On December 1, Brazil launched its new VFS Electronic Visa (eVisa) platform, which citizens of the United States, Canada and Australia can obtain authorization to enter the South American country.
The eVisa application process can now be completely entirely online. For arrivals occurring from January 10, 2024, onwards, U.S., Canadian and Australian passport holders will be required to procure an eVisa in order to enter Brazil. The application cost is $80.90 (USD) per person.
The eVisa will be good for multiple entries within the approved validity periods, which depend upon the holder’s nationality, but remain the same as they were under conventional visas. For Americans, that’s 10 years, and, for Canadians and Australians, it’s five years.
The application processing time is up to five working days. To apply, prospective travelers need to complete three easy steps, the first of which is to register on the vfs.global website. Next, provide the requested personal information, pay the fee through its payment portal and then check for an email confirming the status of your application.
If approved, a PDF file containing your eVisa will be emailed to you. It’s recommended that you both print a copy of your eVisa to present to border authorities and keep a downloaded copy on your smartphone.
People who have dual nationality should apply under the country that issued their travel documents. If you already have a physical visa attached to your passport that’s valid on the date of your intended arrival, you don’t need to apply for a new visa.
In developing this new digital platform, the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ intention was to streamline the visa application and issuance process, making it faster, simpler and more convenient overall.
In addition to the news of the eVisa platform’s December launch, Brazil also announced that it has reached a bilateral agreement with Japan waiving visa requirements for up to 90 days.
The arrangement has actually been in effect since September 30 and is reciprocal, meaning that it applies to Japanese visitors to Brazil and vice versa. A visa requirement was only reinstated back in May based on the principle of reciprocity.
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