The move, effective June 17, came ahead of Brazilian President's Jair Bolsonaro's first visit to the United States. Waiving visa requirements is a gesture of good faith, as Bolsonaro has voiced his intentions to forge a closer relationship with the US.
Brazil's government has also waived visa requirements for citizens of Canada, Australia and Japan. The country suspended visa requirements for trips up to 90 days during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, but it was only a temporary move.
Since early 2018, American citizens have been able to apply for an e-visa that cost $40 plus a $4 service fee. Turnaround times, in general, decreased significantly with the e-visa (I was able to get mine approved in about 24 hours), and the price plummeted. Before that, Americans had to pay $160 dollars and face a more arduous process for visa approval if they wanted to visit Brazil.
It's still not entirely clear what this move means for US travelers, but it's possible US travelers will only need their passport and a plane ticket if they want to enter Brazil.
“If it’s a complete visa waiver, meaning no visa (or preregistration) is required that means traveling to Brazil will shortly be as easy as traveling to Canada or Mexico. Just show up with a valid passport," Steve Gempeler, co-owner of Allied Passport & Visa, told TPG.
We reached out to the Brazilian consulate in New York City for additional details, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Reuters reported that the US government is not currently planning on reciprocating the visa waiver for Brazilians traveling to the US.
Brazil is a great place for a mileage run and the massive country has plenty of places to explore outside of the big cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paolo. A few airlines, such as GOL and Azul, offer an Airpass that can significantly reduce the cost of getting around Brazil and neighboring countries.
