Canadians will now require a visa if they want to visit Brazil

The flag of Brazil flutters in Paris, France, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Carl de Souza/Pool Photo via AP)

Starting April 10, Canadian passport holders will need a visa to enter Brazil.

This marks a shift from the current policy that allows visa-free travel for up to 90 days for tourism and business purposes. Now, for tourism purposes, travellers will require a visa.

For business and student visas, a visa is not required for stays up to 90 days.

The change will also be applied to travellers from the U.S. and Australia.

“Starting on April 10, 2025, Canadians will require a visa to enter Brazil. Each country or territory is responsible for setting its own visa and entry requirements,” a statement Tuesday from Global Affairs Canada said.

“For further information, please consult the official sources of the Government of Brazil.”

According to the VFS’s website, the company authorized by the Brazilian government to issue the eVisa (electronic visa), “If you already possess a valid physical visa in your passport for your visit’s purpose, you do not need to apply for a new visa.

If you intend to stay more than 90 days, you must obtain an extension from the Federal Police before your authorized stay expires, according to Canada’s federal government website.

Entry requirements vary depending on the type of passport used for travel. Regular Canadian passports must be valid for at least six months beyond the date of departure from Brazil.

Applicants can apply via online here.

Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro scrapped the visa requirements in a 2019 decree to try and boost the country’s tourism industry.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva suspended the free entry of Americans, Canadians and Australians in March of 2023, shortly after he defeated Bolsonaro, saying it was based on the principle of reciprocity as Brazilians still need visas for those countries.

Lula’s decision was postponed from coming into force three times as the government negotiated to get reciprocity for Brazilians, but no change was made.

Brazil’s Senate approved a bill earlier this year to keep the visa exemption for the three countries, but the mood changed in the lower house after Trump imposed a 10 per cent tariff on Brazilian goods.

With files from The Associated Press