2024 is shaping up to be the year of travel reprieves.
Hot on the heels of the European Union postponing (again) its much-mooted ETIAS program, which will require visitors from most non-EU countries to obtain pre-travel clearance, Brazil has pushed back the start of its new visa system for travelers from the US, Canada and Australia.
However, if 2024 is the year of the reprieve, 2025 is when everything will hit home. And for travelers from those three countries heading to Brazil, it’ll hit home, hit their bank balances – and require them to share their bank statements, too.
ETIAS is slated to start in 2025 and Brazil has now confirmed a start date for its visa program.
From April 10, 2025, citizens from Australia, Canada and the US will need a visa to enter the country. On the plus side, those traveling for tourism or cruise travel can apply for an evisa online, rather than visiting a consulate.
The cost will be $80.90, but the visa will be valid for 10 years and across multiple entries. Stays are limited to 90 days per year. The visa was previously due to be introduced in 2024 – or, rather, reintroduced. Until 2019, US travelers to Brazil were required to get visas – with evisas introduced only a year before the system was abolished completely.
Applicants will also need to provide additional information, according to the Brazilian government’s website. A letter of intent should detail the dates and purpose of the trip, as well as confirmed details of where you’ll be staying. Proof of residence in the US, and return tickets to Brazil (or, if not, a signed return declaration), and proof of income will also be required.
The latter takes the form of the last three checking or savings account statements, or your last six payslips, and travelers will need an average of at least $2,000 showing in their account. Those who don’t meet the requirements must get a sponsor to sign for them, showing their finances instead.
While it sounds complex, visa systems tend to work on reciprocity and it’s a similar situation for Brazilians traveling to the US – only worse.
Currently, almost all Brazilian citizens must schedule a visa appointment at their nearest embassy, and show that they have the means to pay for their entire proposed trip. A visa to the US – even for those transiting – costs $185.
Processing times for the Brazil visa system will be an average of five working days although VFS – the company handling applications – “strongly recommends” applying two months ahead of travel.
Brazil saw nearly six million arrivals in 2023, with 483,000 US citizens visiting in the first nine months of the year alone. That puts US visitors second only to Argentinians, according to travel trade publication TravelPulse.
