Brazil is set to reinstate visa requirements for citizens of the United States, Canada, and Australia on Thursday, reversing a six-year policy of open entry.
The U.S. Embassy in Brasilia has clarified that American citizens can apply for electronic visas for visits starting April 10. The visa exemption had been introduced in 2019 by former President Jair Bolsonaro, a political ally of Donald Trump, in an effort to stimulate Brazil’s tourism sector.
Bolsonaro’s decision broke with Brazil’s long-standing practice of requiring visas based on reciprocity and equal treatment among nations.
Brazil‘s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva suspended the free entry of Americans, Canadians and Australians in March of 2023, shortly after he defeated Bolsonaro. The leftist leader said then it was based on the principle of reciprocity as Brazilians still need visas for those countries.
Lula’s decision was postponed from coming into force three times as the government negotiated to get reciprocity for Brazilians, but no change was made.
Brazil’s Senate approved a bill earlier this year to keep the visa exemption for the three countries, but the mood changed in the lower house after Trump imposed a 10% tariff on Brazilian goods last week. Allies of Speaker Hugo Motta have said the bill will not come to a final vote any time soon.
Last week, Brazil’s Congress swiftly passed a reciprocity bill so the country’s executive has leeway to impose retaliation tariffs on countries that impose barriers to Brazilian goods. The bill is yet to be sanctioned by Lula.
