The Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that, as of 1 January 2026, citizens of the United States, Canada, Mexico, France and a handful of other countries must secure an electronic visitor visa (e-Visa) before boarding a flight or vessel bound for Brazil. The measure reverses the unilateral visa-waiver that had been in place since 2019 and aligns Brazil with the growing global trend toward pre-travel digital screening. (travelandtourworld.com)
Under the new rules, travellers complete a short on-line form, upload a passport scan and pay the R$ 257 (about US$51) processing fee. Most approvals are issued within 72 hours and are valid for multiple entries of up to 90 days per visit (180 days within a 12-month period). The government argues that the system will improve border security, speed arrivals at airports and create a level playing-field because Brazilians still need visas to visit the same countries. (travelandtourworld.com)
To make navigating these new requirements even easier, travellers can turn to VisaHQ, an online visa specialist that walks users through each step of the Brazilian e-Visa application, checks all uploaded documents for common errors and submits the package directly to the consular system. The platform—available at https://www.visahq.com/brazil/—also provides live status tracking and dedicated support, a convenience that can save both leisure visitors and corporate mobility teams valuable time and prevent last-minute boarding denials.
![Brazil Activates e-Visa Requirement for U.S., Canada, Mexico, France and Other Nationals]()
For mobility managers the switch means faster lead times—no more consular appointments in São Paulo, Rio or Brasília—and lower ancillary costs (couriers, translations, in-person interviews). However, companies will need to build the new requirement into their travel-approval workflows and make sure assignees travel with a printed or digital copy of the authorisation, as airlines will deny boarding without it.
Brazilian inbound tourism players are cautiously optimistic. The national tourism board projects a 6 % rise in North-American arrivals once the digital platform stabilises, arguing that a fully-online process is still far easier than the old paper-sticker regime that pre-dated 2019. But some hotel associations fear that the re-imposition of any fee, however small, could dampen price-sensitive demand in shoulder seasons.
In the corporate arena, the e-Visa will also cover short-term business trips, board meetings and technical visits. Longer stays for remunerated activities will still require a temporary work visa. Global companies with frequent cross-border movements are therefore advised to audit upcoming travel against the new validity limits and plan early for multi-entry extensions.
Under the new rules, travellers complete a short on-line form, upload a passport scan and pay the R$ 257 (about US$51) processing fee. Most approvals are issued within 72 hours and are valid for multiple entries of up to 90 days per visit (180 days within a 12-month period). The government argues that the system will improve border security, speed arrivals at airports and create a level playing-field because Brazilians still need visas to visit the same countries. (travelandtourworld.com)
To make navigating these new requirements even easier, travellers can turn to VisaHQ, an online visa specialist that walks users through each step of the Brazilian e-Visa application, checks all uploaded documents for common errors and submits the package directly to the consular system. The platform—available at https://www.visahq.com/brazil/—also provides live status tracking and dedicated support, a convenience that can save both leisure visitors and corporate mobility teams valuable time and prevent last-minute boarding denials.
For mobility managers the switch means faster lead times—no more consular appointments in São Paulo, Rio or Brasília—and lower ancillary costs (couriers, translations, in-person interviews). However, companies will need to build the new requirement into their travel-approval workflows and make sure assignees travel with a printed or digital copy of the authorisation, as airlines will deny boarding without it.
Brazilian inbound tourism players are cautiously optimistic. The national tourism board projects a 6 % rise in North-American arrivals once the digital platform stabilises, arguing that a fully-online process is still far easier than the old paper-sticker regime that pre-dated 2019. But some hotel associations fear that the re-imposition of any fee, however small, could dampen price-sensitive demand in shoulder seasons.
In the corporate arena, the e-Visa will also cover short-term business trips, board meetings and technical visits. Longer stays for remunerated activities will still require a temporary work visa. Global companies with frequent cross-border movements are therefore advised to audit upcoming travel against the new validity limits and plan early for multi-entry extensions.
