Brazil has again extended visa exemptions for Canada, USA and Australia

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RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil's government has extended tourist visa requirements for citizens of the United States, Australia and Canada until April 2025, extending a program aimed at boosting tourism that was scheduled to end Wednesday.

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The decision, issued late Tuesday by Brazil's presidency and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, marks the third delay in Brazil's visa requirement since President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took office in 2023.

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Although his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, exempted the countries from visas as a means of promoting tourism, all three countries continued to require visas from Brazilians.

That went against the South American country's tradition of requiring visas from travelers based on the principle of reciprocity and equal treatment, and Lula's Foreign Ministry said it would withdraw those benefits.

“Brazil does not grant unilateral exemptions from visas to visit other countries,” the ministry said at the time, noting that the government was ready to negotiate visa waiver agreements on a reciprocal basis. It has reached an agreement with Japan to facilitate travel.

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Embratur, Brazil's official tourism board, said in a statement on Tuesday that the decision to maintain the concessions for the three countries is important for the development of tourism in Brazil, especially from the United States.

Official figures show an estimated 670,000 Americans visited Brazil in 2023, making the US the second largest country after neighboring Argentina.

The government delayed the visa resumption first in October and then in January. At the time, the government said it was still finalizing the new visa system and wanted to avoid introducing it close to high season, mainly during the New Year and Carnival celebrations in February, which draw tens of thousands of tourists.

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