Thanks to a new electronic visa system, Brazil is becoming much easier to visit for North Americans. Since January 25th, tourists from the United States, Canada, Australia and Japan no longer have to wait through the complicated bureaucracy and paperwork to visit South America’s largest country.
The new system has already been issuing permits for Australians since November 21st, 2017, and since January 2018 to Japan (January 11th), Canada (January 18th) and the United States (January 25th). The choice of countries was due to passenger flows: together, the four are responsible for 60% of all visa applications for Brazil. A total 400,000 tourism or business visas were issued to tourists from these countries in 2015 alone.
The initiative was proposed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE). The simplified visa system is expected to lead to increased inflows of tourists and (consequently) tourist spending, which in turn helps create jobs and income in Brazil.
“Before, tourists had to take all their documentation and bring it to the Brazilian consulate, and it would take 30 to 40 days to receive 
the visa. With the electronic visa, you upload the documents online and receive the permit in 72 hours, “explained the head of the International Relations Office of the Ministry of Tourism, Rafael Luisi.
Tourists will also no longer be required to travel to the nearest Brazilian consulate, and visa issuance has also become cheaper: in the USA, for example, it will cost $ 40.
How to Apply
Visit the online platform provided by BACC Travel: www.bacctravel.com and have your passport ready.
If you have dual nationality, select the nationality that matches with the passport that you will use in your application (for example, if you have Australian and American nationality and will use your Australian passport to apply for your eVisa, select the Australian nationality). Your passport needs to be valid for a minimum of 1 month from the date of your application.
The validity period of your eVisa is different than the duration of your stay. You may enter in Brazil at any time within the validity 
period of the eVisa issued and stay for maximum 90 day in a year. If you need to stay more than 90 days inside the country, you must apply for a regular visa at the nearest Brazilian Consulate.
The average processing time of your eVisa may be up to 5 business days.
You can pay the fees using a MasterCard, Visa and Union Pay credit/debit card only. It is not necessary that the card is under your name. Make sure that your card is enabled to make international transactions. The eVisa fee can be paid in US Dollars only. Nevertheless, if you do not have a USD account, an equivalent amount in your local currency will be deducted from your account.
Who Can Apply
You can apply for the eVisa if you fit in the conditions mentioned below:
• You intend to go to Brazil as a Visitor;
• Your stay in Brazil will not exceed 90 days;
• You hold an Australian/Japanese/Canadian and U.S. passport. Applicants can apply for Brazil Visitor’s visa for below mentioned categories / sub categories:
• Business: a person who will attend to meetings, trade fairs and 
business events, prospect commercial opportunities, sign contracts, audit or consult. The exercise of paid activity in Brazil is forbidden and the stay cannot exceed 90 days.
• Tourism: a person who wishes to carry out activities of a tourist, informative or recreational nature, as well as visiting family members.
• Transit: a person who, in order to reach the country of destination, must enter in Brazilian national territory. It is not necessary to grant a visa to a person on a continuous voyage, who has to make stopovers or connections in Brazil, provided that:
i) he/she stays in the international transit area of the Brazilian port or airport, without the need to pass Brazilian immigration control, and;
ii) is the holder of a single air ticket, even if issued by two or more airlines that have a cooperation agreement between them.
• Journalism: a person who acts as a journalist and who stay does not exceed 90 days.
• Sport Activities: a person who has the purpose of carrying out sports activities for a short stay, with no intention of establishing residence, intending to perform sports activities and participate in sports competitions, even if he/she will receive prizes, including cash.
• Artistic Activities: a person who comes to Brazil for a short stay, without intention to establish residence, for the purpose of performing artistic activities and for participation in artistic competitions, even if he/she will receive prizes, including cash.
• Seminars or Conferences: a person who wishes to come to Brazil to participate in conferences, seminars, congresses or meetings, characterized as specific events. These visitors do not receive remuneration in Brazil for their activities. The visa can be granted even if a person obtains reimbursement of the expenses of stay, transport and food, directly or by means of daily.
• Cultural Program: a person who wishes to carry out cultural activities.
• Scientific Program: a person who wishes to carry out scientific research and scientific cooperation activities, provided that the stay does not exceed 90 days.
• Research Activities: a person who wishes to carry out academic extension activities, provided that the stay does not exceed 90 days.
• Studies: a person who wishes to carry out teaching and learning activities, in addition to supervised internships, provided that the stay does not exceed 90 days.
• Crewmember: a person who will act as an aircraft or vessel crew member, except for cases when the visitor presents an 
international seafarer card issued under the terms of the Convention of the International Organization of Labour – ILO.
• Voluntary activities: a person who wishes to act as a volunteer, provided their stay does not exceed 90 days
• Fiancé(e) or spouse of a Brazilian citizen: a person who comes to visit their Brazilian spouse or family.
• Short Term Medical Treatment: a person who is granted short medical or therapeutic treatment, provided that the stay does not exceed 90 days and that he has sufficient means of subsistence to pay for his treatment and maintenance during the period in which the treatment is carried out, by own resource, health insurance valid in the national territory or certificate of provision of health service provided in an international agreement.
For More Information: www.bacctravel.com
Sources: Brazil Gov News, VFS Global and Ministry of Tourism