Visa exemption for citizens of Australia, Canada and the USA visiting Brazil postponed until April 2024

The resumption of visa requirements to enter Brazil for ordinary passport holders from Australia, Canada and the United States has been postponed to April 10, 2024. The new date was made official by Decree No. 11.875, published in an extra edition of the Federal Official Gazette this Thursday, January 4. The text signed by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva modifies Decree No. 11.692, published in September 2023, which provided for the start of visa requirements on January 10.

The extension is intended to complete the system's implementation process and to avoid starting it during the peak travel season, at the turning of the year. The goal is to ensure a safe implementation of the measure with no negative consequences for the tourism industry.

RECIPROCITY - Reciprocity is a historic principle of Brazilian diplomacy. In September 2023, when the previous version of the decree was published, Foreign Affairs Minister Mauro Vieira explained that the federal government is always willing to negotiate visa exemptions on the basis of reciprocity. "In other words, each country that accepts Brazilians traveling without a physical visa will be given the same advantage," he explained.

"Under the previous government, the requirement for Americans, Canadians, Australians and Japanese was lifted. The measure was given for free. Without reciprocity. Brazilians continued to need visas to travel to these countries," he recalled.

In May 2023, President Lula visited Japan and signed an agreement exempting Brazilians entering Japan and the Japanese arriving in Brazil from visa requirements. The exemption measure came into force in September last year.