To avoid any glitches, Brazil Tourist Board has maintained status quo for visa requirements for visitors from United States, Canada and Australia until April 10.

Embratur, the Brazilian Tourist Board, has postponed required entry visas for passport holders from Australia, Canada and the United States until April 10, 2024.

In a press statement, the board, Embratur says that by postponing the launch of the new system it will get time to complete the process of implementing the E-Visa and prevent the change from interfering with the flow of tourists from these countries to Brazil during the high season.

In December, Embratur had announced the launch of its VFS Electronic Visa (eVisa) platform. Under the programme, citizens from the US, Canada and Australia are required to obtain authorisation to enter the country. The visa application process can be completed online and costs USD 89 per person.

The visa will enable multiple entries over a period of years depending on the holder’s nationality, remaining the same as previous conventional Brazilian visas. American visas are effective for 10 years, with Canadian and Australian visas set at five years. 

Travellers can apply on the website of visa service provider VFS and the application and approval process takes 5 working days, say Embratur officials.

Embratur says that the approved travellers will receive a PDF file via email containing their eVisa. Recipients should print a copy of the eVisa to present to border authorities, and also retain a downloaded copy on their smartphones. 

Embratur says it is advising travelers with dual nationality to apply under the country that issued their travel documents. Visitors who already have a valid physical visa attached to their passport that covers their arrival period are not required to apply for a new visa.

The eVisa programme is intended to streamline the visa application and issuance process, making it faster, simpler and more convenient overall, according to Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials.

According to Embratur, Brazil reported sharply higher visitor arrivals for 2023, with 4.78 million international travellers between January and October, a 74 pc increase compared with 2022. US travellers helped to drive the increases. Brazil hosted 483,000 Americans between January and September of 2023, second only to Argentina, which contributed 1.5 million travelers during the period.