In a landmark move announced on 22 February 2026, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed a decree granting visa-free entry to holders of ordinary Chinese passports for short-term visits of up to 30 days (extendable to 90 days in any 12-month period). The measure, confirmed by Brazil’s foreign ministry and reported by Chinese state broadcaster CGTN, is reciprocal to Beijing’s own unilateral waiver for Brazilians introduced last year and is designed to reset bilateral travel to pre-pandemic growth trajectories.
The decision instantly removes one of the biggest administrative barriers facing Chinese leisure and business travellers. Before the pandemic, China was Brazil’s fastest-growing long-haul source market, but arrivals collapsed when consulates closed and health restrictions tightened. Tourism minister Celso Sabino projects 2026 arrivals from China could exceed the 100,000 benchmark for the first time, injecting an estimated US $250 million into local economies ranging from Amazon eco-lodges to luxury retail in São Paulo.
Airlines and airports are already pivoting. LATAM Airlines confirmed it is evaluating a non-stop São Paulo–Shanghai flight using its incoming A350-1000 fleet, while GRU Airport in Guarulhos said it will fast-track the installation of additional Mandarin-enabled e-gates and signage ahead of the next Golden Week. Travel-trade associations in both countries welcomed the move, stressing that group tours, MICE incentives and film-production crews had been deterred by slow visa appointments.
![Brazil Grants Visa-Free Entry to Chinese Citizens, Aiming for Record Tourism in 2026]()
Although the need for a traditional consular visa disappears for most short trips, many travellers will still have questions about documentation for extended stays, crew travel, or multi-country itineraries. Online specialist VisaHQ (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) provides step-by-step guidance and application services for every category of Brazilian permit, helping Chinese visitors, Brazilian businesses and global mobility managers verify requirements in minutes and submit any necessary paperwork digitally.
For Brazilian corporations, especially agribusiness exporters and engineering firms bidding on China’s mega-infrastructure projects under the Belt & Road umbrella, the waiver promises easier rotation of Chinese executives into Brazil for due-diligence visits. Mobility managers, however, should note that the decree does not alter long-stay work-authorisation rules; Chinese assignees still require the standard VITEM-V work visa for postings over 90 days.
Immigration lawyers advise companies to update global-mobility policy manuals immediately: Chinese passport holders entering visa-free must still carry proof of outbound tickets, accommodation and funds at point of entry, and overstays will incur daily fines and possible bans. With airlines expecting a rush of last-minute bookings for Carnaval 2027, capacity constraints—not paperwork—may soon become the bigger headache.
The decision instantly removes one of the biggest administrative barriers facing Chinese leisure and business travellers. Before the pandemic, China was Brazil’s fastest-growing long-haul source market, but arrivals collapsed when consulates closed and health restrictions tightened. Tourism minister Celso Sabino projects 2026 arrivals from China could exceed the 100,000 benchmark for the first time, injecting an estimated US $250 million into local economies ranging from Amazon eco-lodges to luxury retail in São Paulo.
Airlines and airports are already pivoting. LATAM Airlines confirmed it is evaluating a non-stop São Paulo–Shanghai flight using its incoming A350-1000 fleet, while GRU Airport in Guarulhos said it will fast-track the installation of additional Mandarin-enabled e-gates and signage ahead of the next Golden Week. Travel-trade associations in both countries welcomed the move, stressing that group tours, MICE incentives and film-production crews had been deterred by slow visa appointments.
Although the need for a traditional consular visa disappears for most short trips, many travellers will still have questions about documentation for extended stays, crew travel, or multi-country itineraries. Online specialist VisaHQ (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) provides step-by-step guidance and application services for every category of Brazilian permit, helping Chinese visitors, Brazilian businesses and global mobility managers verify requirements in minutes and submit any necessary paperwork digitally.
For Brazilian corporations, especially agribusiness exporters and engineering firms bidding on China’s mega-infrastructure projects under the Belt & Road umbrella, the waiver promises easier rotation of Chinese executives into Brazil for due-diligence visits. Mobility managers, however, should note that the decree does not alter long-stay work-authorisation rules; Chinese assignees still require the standard VITEM-V work visa for postings over 90 days.
Immigration lawyers advise companies to update global-mobility policy manuals immediately: Chinese passport holders entering visa-free must still carry proof of outbound tickets, accommodation and funds at point of entry, and overstays will incur daily fines and possible bans. With airlines expecting a rush of last-minute bookings for Carnaval 2027, capacity constraints—not paperwork—may soon become the bigger headache.
