Brazil’s new visa-free regime for Chinese nationals is barely two weeks old, but the early numbers are already turning heads in Brasília. Data released by the Ministry of Tourism show 39,800 Chinese visitors entered Brazil between January and April 2026, up 33.6 % year-on-year—a trend officials expect to accelerate now that the visa requirement was lifted on 11 May. Capitalising on the momentum, Tourism Minister Gustavo Feliciano landed in Beijing on Monday (25 May 2026) for meetings with the China Association of Travel Services and major online platforms Ctrip and Fliggy. His pitch: package the Amazon, Pantanal and Lençóis Maranhenses with stop-overs in Rio and São Paulo, and use newly expanded Air China and LATAM codeshares to cut total journey times below 28 hours. Industry reaction has been swift. CVC Corp, Brazil’s largest tour operator, told analysts it will launch Mandarin-language itineraries within a month, while hotel chain Accor says it is rolling out UnionPay terminals in all 23 of its Brazilian properties by August. The Brazilian Tourism Board (Embratur) is finalising a RMB 12 million digital-marketing campaign timed for China’s National Day Golden Week in October.
The visa waiver is reciprocal: Chinese travellers can now stay in Brazil for up to 30 days visa-free for tourism, business or sports, matching China’s 2025 gesture that removed visas for Brazilians. Mobility professionals should note that the exemption *does not* cover work assignments; Chinese technicians hired for short-term projects still require the VITEM V or the recently simplified 90-day technical visa.
![Tourism minister courts Chinese agencies after visa waiver drives 34 % surge in arrivals]()
For those navigating the finer points of Brazil’s entry regulations, VisaHQ can streamline the process. Their online platform (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) quickly identifies whether your trip still demands a visa—such as the 90-day technical category—and can file applications on your behalf, sparing travellers and HR teams the usual consular back-and-forth.
Airlines also remind travellers that passports must be valid for at least six months beyond entry, and that proof of return/onward travel may be requested at check-in. For employers with China-Brazil supply chains, the immediate opportunity lies in executive visits: the waiver removes a two-week consular step and dovetails with the reopening—on 3 June—of Guangzhou-São Paulo direct freight services, making same-week site inspections finally feasible.
The visa waiver is reciprocal: Chinese travellers can now stay in Brazil for up to 30 days visa-free for tourism, business or sports, matching China’s 2025 gesture that removed visas for Brazilians. Mobility professionals should note that the exemption *does not* cover work assignments; Chinese technicians hired for short-term projects still require the VITEM V or the recently simplified 90-day technical visa.
For those navigating the finer points of Brazil’s entry regulations, VisaHQ can streamline the process. Their online platform (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) quickly identifies whether your trip still demands a visa—such as the 90-day technical category—and can file applications on your behalf, sparing travellers and HR teams the usual consular back-and-forth.
Airlines also remind travellers that passports must be valid for at least six months beyond entry, and that proof of return/onward travel may be requested at check-in. For employers with China-Brazil supply chains, the immediate opportunity lies in executive visits: the waiver removes a two-week consular step and dovetails with the reopening—on 3 June—of Guangzhou-São Paulo direct freight services, making same-week site inspections finally feasible.
