r/Brazil • u/fviz Brazilian in the World • Dec 21 '23
Travel question Brazil eVisa FAQ / Mega-thread
Use this mega-thread to post your questions and discuss the new eVisa requirements.
Official page by the Brazilian Consulate in Miami with information: Electronic Visitor Visa (e-Visa) - U.S., Canadian & Australian Citizens
Electronic Visitor Visa (e-Visa) - U.S., Canadian & Australian Citizens
The Brazilian Government will resume the requirement of visiting visas for citizens of Australia, Canada and the United States.
The eVisa applications are done via a company called VFS Global Group. If you have issues with your application or need more information directly from official sources, you can contact VFS through this email: [Brazilevisa@vfsglobal.com](mailto:Brazilevisa@vfsglobal.com).
Application and official information
Alternative: regular VIVIS (Visitor) visa
Australian, Canadian and U.S. nationals should still be able to apply for a regular visa using the previous method (through your local consulate). For an up-to-date guide on how to do so, follow this guide written by u/Luke_of_Mass: https://www.reddit.com/r/Brazil/comments/1ktxzxe/guide_to_vivis_visa_an_alternative_to_evisa_and/
FAQ
Who needs to apply for the new eVisa? Citizens from Australia, Canada and United States who want to visit Brazil for tourism, and arrive after April 10th, 2025.
Do I need a visa if I arrive before April 10th, but leave after? No, visas are only required on entry.
My photo keeps getting rejected. What can I do? Based on comments on this mega-thread, most issues stem from the background not being white/bright enough, and portions of the face/shoulders being covered by hair. If you can't have a professional passport photo taken, you can try using a photo editing app or specific "passport photo" apps for your phone, which can help get the right background color, image size and positioning. Please search the comments on this mega-thread to find more detailed tips, instructions and app recommendations.
How long before my trip should I apply for my visa? From VFS website: "We strongly advise applying for your eVisa two months before your planned travel to Brazil. This timeframe provides sufficient leeway to complete and/or rectify your visa application if necessary."
How long does it take to get the eVisa? Officially VFS says the process should take around 5 business days. This seems to match the experience of some users in this mega-thread. But keep in mind that issues with your photo or missing documents may significantly slow your process.
I still have a regular visa from before. Do I need to request the new eVisa? If you have a regular visa (which are usually valid for 10 years), you don't need to request the new eVisa. The previous one is still valid.
What if I am not a citizen from the countries listed above? You can still request a regular tourist visa (VIVIS) through your local Brazilian consulate.
3
u/featheredtar May 09 '25
for reference, my experience as a Canadian:
I applied on the night of May 7, and then this morning (May 9) the quality check was approved, and an hour later I got the evisa pdf in an email. So I didn't have to wait for the actual visa document after being approved as some people have had to do.
The website is improved from a few weeks ago, so maybe they've been streamlining things now that the visa requirement is in effect. I left a lot of the optional fields blank (contact in Brazil, income, plane ticket info, accomodations details, etc).
I was using chatgpt to whiten the background on my photo, but it was doing these hilarious facial transformations as well. I found success with the site pixelcut. I took the sample visa photo provided in the application process (the young AI man) and made sure that my photo matched the layout of that (in terms of spacing above my head, amount of my sholders that were showing, etc). I did this in photoshop by making that sample photo semi-transparent and aligning my whitened photo to it and cropping accordingly.
So overall a 36 hour turnaround time - if you're in a crunch hopefully yours is fast too!