Brazil has again pushed back the start date requiring Americans, Canadians and Australians to acquire a visa before traveling to the country. Most recently scheduled to commence January 10, the visa requirement will be pushed back to April 10, 2024. Embratur, the country's tourist board, tells Travel Agent that "the extension is intended to complete the process of implementing [the eVisa system] and prevent the change from interfering with the flow of tourists from these countries to Brazil during the high season."
According to newspaper The Brasilians, Brazil President Lula da Silva took guidance from Ministers of Tourism Celso Sabino, Ports and Airports Silvio Costa, Economic Development Geraldo Alckmin and Foreign Affairs Mauro Vieira, as well as the president of Embratur, Marcelo Freixo—all of whom wanted to postpone the launch until after the busy summer season. Another reason for the postponement? Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival will take place February 9-17, and many thousands of travelers would still be unable to visit Brazil, according to the report.
The reintroduction of the visa requirement was announced in March 2023 with an original launch date in October of that year. Just prior to enforcement, the program was delayed until this January, when, again, the debut was pushed back at the eleventh hour.
What you need to know about the visa: The electronic visa will allow multiple entries and will have the same validity period as conventional visas. (For Americans, this means a validity of 10 years.) Travelers will have to input their personal information and confirmation of a flight reservation and pay a fee of $80 to secure the visa—all of which is done online. Once approved, a PDF file containing your eVisa will be emailed to you. Download and print this eVisa for presentation during boarding and upon landing in Brazil.
If you plan to travel near the new start date of April 10, the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends keeping a copy of the eVisa file on your cellphone. It also recommends registering for a visa if you’re traveling within a few days prior to that date in the event that your flight or other travels are delayed.
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