Brazil’s requirement that proof of funds be included with a visa application is notably not unique.
U
.S. travelers bound for Brazil will again need a visa in hand before boarding their flight, effective April 10, 2024. Brazil currently requires visas for U.S. citizens traveling in the country for purposes other than leisure travel. The visas will be required for all travelers regardless of travel purpose in April.
Brazil had originally waived visa requirements for travelers from the U.S. staying for less than 90 days for leisure purposes in 2019. The visa waiver was originally anticipated to end in October 2023 but has been pushed to January 2024, and now April. At the time of the announcement, the Brazilian government explained that the visa waivers for the United States and several other countries would end until new reciprocity agreements were reached with those countries. The United States currently requires Brazilian travelers to hold visas to enter the country.
American travelers can apply for an electronic visa, or e-visa from the Brazilian government online prior to travel. The e-visa costs $81 per person and is valid for ten years, allowing multiple entries and exits. The government notes that processing for an e-visa can take up to five business days, but it is recommended that travelers start the process up to two months prior to travel, allowing for delays that may arise if consular authorities require additional documentation.
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To apply, travelers must have a valid U.S. passport, a completed online visa application, a passport-style photo to submit with their application, confirmation of a roundtrip reservation to Brazil via air or a cruise stopover, and proof of payment for an air or cruise ticket. Travelers must also demonstrate they will not be dependent upon public funds during their stay in Brazil, which can be accomplished by providing a bank statement showing transactions for the last 30 days and showing a balance of more than USD $2,000, proof of income, or a credit card statement, showing sufficient credit available. Travelers must also have two blank pages in their passport, which must also be signed, and valid for the duration of their intended stay in the country.
Some travelers may find the proof of sufficient funds requirement onerous, but it’s worth noting that although this is not typical for visa applications, most countries reserve the right to refuse admittance to travelers who cannot demonstrate access to enough money to sustain them during their stay without needing to access public funds. Most countries, including the United States, leave this to individual assessments by immigration inspection agents at ports of entry. Rather than a set amount, it’s typical for inspection agents to base their assessments on a traveler’s stated length of stay.
Brazil’s requirement that proof of funds be included with a visa application is notably not unique—travelers applying for visas to enter neighboring Bolivia must also demonstrate similar access to funds during their stay. While there’s no stated requirement to carry sufficient proof of funds once a multiple entry visa is approved, it can still be required for each individual entry to the country, visa notwithstanding, so it’s worthwhile for travelers to carry that documentation with them for each entry.
Although visas are electronic, Brazilian authorities recommend travelers carry a printed copy of their e-visa in addition to their passport at the country’s ports of entry. Because most flights from the United States to Brazil are overnight, travelers on flights departing on April 9 should also hold an e-visa for arrival on April 10. Travelers in the few days leading up to the deadline should also strongly consider carrying a visa to account for the possibility of any travel delays reaching Brazil.
For more information about Brazil’s e-visa requirements, visit their dedicated website.
Important: "Travelers must also have two blank pages in their passport, which must also be signed, and valid for the duration of their intended stay in the country..." Avoid being denied entry--if an alert airport clerk in Rome had not known of this requirement for visitors to South Africa, and then taken my passport into 'the back' and steamed off a 2-page visa from another country (!!!!!)--I would have been denied entry, just as another passenger passing through Rome had been denied the week before. I had no idea, just had wandered up to desk to ask about the plane....this person took the initiative and checked my passport for blank pages. Forever grateful to that nameless but super helpful Rome airport "clerk" !!!
It is probably an insurance policy that Brazil will not get penniless refugees who will end up public charges. The Brazilian govt. probably does not have the unlimited means to care for large numbers of people in that situation. They do not wish Brazilian tax-payers to be burdened like that.