Authorities in Brazil have decided to reintroduce visa requirements for tourists from Canada, the United States, Japan, and Australia, the country’s Foreign Ministry has confirmed.
The same said that the new changes would become effective starting from October 1 this year.
“The Brazilian Government has decided to resume the requirement of visitor visas for citizens of Australia, Canada, Japan, and the United States,” the press release noted, VisaGuide.World reports.
The Ministry notes that the new decision came following consultations with these four countries regarding the possibility of granting visa exemption to nationals from Brazil in compliance with the principle of reciprocity.
Taking into account the country’s Foreigners Act, authorities in Brazil follow the principle of reciprocity, requiring visas for countries that do not permit their citizens to visit them without applying for a Brazilian visa at first.
The former president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, abolished the visa requirements in 2019 as part of efforts to boost the tourism sector; however, the four countries didn’t take the same decision, thus requiring visas for arrivals from Brazil
Through a press release, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil noted that the visa exemption was a breach of the pattern of the country’s migration policy, based on the principles of reciprocity and equal treatment.
“Brazil does not grant unilateral visitor visa exemption to other countries without reciprocity,” it also said.
Despite the latest decision, authorities in Brazil have expressed their willingness to negotiate visa exemption agreements on mutual bases with Canada, the US, Japan, and Australia.
Following the visa waivers, the number of travelers from the US booking flights to Brazil increased by 39 percent.
But, the number of US tourist arrivals to Brazil last year was below that of 2018, based on a previous report by Reuters. At the same time, AP News reported that before the spread of the Coronavirus and its new variants, authorities in Brazil welcomed a total of 6.4 million travelers in 2019.
Previously, the Tourism Ministry of Brazil noted that the number of arrivals from America, Australia, Japan, as well as Canada decreased significantly for a period from 2019 and 2021.
Brazil also experienced a significant decline in the number of international visitors following the restrictions imposed due to the spread of the Coronavirus and its new variants; however, following the improvement of the epidemiological situation, the country is attempting to find new ways in order to welcome a large number of visitors.
>> Brazil to Reintroduce Visa Requirements for Citizens From US, Japan, Australia & Canada
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