQ offers streamlined support. Its Brazil portal (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) aggregates up-to-date requirements, downloadable forms and expedited processing options, making it easier to stay compliant while saving valuable time.
For Brazilian destinations, the measure could not come at a better time. Embratur data show that Chinese arrivals jumped 34 percent year-on-year in 2025 to roughly 94,000 visitors, but that figure is still well below the 200,000-plus Chinese tourists recorded before the pandemic. Rio de Janeiro, Foz do Iguaçu and São Paulo are already tailoring Mandarin signage and QR-code payment options to capture higher-spending Chinese guests.
Corporate mobility managers should update travel-approval workflows: Chinese staff posted to Brazil on trips of 30 days or less may soon bypass the visa desk entirely, but longer assignments will still require the existing temporary-visa process. Companies are also advised to confirm that employees’ passports have at least six months’ validity and two blank pages—requirements that Brazil has not waived.
The announcement was disclosed on 26 January after Lula’s phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping. It mirrors Beijing’s unilateral visa-waiver for Brazilians that has been in force since June 2025 and recently extended through December 2026. Under the reciprocal arrangement, Chinese travellers will be able to spend up to 30 days per visit in Brazil for tourism, business, family visits, cultural exchanges or transit without first applying at a consulate.
The foreign ministry will publish an implementation decree in the coming weeks, including the exact start date and any documentation that airlines must check prior to boarding. Industry insiders expect the waiver to be in place before China’s nine-day Spring Festival break in mid-February—traditionally a peak window for outbound travel.
For travellers and corporate mobility teams that still need help navigating Brazil’s broader entry rules—such as work permits, longer stays or multi-destination itineraries—VisaHQ offers streamlined support. Its Brazil portal (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) aggregates up-to-date requirements, downloadable forms and expedited processing options, making it easier to stay compliant while saving valuable time.
For Brazilian destinations, the measure could not come at a better time. Embratur data show that Chinese arrivals jumped 34 percent year-on-year in 2025 to roughly 94,000 visitors, but that figure is still well below the 200,000-plus Chinese tourists recorded before the pandemic. Rio de Janeiro, Foz do Iguaçu and São Paulo are already tailoring Mandarin signage and QR-code payment options to capture higher-spending Chinese guests.
Corporate mobility managers should update travel-approval workflows: Chinese staff posted to Brazil on trips of 30 days or less may soon bypass the visa desk entirely, but longer assignments will still require the existing temporary-visa process. Companies are also advised to confirm that employees’ passports have at least six months’ validity and two blank pages—requirements that Brazil has not waived.
