Just weeks after Dublin celebrated Aer Lingus’ inaugural cargo flight to Recife, Brazil has sweetened bilateral ties by waiving visitor-visa requirements for Irish ordinary-passport holders. Inter-ministerial Ordinance 18/2026, published and effective on 4 March 2026, allows Irish citizens to enter visa-free for tourism, conferences or short business meetings for 30 days, extendable once to a cumulative 90 days in any 12-month period. Reciprocity optional. Unlike China, Ireland has not (yet) offered Brazilians the same privilege, but Brasília argues that selective unilateral waivers help diversify source markets and are consistent with its “Open Doors 2026” tourism plan. For Ireland, whose pre-pandemic visitor numbers to Brazil hovered around 15,000, the exemption removes an application costing about US$120 and two weeks’ processing. Business upside. Enterprise Ireland’s São Paulo office says fintech and agritech delegations routinely postpone trips because e-visa timelines clash with tight deal cycles. The waiver eliminates that friction, enabling Irish SMEs to join April’s Web Summit Rio at short notice.
![Ireland secures bilateral visa-free access to Brazil under Ordinance 18/2026]()
Travel consultancies are already fielding inquiries about the change. For Irish travellers still unsure whether their trip falls under the new waiver—or for those who need other documents such as temporary work permits—VisaHQ can streamline the process. The company’s Brazil desk (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) tracks regulatory updates in real time and can secure the appropriate paperwork or provide written confirmation that no visa is needed, saving both leisure visitors and corporate mobility teams time and potential border headaches.
Irish engineering firms working on Brazil’s offshore wind projects also gain, as technicians can fly in for site surveys without paperwork hurdles. Compliance reminders. Paid work remains off-limits under the waiver, and border officers will still request proof of funds and onward travel. Mobility managers should track cumulative days to avoid inadvertent overstays, which attract daily fines and can jeopardise future entries. Air connectivity. TAP’s Lisbon–Dublin feeder flights and Air France-KLM’s Paris hub remain quickest routings, but LATAM is reportedly evaluating a seasonal Dublin–São Paulo service if demand materialises.
Travel consultancies are already fielding inquiries about the change. For Irish travellers still unsure whether their trip falls under the new waiver—or for those who need other documents such as temporary work permits—VisaHQ can streamline the process. The company’s Brazil desk (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) tracks regulatory updates in real time and can secure the appropriate paperwork or provide written confirmation that no visa is needed, saving both leisure visitors and corporate mobility teams time and potential border headaches.
Irish engineering firms working on Brazil’s offshore wind projects also gain, as technicians can fly in for site surveys without paperwork hurdles. Compliance reminders. Paid work remains off-limits under the waiver, and border officers will still request proof of funds and onward travel. Mobility managers should track cumulative days to avoid inadvertent overstays, which attract daily fines and can jeopardise future entries. Air connectivity. TAP’s Lisbon–Dublin feeder flights and Air France-KLM’s Paris hub remain quickest routings, but LATAM is reportedly evaluating a seasonal Dublin–São Paulo service if demand materialises.
