Do US citizens need a visa for Brazil?

The fee is US$80.90 (an 80-dollar consular fee plus a 90-cent processing charge), paid by card during the application, and it is non-refundable whether or not you are approved. The price is the same for a single trip or many.

In return you get an e-visa that is valid for 10 years for US citizens, with multiple entries. Each visit can be up to 90 days, and you can stay a maximum of 180 days in any 12-month period. It covers tourism, business and even transit through Brazil.

It is a straightforward online form, no consulate visit.

1. Go to the official portal, brazil.vfsevisa.com, and create an account. Go there directly, not through a search ad.
2. Fill in the online form with your passport and travel details. It takes most people 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Upload the documents: a color scan of your passport photo page and a passport-style photo. Some applicants are asked for proof of accommodation or funds.
4. Pay the US$80.90 by credit or debit card.
5. Wait for the approval email with your e-visa PDF, then save it to your phone and print a copy for check-in and immigration.

Processing can take up to about 10 working days, and the portal may come back asking for another document, so apply two to three weeks before you fly rather than the night before. The e-visa is tied into airline systems now, so no valid visa means no boarding pass.

This is a genuinely paid, required visa, which is exactly the kind of thing the internet fills with overpriced middlemen. Plenty of sites will take your money to file the same government form at a hefty markup, and a few are outright scams. The honest route is the official portal above. If you do pick a paid service for the hand-holding, know you are paying extra for convenience, not for anything the government requires.

If you already hold a valid physical Brazil visa issued before April 10, 2025, it still works until it expires, so you do not need the e-visa on top. And the e-visa does not guarantee entry: as anywhere, the border officer makes the final call, so carry your printed visa and be ready to show your onward plans.

Brazil is otherwise a warm, card-friendly place once you are in. For how money actually works there, cards, cash, ATMs and the rest, the Brazil money guide has you covered.

Common questions

Quick answers.

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