Effective this Wednesday, the Government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has reinstated visa requirements for tourists from the United States, Australia, and Canada seeking entry into Brazil.
This decision overturns the measure implemented by the former administration of President Jair Bolsonaro in June 2019, which had suspended visa requirements for these countries along with Japan.
The initial move under the Bolsonaro administration aimed to facilitate increased tourism. However, critics argued that it disregarded the principle of reciprocity typically observed in diplomacy.
Notably, while Brazil waived visa requirements for citizens of these countries, Brazilians continued to require authorization for travel to the United States, Australia, Canada, and Japan, in accordance with the respective regulations of those nations.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs underscores its commitment to reciprocity in diplomatic relations, clarifying that the reinstatement of visa requirements aligns with this principle.
In May 2023, Japan was exempted from the list of countries subject to visa requirements, following a bilateral agreement between Brazil and Japan to mutually waive visa obligations for their respective nationals entering each other’s territory.
