Brazil e-visa for US citizens: cost, validity, how to apply

Yes. US citizens need a visa or e-visa for every trip to Brazil since 10 April 2025, whatever the purpose. The e-visa costs US$80.90 on the official portal, brazil.vfsevisa.com, and allows stays of up to 90 days per year.

This guide covers who needs it, what it costs, the documents and photo rules, the application steps and what happens when you land. It is written for tourists and business visitors. If you plan to work, study or live in Brazil, you need a different visa or a residence permit.

The e-visa at a glance

The table sums up the rules as of 18 Oct 2026. Each line is explained below.

Why Americans need a visa again

Brazil dropped its visa waiver for US citizens and now applies reciprocity. Decree 11.515 of 2 May 2023 ended the waiver that Brazil had given US citizens in 2019. Brazil postponed its start three times, and it took effect on 10 April 2025 (Decree 11.982 of 2024).

The same rule covers Canadians and Australians. Brazil’s government bases it on the principle of reciprocity: Brazilians need visas to visit those countries, so their citizens need visas to visit Brazil.

A bill to cancel the requirement, PDL 206/2023, passed the Senate in March 2025. Its last step in the Chamber of Deputies was on 3 Mar 2026. It sits “ready for the agenda” at the Constitution and Justice Committee. Until it passes the Chamber and takes effect, the visa rule applies. Do not plan a trip around a change that has not happened yet.

The only official place to apply

Apply at brazil.vfsevisa.com. The portal is the official Brazilian government channel and describes itself as “the only official portal” for the e-visa. VFS Global runs it on Brazil’s behalf.

The application itself opens on bronline.vfsevisa.com, the portal’s own application system. Copycat sites with similar names charge extra fees for the same form. Check the address bar before you type your passport number or pay. If a site charges more than US$80.90 for the e-visa alone, you are on the wrong site.

Fee, validity and length of stay

The fee is US$80.90 per applicant, and every traveler pays, including children. Treat it as non-refundable. A refused application gets no refund, and a new application means a new fee.

The e-visa comes with a 5-year or 10-year term, both with multiple entries. US citizens normally receive 10 years, and Canadians and Australians 5. The validity dates are printed on the approved e-visa, so check them there before you plan a return trip.

Each year you can stay up to 90 days. Brazil’s regulation counts the stay from your first entry and pauses the count while you are out of Brazil (Decree 9.199, arts. 19 and 20). Two trips of 45 days in the same year use up the full 90.

To stay longer, ask the Polícia Federal for an extension before your 90 days run out. It can add up to 90 days, with a ceiling of 180 days per migratory year. The fee is R$ 110.44 (about US$22, checked Oct 2026). Extensions are only for nationals of countries that treat Brazilians the same way (Decree 9.199, art. 20, para. 2).

Check before you go: if you might need more than 90 days, ask the Polícia Federal whether a US passport qualifies for an extension before you book a long trip. If it does not, plan to leave by day 90 or apply for a residence-based visa instead.

Paid work in Brazil is not allowed on a visitor visa (Migration Law, art. 13). For work, study or longer stays, see every visa and residency route compared.

Tourist or business e-visa

The portal offers a tourist e-visa and a business e-visa. Pick the one that matches what you will do in Brazil. The Polícia Federal sets your status at the border based on the purpose you declare, so your answers on the form and at passport control should match.

Tourism covers holidays, visiting friends and family, and similar trips. Business covers meetings, conferences, negotiations and similar activity where a Brazilian company does not pay you a salary. Neither allows you to take a job in Brazil. If you will be paid locally, you need a work visa.

Documents and photo rules

The portal lists two documents for adults: a recent photograph and a color copy of your passport bio page. Consulates can ask for more at their discretion.

Brazil’s regulation lets consulates ask visit-visa applicants for 3 extra items (Decree 9.199, art. 29, para. 11):

• Proof of transport into and out of Brazil.
• Proof of funds that fit the length and purpose of the trip.
• Documents showing what you will do in Brazil.

Prepare these before you apply, even though the form does not always ask for them. A practical set is a return or onward flight booking, about 30 days of bank statements, and hotel bookings or an invitation letter. A balance of at least US$2,000 is a common benchmark for funds. Having the files ready means a request for more documents does not delay you.

Photo rules, from the portal’s sample photo sheet:

• 3.5 x 4.5 cm (413 x 531 pixels), in color.
• JPEG or JPG file, 2 MB maximum.
• White background, face centered, with space above the head.
• Head and chin not cropped.
• No glasses, no headwear, no smiling or showing teeth.

Your passport must be valid for at least 1 month on arrival, and you need one blank page for each stamp. Brazil stamps you in and out. Some airlines and agents apply a stricter 6-month rule. If your passport has under 6 months left, renew it first to avoid trouble at check-in.

Minors need extra documents: a birth certificate and an authorization letter signed by both parents and notarized. They also need color copies of both parents’ passport bio and signature pages. Custody, divorce, death or adoption papers apply where relevant.

Processing time

Processing takes up to 10 business days after you submit a verified application. The portal advises applying 2 months before travel. It also says not to buy non-refundable tickets until the e-visa is approved.

Many applications come back faster, sometimes within a few days. Plan around the full 10 business days anyway. US holidays and Brazilian holidays can slow things down, and a request for an extra document restarts the wait.

How to apply, step by step

1. Check your passport. Confirm the expiry date and one free page. A 6-month margin covers the strictest reading.
2. Prepare your files. Take a photo to the specs above. Scan your passport bio page in color.
3. Open the portal. Go to brazil.vfsevisa.com and choose “Apply Now.” Pick the tourist e-visa, or the business e-visa for business trips.
4. Register with the right email. The login link and password go to that address. A wrong email means you must apply again.
5. Fill in the form and upload. Answer every question and upload the photo and passport scan.
6. Pay US$80.90. Pay on the portal only.
7. Track the status. Use the portal’s online status tracker. Check spam and junk folders for messages.
8. Download and print. Download the e-visa PDF from your dashboard. Print 2 copies and keep them with you.

Every traveler, including each child, needs their own application, photo and fee.

What happens at the border

At the airport, show your passport and a printed copy of the e-visa PDF. Airport authorities verify your entry authorization before boarding and again on arrival.

The Polícia Federal records your entry and sets your status based on the purpose you declare (Decree 9.199, art. 6). Your 90 days start on the date of your first entry. Keep your boarding passes and note your entry date, so you can count your days on later trips.

The airline checks your e-visa at check-in in the US. Without it, you will be refused boarding. Keep a copy on your phone as well as on paper, in case the printout gets lost.

If you hold an older visa

Brazil’s first e-visa for Americans launched in January 2018 with a 2-year term. Any issued before the 2019 waiver have now expired. E-visas issued since the current program opened keep their full 5-year or 10-year term.

The e-visa and the consular paper visa have the same validity, and both allow multiple entries. Before 2018, paper visas for Americans ran 10 years.

Check before you go: if you hold an unexpired paper visa issued before the 2019 waiver, ask a Brazilian consulate in the US whether it is still accepted before you fly. If you cannot get an answer in time, apply for the e-visa.

Common reasons for refusal

Most refusals come from poor photos, blurry passport scans and incomplete documents. These are all avoidable with a careful check before you submit.

• Photo outside the specs. Glasses, a smile or a non-white background break the rules above.
• Unreadable passport scan. Scan in color and check that every line is sharp.
• Wrong email address. You must reapply.
• Missing documents for minors. The letter must be signed by both parents and notarized.
• Applying too late. Allow the full 10 business days. Do not buy non-refundable tickets before approval.

If your application is refused, contact the portal’s help desk before you reapply. Ask what was wrong, fix it, and only then submit a new application and fee.

Practical tips

Apply as soon as your dates are firm. With a 10-year term, one application covers many future trips.

• Save the PDF in two places. Keep it in your email and on your phone, plus a paper copy in your bag.
• Match your answers. Use the same name spelling, passport number and travel purpose on the form and at the border.
• Count your days. If you visit often, keep a simple log of entry and exit dates so you stay under 90 per year.
• Getting a new passport? Ask the portal’s help desk whether your e-visa carries over before your next trip.

Who this guide is not for

The e-visa only covers short visits. Skip this route if any of these apply:

• You will take paid work in Brazil. You need a work visa.
• You will study in Brazil for more than a short course. You need a student visa.
• You want to stay longer than 180 days a year. You need a residence permit, such as the digital nomad, retirement or family reunion routes.
• You hold another passport that is visa-exempt. Check whether entering on that passport is simpler.

For all of these, start with every visa and residency route compared.