In a busy news cycle capped on 28 February 2026, Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies voted to approve the EU-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and forward it to the Federal Senate. The same day, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that Uruguay and Argentina’s ratifications had triggered provisional application of the trade pact, putting Brasília under pressure to complete its own process quickly. While headlines focus on tariff cuts, the 17-chapter accord also contains a dedicated section on the temporary entry of business persons. Once fully in force, it will guarantee visa-free access of up to 90 days in any 12-month period for key personnel—including intra-corporate transferees, investors and service sellers—streamlining project deployment for multinationals that straddle both blocs.
![EU-Mercosur deal moves closer as Brazil’s lower house approves agreement, raising prospects for smoother executive mobility]()
Companies and individual travelers who want to stay ahead of the curve can consult VisaHQ, which already tracks both Brazilian and EU mobility rules and offers step-by-step visa support and document procurement services through its Brazil portal (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/). The platform allows users to check the latest requirements, receive alerts on regulatory updates, and obtain any supplementary permits that may still be needed during the FTA’s transition phase.
For Brazilian companies, the agreement promises easier posting of engineers and managers to client sites in Germany, France and Spain without navigating the patchwork of national work-permit quotas. Conversely, EU companies eyeing Brazil’s energy-transition projects will gain a predictable framework for flying in specialists to supervise installations, conduct audits or negotiate long-term contracts. Immigration advisers caution that the mobility chapter is not self-executing: member states must adapt domestic regulations. However, the European Commission has already asked Schengen-area governments to align short-stay professional categories with FTA commitments by Q4 2026. Brazil’s Ministry of Justice is drafting a complementary ordinance to amend its Foreigners’ Statute so that EU managers on intra-corporate transfers can obtain residence permits within 30 days instead of the current 90. If the Brazilian Senate ratifies the deal by mid-2026—as expected—companies should prepare to update assignment policies: plan for lighter documentation, recalibrate project timelines, and monitor social-security coordination talks that could further reduce cost for cross-border staff.
Companies and individual travelers who want to stay ahead of the curve can consult VisaHQ, which already tracks both Brazilian and EU mobility rules and offers step-by-step visa support and document procurement services through its Brazil portal (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/). The platform allows users to check the latest requirements, receive alerts on regulatory updates, and obtain any supplementary permits that may still be needed during the FTA’s transition phase.
For Brazilian companies, the agreement promises easier posting of engineers and managers to client sites in Germany, France and Spain without navigating the patchwork of national work-permit quotas. Conversely, EU companies eyeing Brazil’s energy-transition projects will gain a predictable framework for flying in specialists to supervise installations, conduct audits or negotiate long-term contracts. Immigration advisers caution that the mobility chapter is not self-executing: member states must adapt domestic regulations. However, the European Commission has already asked Schengen-area governments to align short-stay professional categories with FTA commitments by Q4 2026. Brazil’s Ministry of Justice is drafting a complementary ordinance to amend its Foreigners’ Statute so that EU managers on intra-corporate transfers can obtain residence permits within 30 days instead of the current 90. If the Brazilian Senate ratifies the deal by mid-2026—as expected—companies should prepare to update assignment policies: plan for lighter documentation, recalibrate project timelines, and monitor social-security coordination talks that could further reduce cost for cross-border staff.
