The visa exemption for American, Australian, Canadian, and Japanese tourists wishing to visit Brazil, a historic banner of the tourism sector, is now a reality. Decree 9.7311 with the measure was published in an Extra Edition of the Official Gazette. Thus, travelers from the four strategically important countries will be able to enter Brazil starting June 17, without the need for the document. The decree was signed by the President of the Republic, Jair Bolsonaro, and by the ministers of Tourism, Marcelo Álvaro Antônio, Justice, Sérgio Moro, and Foreign Relations, Ernesto Araújo.
The decree presented by the Ministry of Tourism aims to increase the number of foreign tourists in the country. According to the text, the benefit covers visitors who hold a valid passport with trips for leisure tourism and business purposes, conducting artistic or sporting activities, or in exceptional situations of national interest. The initiative is also valid for tourists in transit in Brazil.
The stay can be up to 90 days, extendable for the same period, as long as it does not exceed 180 days every 12 months, counted from the date of the first entry into the country. If the stipulated period is exceeded, the visitor will be illegal and subject to the appropriate measures of the Brazilian government.
The four countries benefiting from the visa exemption were part of a pilot project initiated in 2017 that implemented the electronic visa for those wishing to visit Brazil. According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), visa facilitation measures can increase tourist flows in countries that adopt the practice by 25%.
In Brazil, the results were even better. In just one year of operation of the electronic visa, there was a 35.23% increase in visa issuances (both electronic and traditional), considering the flow from the four beneficiary countries. If these visas convert into travel, the expectation is for a total impact of $1 billion on the Brazilian economy.
The president of Embratur, Teté Bezerra, highlights the importance of the exemption for increasing tourist flow in Brazil. “Facilitation streamlines processes and follows a market trend that shows that international tourists are increasingly seeking more accessible destinations. This is one of the priorities of the Brazilian government, as studies prove that there will be more tourists, more revenue, and jobs in the country. The entire tourism chain benefits,” she stated.
The expectation of the Ministry of Tourism is that the measure will help the country reach the mark of 12 million foreign visitors by 2022, compared to the current 6.6 million. The goal established by the National Tourism Plan 2018-2022 aims to reduce the sector’s foreign exchange deficit, which, in 2017 alone, stood at $13.2 billion.
Source: Embratur Communication Advisory