Traveling to Brazil has become more expensive as of today, for those from selection countries (including the United States). This policy was first supposed to be implemented over a year ago, but it’s now finally happening.
In this post:
Brazil adds e-visa requirement for US citizens & others
As of today (April 10, 2025), Brazil has added a new e-visa requirement for citizens of the United States, Canada, and Australia. Specifically, an e-visa costs $80.90 per person, and is valid for multiple entries. For those from the United States, it’s valid for 10 years, while for those from Canada or Australia, it’s valid for five years.
You can apply for an e-visa directly through this website, and processing times for an e-visa are up to five business days, though it’s recommended that you apply long before that if possible.
Application requirements for the e-visa include filling out an application form, submitting a passport-style photo, providing proof of roundtrip flights, and sharing printed bank statements showing transactions for the last 30 days, with at least $2,000 available for travel. I think that bank statement requirement will probably make some travelers pretty uncomfortable.
Unfortunately this is quite a step backwards for Brazil in terms of ease of travel. Just for some context:
- Up until early 2018, it was complicated for Americans to get a visa for Brazil, as it required going to a consulate
- Then in 2018, Brazil introduced the option of e-visas for eligible travelers
- Then in 2019, Brazil completely eliminated visa requirements for Americans, in an effort to boost tourism
Now we’re going back to the 2018 policy, though fortunately we at least don’t have to go to consulates to get visas, as was the case prior to that.
The implementation of this policy was delayed twice — the policy was first supposed to apply as of January 2024, then as of April 2024, and then as of April 2025. However, this time around it has actually been implemented.
How Brazil justifies this new e-visa requirement
The Brazilian government is justifying this new visa requirement by explaining that it’s a reciprocal policy, and is being added because other countries have the same travel requirements for Brazilians.
One of the reasons that the implementation of this was delayed is because the Brazilian government was trying to negotiate a reciprocal agreement with other countries, to eliminate visa requirements. However, that wasn’t successful, so now Brazil has moved forward with this requirement. A few thoughts:
- I absolutely think the US largely has too much red tape when it comes to issuing tourist visas, so I by no means think the United States is right and Brazil is wrong
- However, no matter how you slice it, needing to apply for an e-visa is a minor headache and adds further expenses to a trip, and has some impact on tourism demand
- It seems pretty clear to me that this is simply a technique for the government to generate revenue, more than anything else
So I guess we’re still better off than we were up until early 2018, where you had to go to a consulate to get a visa. However, it’s unfortunate to see the country adding barriers to travel.
Bottom line
As of April 2025, Brazil has added a new e-visa requirement for citizens of the United States, Canada, and Australia. This is being justified as a reciprocal policy, and represents the reversal of a policy that was intended to promote tourism in the country.
Ultimately if you want to visit Brazil, it’s not that big of a hurdle to overcome. But I still find it frustrating how many countries (including the United States) require these kinds of e-visas, which just add cost and frustration for travelers.
What do you make of Brazil adding back a visa requirement for some foreigners?
I see it's not just America that has a massive problem with Brazilian overstayers. Walk through Sydney, Australia and it seems like 98% of Rio came over to live permanently. Apparently the Australian gov't makes it tough for them to come over, but the masses get through anyway. If Brazil is so great and can 'afford' to impose these measures, why are its own people fleeing?
Won't be going back to Brazil any time soon. Too dangerous, and now an extra headache to deal with, assuming their website even works... Too many other countries with nice beaches and beautiful people with easier entrance requirements to go to. Not to mention I won't have to risk my life or possessions to visit.... I love Brazil, but this is definitely a step in the wrong direction from them.
You love Brazil, but just don't think Brazilian citizens deserve respect, lol. Yeah, don't bother coming. No need for people who "love" us like that to come.
All this moaning about having to fill out an application and screenshot of bank statement, but do you guys have any idea how impossible the US government has made it for Brazilians to get simple tourists visas for the USA? A friend of mine in Brazil has had his application turned down three times for no reason. Another friend has been waiting over one year just to get a simple tourist Visa granted by the...
All this moaning about having to fill out an application and screenshot of bank statement, but do you guys have any idea how impossible the US government has made it for Brazilians to get simple tourists visas for the USA? A friend of mine in Brazil has had his application turned down three times for no reason. Another friend has been waiting over one year just to get a simple tourist Visa granted by the US embassy. Wait times are at least six months to a year for tourist visas, with most applications denied. This is why Brazil is making it harder. And in comparison, we still have it pretty good.
The point is many Brazilians have an incentive to come to the U.S. on a visa, overstay, and purposely become an illegal alien. That’s the point of a bank statement. On the other hand, it is ridiculous for Brazil to require a visa from the United States because hardly any people who are in the U.S. would want to immigrate to Brazil illegally.
Brazil initiated this e visa requirement again because the current President...
The point is many Brazilians have an incentive to come to the U.S. on a visa, overstay, and purposely become an illegal alien. That’s the point of a bank statement. On the other hand, it is ridiculous for Brazil to require a visa from the United States because hardly any people who are in the U.S. would want to immigrate to Brazil illegally.
Brazil initiated this e visa requirement again because the current President is a communist who wants to do what communists do.
I agree the whole bank statement and application process is excessive. There really should be a bond people could get that would serve in lieu of a bank statement, although, poorer people just won’t be able to come here.
Brazil, Commie president or not, has a policy of reciprocal treatment, and that is only fair. You do that to me, I do that to you, American exceptionalism be damned.
The view for most Americans is that everyone has an incentive to come to the US and become an illegal alien. So naive, so parochial...
One European acquaintance/client of mine had to apply for a visa and was treated as a potential illegal alien by...
Brazil, Commie president or not, has a policy of reciprocal treatment, and that is only fair. You do that to me, I do that to you, American exceptionalism be damned.
The view for most Americans is that everyone has an incentive to come to the US and become an illegal alien. So naive, so parochial...
One European acquaintance/client of mine had to apply for a visa and was treated as a potential illegal alien by an embassy official a few weeks back. This guy is seriously rich, and had the official checked the local FORBES list, he would have known. He got his visa, but not without being subject to serious aggravation. He still doesn't know why his ESTA was denied - his company does not sell hardware to Iran, he has not visited North Korea and his girlfriend is NOT Cuban. Perhaps he wrote the wrong tweet?
I remember when I had to apply for a visa for a flight transfer (DL / MAD-ATL-SLC-YYC). This was prior to ESTA or overnight couriers, so I ended up having to travel to MAD twice, one for my interview and again to pick up my visa. The kick? The immigration officer in ATL was curious as to why I had applied when at the time there was an exception if the connecting flight was to Canada and/or Mexico. I was detained while he corroborated my story and ended up missing my ATL-SLC flight.
All would be good and within a country's rights if it wasn't done with arrogance, implied violence, and overall bad manners.
"President is a communist" lol, yeah, just like Biden was a communist, right?
I am glad the restrictions are back up. If it pisses off MAGA cultists, it's more likely you don't come, which is great.
nobody who wants (and can afford to travel to Brazil) is going to care about the additional $80. Sure, it's a minor inconvenience but nothing serious.
Applied and received my evisa in about 2 days. I did not have to provide any bank statements or financial proof
I went to the website, via the the link provided, and I did not see anywhere where you have to upload bank statements. Am I missing something??
Same with me. E-visa was approved within 2 days and it did not require a bank statement
I just filled out the online visa application, and at no point did it ask me to provide a bank statement, nor is it compulsory to add your monthly earnings, etc.
The main issue I have with evisas is that sometimes the country's website will not work properly. Recently I had trouble with Indonesia, for example.
The unsubstantiated claims of this being a profit centre for the government are well into conspiracy theory territory. Try working for a public sector entity for a few months and let us know how much YOU would price such a service in order to remain cost-neutral.
Your point would be valid if no one paid taxes.
And if I could, I would price DMV service as negative, i.e. you should pay me to endure all the inefficient and grumpy service.
Foreign residents by definition don't pay income taxes in the countries they visit, so these things shouldn't be priced below cost because no sane politician or civil servant wants pensioners from the interior of the State of The Thick Forest of The North to subsidise the foreign tourists partying on Ipanema.
I’m assuming this is required just for connections in Brazil as well? I have a flight via GRU in August. Complete money grab.
If your destination is Brazil, then yes. If you are connecting through GRU to another country then no.
About time "westerners" get an experience of how expensive and inconvenient applying for visas is. Mfing EU issues tourist visa for 1 month and you pay visa fee, courier fee, VFS Global's service fee, convivence fee etc. I spent ~$800 for my wife and myself to visit Faroes this summer. Since tickets were cheap, was flying via Keflavik. So Denmark wouldn't issue me both Schengen and Faroe visa.
US charges a ton, is a big...
About time "westerners" get an experience of how expensive and inconvenient applying for visas is. Mfing EU issues tourist visa for 1 month and you pay visa fee, courier fee, VFS Global's service fee, convivence fee etc. I spent ~$800 for my wife and myself to visit Faroes this summer. Since tickets were cheap, was flying via Keflavik. So Denmark wouldn't issue me both Schengen and Faroe visa.
US charges a ton, is a big hassle, and treat you like shit as soon as you get to the consulate, but at least they give you 10yr visa, unlike EU who'd issue enough to give you little room to change your itinerary.
…. “ I absolutely think the US largely has too much red tape when it comes to issuing tourist visas, so I by no means think the United States is right and Brazil is wrong”
… i WONDER, … do you really mean that?
The US is since years a cost crazy country just when it comes to travel planning, NOT to mention that there IT to just get a date for a Visa...
…. “ I absolutely think the US largely has too much red tape when it comes to issuing tourist visas, so I by no means think the United States is right and Brazil is wrong”
… i WONDER, … do you really mean that?
The US is since years a cost crazy country just when it comes to travel planning, NOT to mention that there IT to just get a date for a Visa application in person is a fiasco!
Then when finally a date could be scheduled and you paid your 185US$ you let yourself be treated like a Dog or slave in order to try to VISIT a country that’s not hustling overpriced, but shows you from Minute 1 when you set a foot on US soil, how much you are NOT welcome, except your $$$$.
Visa application for USA, (after Russia) so far the worst in my life!
ESTA, same thing! Crazy rip of for Tourists who try to spend $$$ in a foreign country ! Again US$185,- that’s no Kindergarden amount anymore!
Brazil is just right and should make it 5 years too for US Passport holders.
Friend from Ukraine, tried to get a Tourist Visa for USA just in December’24, paid US$185,- online, drove to next US consulate that was responsible (Munich in this case) declined after 1 minute of interview!
Then i read THIS about Brazil trying to implement a “complicated” eVisa again plus asks for a bank statement … i pardon you, what a shame on Brazil!?
NEVER throw with stones, when you’re in a glasshouse!
Brazil, BRAVO … can use the extra income of Visa fees jest perfect!
1:1 … is ok!
WHY do US passport holders always think, they’re mistreated?
While the REALITY is a completely different thing!
US Visa application want to know your ENTIRE Life plus bank statements and a ton of money!
EXCUSE me, but this is the 1. time i 100% disagree on you and a post Ben.
Re: bank statements. Curious how much you can redact from a bank statement. I don't have an issue with a bank statement per se, but I'd certainly want to redact account number (maybe it doesn't show anyway), also my mailing address, and maybe the name of some transactions (for example if I transfer money to my sister, her name shows). Are redactions allowed?
I highly doubt that even the slightest modification to a requested document by overseas visa consular services, including redactions, would get your visa request approved. You could try it, but don't be surprised at all if your visa request gets rejected...and if it does, you'd be out of luck getting a refund on the $80 e-visa application fee you paid. Better to play it safe rather than risk getting rejected.
I don't disagree. Just wondering about specific experiences.
Will they even look at it? And will they be familiar enough with every bank's statements to know that it has been altered.
People whining about bank statements.
That's actually a requirement to obtain visa to most countries.
The gross entitlement of having citizenship privilege for visa free travel to many countries. Wake up.
Besides, how hard is it to open another account for this purpose. It's not like they ask every single account. Tim Dunn would have had to submit several dozen alter ego accounts.
I think Americans do not really know anything about this visa business because they can travel to most countries without a visa. Visas are mostly government revenue or means to support local embassies. People from the third world countries are disproportionately affected by this weird visa business, particularly, awful monopsy called VFS! But for Americans in this case, the visa can be applied via online, and this is a huge advantage, it is just costly....
I think Americans do not really know anything about this visa business because they can travel to most countries without a visa. Visas are mostly government revenue or means to support local embassies. People from the third world countries are disproportionately affected by this weird visa business, particularly, awful monopsy called VFS! But for Americans in this case, the visa can be applied via online, and this is a huge advantage, it is just costly. And some are saying they will never give out their bank statement but I don't think I have ever seen a visa requirement without bank statements. Third world country citizens submit every detail of their finances to visa applications. I feel like the angle the article written is somewhat ignorant to those people but I am not trying to justify the silly brazilian government, yet somehow I see why they want to do this given how americans see this visa from a very different (entitled?) angle
Most countries can travel to most countries without a visa. It's not just Americans. Americans don't even have the strongest passport, so quit your America hating. Plenty of other countries have visa free access to the majority of the world.
wow, actually most countries need visa to travel to most countries. Of course west centric people think the most countries are the US, Canada, Western Europe and ignore the large part of the world because they don't come to your mind. Just ask Indians, Pakistanis, Filipinas, nearly all of africa how many times they have to apply for visa when they travel...You are really clueless. Plus I don't hate America, I am just pointing out...
wow, actually most countries need visa to travel to most countries. Of course west centric people think the most countries are the US, Canada, Western Europe and ignore the large part of the world because they don't come to your mind. Just ask Indians, Pakistanis, Filipinas, nearly all of africa how many times they have to apply for visa when they travel...You are really clueless. Plus I don't hate America, I am just pointing out what is missing here.
PS I didn't say Americans have the most powerful passport, that is not relevant to my point.
This is purely due to the change of government in Brazil.
The sole vendor Brazil has chosen to process these e-visas - VFS Global - has awful customer service (both by phone and email), and the process for getting the e-visa is both time consuming and cumbersome. Worse still, there is no option for visa on arrival, so you have to make it work with VFS Global.
I applied for e-visas for my wife, myself, and our teenage son last month. The e-visas for my wife...
The sole vendor Brazil has chosen to process these e-visas - VFS Global - has awful customer service (both by phone and email), and the process for getting the e-visa is both time consuming and cumbersome. Worse still, there is no option for visa on arrival, so you have to make it work with VFS Global.
I applied for e-visas for my wife, myself, and our teenage son last month. The e-visas for my wife and I were issued four days later, but not before we had to jump through multiple post-application submission l hoops like resubmitting multiple headshots photos that required putting cotton balls behind our ears to better display our ears. Our son's visa took 21 days to issue, and we had to jump through even more hoops for him including getting our local Brazilian consulate to intervene to prod VFS Global along. I wasted countless hours obtaining these e-visas.
I have visited Brazil four times previously and have enjoyed each trip. But this experience was so frustrating and time-consuming that I would forego going to Brazil again if the process isn't substantially easier and a different vendor isn't in place the next time around.
Do Brazilians realize that they themselves need a visa to Mexico too? But not the opposite? There's also a lot more Americans who visited Brazil than Mexicans
Ah yes, Brazil, the country with a flourishing economy, is easily reachable, highly desired by a hundreds of millions of tourists and is a country who can definitely afford to make such policies and demands. No wonder the World Cup and Olympics were so successful!!!
I’m not sure if the bank statements are really required. But I recently applied and approved in 24 hrs providing any bank details. YMMV.
I will not be showing any bank statement to any country I choose to visit though. If this is a requirement, count me not a visitor.
I have no problem with a country doing to us what we do to their citizens. Fair play I say.
Send all the overstayers back.
Send all overstayers back.
It looks like posturing and virtue-signalling to show something to their own citizens: look how tough we are...
I bet the American, Canadian, and Australian overstayers in Brazil are just a rounding error, whereas, for example, some studies estimate that about 70% of the Brazilian population in the US is illegal.
Been to Brazil 3 times but I won’t be going back because of these new reqs. Not going to share banking info.
All these visas, evisas, estas…etc are steps in the wrong direction - with technology and information sharing all of that can be eliminated.
To give you an example, an Argentinian can go to Spain, France, Italy without a Visa but are required to obtain one for the USA, and it's onerous to acquire. Same for Uruguay. Uruguay has a higher per capita income than several EU members.
We are way too focused on illegal immigration and forget about the benefits of international tourism.
well argentinians used to be able to access visa free too, even before australia, singapore, and south korea, until their economy tanked
This policy has very less to do with "reciprocal policy" and a lot to do with political advantage for local politicians, who can now go back to their people and claim - "I implemented policies to get equal rights for our citizens vs. those from USA and Canada. If we need visa to visit those countries, they will also need visa to visit our beautiful country". However, those very people forget that having fewer Americans...
This policy has very less to do with "reciprocal policy" and a lot to do with political advantage for local politicians, who can now go back to their people and claim - "I implemented policies to get equal rights for our citizens vs. those from USA and Canada. If we need visa to visit those countries, they will also need visa to visit our beautiful country". However, those very people forget that having fewer Americans and Canadians and Australians in their country is going to hurt their fellow people who rely on tourism $$. I bet US, Canada, and Australia will actually benefit from this added hurdle by Brazi.
*very little to do
"sharing printed bank statements showing transactions for the last 30 days" - And how are people who don't live in 80s supposed to fulfill this condition? I haven't received a printed bank statement for well over a decade.
I still receive monthly statements and other notifications via my app/online that go back several years. They can be downloaded and printed if required
Like a pdf printout - but who’s going to do that!!
@Samo People who live in the 2020s can log in to their online banking and easily get a printable statement as a PDF.
Mine was approved in 24 hours for my upcoming trip on June 1, applied on April 1st. Site could be better as they didn’t let me fill in the full address of my home which they asked for but who cares I guess.
Glad to hear they've got things well-oiled now. My eVisa application process took 19 days to complete back in late 2023.
Good on Brazil! Did that American #sshole thought he was alone?... No, I'm not a Brazilian.
Possibly it's a money grab. I remember back in my RIO days getting the visa although I did not have to provide bank statements. Just my passport and a passport picture. From what I remember the process while in person was very quick.
They approved mine and for 10 years for just 80 crazy.
Fair enough. Countries like the United States and Australia make visiting there absolute hell. Good that other countries are retaliating.
Because everyone wants to come in and stay here ?
Makes me even more thankful I recently got an EU citizenship
Poor you Benj, they couldn’t give it away to us Brits a few year’s ago …. :)