Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) quietly refreshed its Smartraveller advisory for Brazil late on 14 February, maintaining the overall ‘Exercise a high degree of caution’ level but adding two points that matter for corporates and backpackers alike. First, DFAT reminds Australians that Brazil reinstated visa requirements for short-term visitors from Australia, Canada and the United States as of 10 January; travellers must obtain an e-visa before boarding as no visas are issued on arrival. Second, the bulletin flags a sharp uptick in methanol adulteration cases in tourist hotspots, urging vigilance when accepting free drinks during Carnival. (smartraveller.gov.au)
The visa note ends months of uncertainty after Brasília twice postponed re-imposing the requirement introduced by former president Bolsonaro but suspended during the pandemic. Processing times for the new e-visa average 48 hours but can stretch to five days if applicants omit scanned signature pages or incorrectly size passport photos. Companies sending staff for the B20 summit in São Paulo next month are building in a full week for visa issuance to avoid last-minute scrambles.
For travellers who prefer expert assistance, VisaHQ offers a streamlined e-visa application service for Brazil with real-time status tracking and document checks—see https://www.visahq.com/brazil/ The platform’s guidance on photo sizing and signature uploads can prevent the errors that often trigger processing delays, saving both corporate road-warriors and budget backpackers from itinerary headaches.
![Australia updates Brazil travel advice: visa compulsory, methanol poisoning alert ahead of peak tourist influx]()
On the health front, Brazil’s National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) confirms at least 37 methanol poisonings nationwide since New Year’s Eve, clustered around informal street vendors. While overall violent-crime trends are down, DFAT’s update underscores that food- and beverage-safety risks remain under-appreciated by foreign visitors.
For mobility planners, the key takeaway is that visa compliance checks are now more stringent at departure airports as airlines face fines for boarding ineligible passengers. Travel management companies are revising pre-trip checklists to include the e-visa PDF and proof of on-ward or return travel.
DFAT will reassess the advisory after Carnival week. In the meantime, Australian citizens are urged to register their presence via Smartraveller’s travel registration portal so they can receive security SMS alerts if large-scale protests or severe weather disrupt transport links.
The visa note ends months of uncertainty after Brasília twice postponed re-imposing the requirement introduced by former president Bolsonaro but suspended during the pandemic. Processing times for the new e-visa average 48 hours but can stretch to five days if applicants omit scanned signature pages or incorrectly size passport photos. Companies sending staff for the B20 summit in São Paulo next month are building in a full week for visa issuance to avoid last-minute scrambles.
For travellers who prefer expert assistance, VisaHQ offers a streamlined e-visa application service for Brazil with real-time status tracking and document checks—see https://www.visahq.com/brazil/ The platform’s guidance on photo sizing and signature uploads can prevent the errors that often trigger processing delays, saving both corporate road-warriors and budget backpackers from itinerary headaches.
On the health front, Brazil’s National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) confirms at least 37 methanol poisonings nationwide since New Year’s Eve, clustered around informal street vendors. While overall violent-crime trends are down, DFAT’s update underscores that food- and beverage-safety risks remain under-appreciated by foreign visitors.
For mobility planners, the key takeaway is that visa compliance checks are now more stringent at departure airports as airlines face fines for boarding ineligible passengers. Travel management companies are revising pre-trip checklists to include the e-visa PDF and proof of on-ward or return travel.
DFAT will reassess the advisory after Carnival week. In the meantime, Australian citizens are urged to register their presence via Smartraveller’s travel registration portal so they can receive security SMS alerts if large-scale protests or severe weather disrupt transport links.
