Brazil Visa & Entry Guide who needs a visa in 2026

Do you need a visa for Brazil? It depends on your passport

Brazil sorts tourists into two groups, and the line between them is nationality. Most European and South American travelers still walk straight in visa-free. Three big markets — the United States, Canada, and Australia — no longer do, because Brazil reintroduced a tourist visa for those three passports in 2025 after years of waiving it. The good news is that the visa is electronic: there is no embassy appointment, no courier, and nothing glued into your passport. Find your group below and read that section — you can skip the other.

Who can visit Brazil visa-free

If you hold a passport from the countries below, you do not need a visa to visit Brazil as a tourist. You are admitted for up to 90 days, and you can request a single extension of up to another 90 days from the Polícia Federal (Federal Police), capped at 180 days total within any 12-month period. A 2026 decree clarified that the 90 days are counted across a rolling 180-day window, so keep a mental tally if you come and go often.

• The United Kingdom and Ireland
• Every EU and Schengen country — including France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands, and the Nordics, plus Switzerland, Norway, and Iceland
• Most of South America — Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Suriname
• Many other nations across the world; around ninety in total

Visa-free does not mean requirement-free. You still need a passport valid for at least six months and, in practice, evidence that you intend to leave — a return or onward ticket. More on that below.

The Brazil tourist visa: the new e-visa for the US, Canada, and Australia

If you travel on a United States, Canadian, or Australian passport, you need a Brazil tourist visa before you go. Brazil began enforcing this again on 10 April 2025, ending the visa waiver those three countries had enjoyed since 2019, and the requirement remains in force in 2026. It is delivered as an e-visa — sometimes called VIVIS — which means the whole process happens online and the approval arrives by email. You will not visit a consulate.

The headline figures, all to confirm on the official portal:

• Fee: about US$80.90 per person, paid by card during the application (as of 2026, confirm on the official portal). The fee is non-refundable.
• Validity: for US citizens the e-visa is typically valid for 10 years with multiple entries; for Canadian and Australian citizens, 5 years. Each individual stay may not exceed 90 days, capped at 180 days in a 12-month period.
• Processing: many applicants are approved within a few business days, but it can take longer at busy times (as of 2026, confirm on the official portal). Apply well before you fly.

How to apply for the Brazil tourist visa online

Applications are handled through Brazil's official e-visa portal, operated by VFS Global on behalf of the Brazilian government at brazil.vfsevisa.com. Be wary of copy-cat sites that charge inflated "service" fees; the government-authorized portal is the one to use, and you can reach it from gov.br. Have these ready:

• A passport valid for at least six months, with a clear scan of the photo page
• A recent passport-style digital photo
• Your travel dates and a Brazilian address (your Via Avantgarde suite booking works)
• Proof of onward or return travel
• A payment card for the fee

Complete the form, upload your documents, pay, and wait for the emailed approval. Save a copy on your phone and a printout in your bag.

Passports, onward tickets, and overstays

Three practical points at the border apply to nearly everyone. First, passport validity: carry a passport valid for at least six months beyond your planned departure, with a couple of blank pages. Second, proof of onward travel: Federal Police officers at Salvador, Rio, and São Paulo can ask to see a return or onward ticket, and one-way travelers are the ones most often questioned. Third, overstays: if you stay past your permitted window, Brazil charges a daily fine (recently around R$100 or more per day, capped at roughly R$10,000), assessed by the Federal Police when you leave, and an overstay can complicate or bar future entry. If you want to stay longer, request an extension from the Polícia Federal before your 90 days run out rather than overstaying.

Health: do you need a yellow fever vaccine for Salvador?

A yellow fever vaccination is not required to enter Brazil for most travelers, and the US CDC does not list the city of Salvador among the areas where it recommends the shot. That said, the CDC does recommend yellow fever vaccination for many other parts of Brazil — including interior and forested regions and parts of Bahia away from the coast — so it depends on your wider itinerary. If your trip runs beyond Salvador into risk areas, get vaccinated at least 10 days before travel, and note that some other countries ask for proof of vaccination if you are arriving from Brazil. Check the current map on the CDC's Brazil page and talk to a travel clinic. For broader entry and safety notes, the US State Department's Brazil page is a useful second source. Keep routine vaccinations up to date, and a good travel insurance policy is worth having.

Once the paperwork is done, the old town is waiting

Entry into Brazil sounds like a lot on paper, but for most visitors it is one of two things: nothing at all, or an hour online a few weeks ahead. Sort it early, confirm the details for your nationality on the official portal, and you can stop thinking about forms. What is left is the reason you are coming — the Cidade Alta above the Elevador Lacerda, the tiled façades, and the sound of a berimbau at dusk. When your dates are set, see our boutique suites in the historic center, read the on-the-ground practical Salvador guide, and check availability for your stay.