Countries › Brazil › Guide › 8. Immigration › Business visitors to Brazil: visit visas, exemptions and what a visitor may do

Business visitors to Brazil: visit visas, exemptions and what a visitor may do

Argentina. For full detail on Argentina, go to The Argentine Thread.

Last verified: 2026-10-27 · Status: Changing

A visitor may come for meetings, trade fairs, deal prospecting, contract signing, audits, consulting and contracted technical assistance or technology transfer, but may not receive pay from a Brazilian source beyond travel allowances. A visit stay is up to 90 days, extendable by the Federal Police by 90 more only for nationals of countries that reciprocate, never beyond 180 days per migratory year. Whether a visa is needed depends on nationality: since the Foreign Ministry table of 7 October 2026, United States, Canadian, Australian and Indian citizens need a visit visa, while EU, UK, Japanese, Mexican and Argentine citizens do not, and Chinese citizens are exempt for 30 days.

USD figures use the Banco Central do Brasil PTAX selling rate of R$5.3346 per US dollar for 27 October 2026. The rate moved sharply in late October 2026 (R$5.0377 on 23 October, R$5.5007 on 26 October), so treat conversions as orientation only.

Key facts

Initial stay on a visit visa or visa exemption	90 daysDecreto nº 9.199/2017 art. 20, as of 2017-11-20 · in force
Maximum visit stay per migratory year, including extension	180 daysDecreto nº 9.199/2017 art. 20, as of 2017-11-20 · in force
Federal Police fee to extend a visit stay	110.44 BRLSTN revenue code 140090, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Visit visa required for United States ordinary passport holders	yes Foreign Ministry visa table of 7 October 2026, as of 2026-10-07 · in force
Visit visa required for Canadian ordinary passport holders	yes Foreign Ministry visa table of 7 October 2026, as of 2026-10-07 · in force
Visit visa required for Australian ordinary passport holders	yes Foreign Ministry visa table of 7 October 2026, as of 2026-10-07 · in force
Visa free stay for Chinese ordinary passport holders	30 daysForeign Ministry visa table of 7 October 2026, as of 2026-10-07 · in force
Visa free stay for Argentine nationals (civil identity card accepted)	90 daysForeign Ministry visa table of 7 October 2026, as of 2026-10-07 · in force

The rule

1. A visit visa covers short stays without intent to reside, for tourism, business, transit, artistic or sports activities or exceptional situations of national interest. The visitor may not carry out paid activity in Brazil, but may receive per diems, cost allowances, fees or other travel expenses from the government, a Brazilian employer or a private entity, and may compete for prizes.
Cost to do it: Consular visa fees depend on nationality and reciprocity; no residence fee applies to a visitor.Lei nº 13.445 of 24 May 2017; Decreto nº 9.199 of 20 November 2017, Lei nº 13.445 art. 13; Decreto nº 9.199 art. 29 caput and §§ 1 and 9, 2017-11-20 official text · verified 2026-10-27

2. Business activities allowed on a visit are: meetings, trade fairs and business events, press coverage and filming, prospecting for commercial opportunities, signing contracts, audits or consulting, working as aircraft or vessel crew, and technical assistance or technology transfer under a contract, cooperation agreement or covenant between a foreign and a Brazilian legal entity, provided the activity is unpaid in Brazil and lasts no longer than the visit stay.Decreto nº 9.199 of 20 November 2017, as worded by Decreto nº 12.657 of 7 October 2025, Decreto nº 9.199 art. 29 § 3, 2025-10-07 official text · verified 2026-10-27 · changed: Decreto nº 12.657 of 7 October 2025 rewrote art. 29 § 3, expressly listing contracted technical assistance and technology transfer between a foreign and a Brazilian company as business activities allowed on a visit.

3. Visit visas issued for artistic or sports activities, audits and consulting, or seafarer work give a stay of up to 90 days that cannot be extended within the migratory year, and the Foreign Ministry tells the Ministry of Justice about these visas and any allowances the visitor will receive.Decreto nº 9.199 of 20 November 2017, as worded by Decreto nº 9.500/2018 and Decreto nº 12.657 of 7 October 2025, Decreto nº 9.199 art. 29 §§ 6 and 7, 2025-10-07 official text · verified 2026-10-27

4. The visit stay is up to 90 days from first entry, counted only while the visitor is in Brazil. The Federal Police may extend it by up to 90 days, only for nationals of countries that grant reciprocity to Brazilians, without exceeding 180 days per migratory year. The extension must be requested before the original stay expires, with a valid travel document, the fee receipt and the Federal Police form.
Cost to do it: Stay extension fee R$110.44 (about US$20.70), STN revenue code 140090.
Example: Extension fee R$110.44. / About US$20.70.Decreto nº 9.199 of 20 November 2017, Decreto nº 9.199 art. 20 caput and §§ 1, 2 and 4, 2017-11-20 official text · verified 2026-10-27

5. Visa requirements depend on nationality. In the Foreign Ministry table updated on 7 October 2026, holders of ordinary passports of the United States, Canada, Australia and India need a visit visa; nationals of Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan and Mexico are exempt for up to 90 days (for Germany, at most 90 days in any 180); nationals of China are exempt for up to 30 days; and Argentine nationals are exempt for up to 90 days and may enter with their civil identity card.Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Quadro Geral de Regime de Vistos (Entry Visas to Brazil), updated on 7 October 2026, Table entries for each nationality, VIVIS column and caption, 2026-10-07 official text · verified 2026-10-27

6. No visa is required for a connection that does not leave the international transit area. For a visit visa the consulate may also ask for proof of onward and return transport, means of subsistence for the stay, documents showing the nature of the activities, and an in person interview.Decreto nº 9.199 of 20 November 2017, Decreto nº 9.199 art. 29 §§ 10, 11 and 12, 2017-11-20 official text · verified 2026-10-27

7. Overstaying a visit is an administrative infraction punished by a fine per day of excess and by deportation if the person does not leave or regularize in the period set. A fine per day of excess may be converted into an equivalent reduction of the authorized stay on the next visit.
Cost to do it: Individual fines range from R$100 to R$10,000 per infraction (Lei nº 13.445 art. 108, V).
Example: Fine range R$100 to R$10,000. / About US$18.75 to US$1,874.55.Lei nº 13.445 of 24 May 2017, Lei nº 13.445 arts. 107 § 2 and 109, II, 2017-05-24 official text · verified 2026-10-27

8. A visit visa holder who later qualifies for residence may apply in Brazil: the procedures resolution allows visit, courtesy, diplomatic and official visas to be converted into a residence authorization under the specific resolution, with an initial term of up to 1 year, or an indefinite term for investment or where the law allows.
Cost to do it: Residence processing fee R$168.13 (about US$31.52) plus R$204.77 identity card (about US$38.39).Resolução Normativa CNIg nº 1 of 1 December 2017, as amended by Resolução Normativa nº 37 of 28 August 2019 and Resolução CNIG/MJSP nº 51 of 14 March 2025, RN nº 1 arts. 6 and 6-A §§ 1 and 2, 2025-03-14 official text · verified 2026-10-27

Nationality	Visit visa rule
United States	Visa required
Canada	Visa required
Australia	Visa required
India	Visa required
China	Exempt up to 30 days
Japan	Exempt up to 90 days
Mexico	Exempt up to 90 days
United Kingdom	Exempt up to 90 days
Germany	Exempt up to 90 days, at most 90 days in any 180
Argentina	Exempt up to 90 days; civil identity card accepted

Visit visa regime for selected ordinary passports, Foreign Ministry table updated on 7 October 2026. Source: Quadro Geral de Regime de Vistos.

Worked example

A US sales director flies in for a 10 day roadshow and contract signing. The activity is a business visit (Decreto nº 9.199 art. 29 § 3), but as a US citizen the director needs a visit visa first. If the trip runs long, an extension of up to 90 more days is only possible for nationals of reciprocating countries, at a fee of R$110.44 (about US$20.70).
A German engineer installs a machine sold by the German parent to its Brazilian subsidiary for 3 weeks. Under the October 2025 wording this contracted technical assistance fits a visit, with no visa needed for a German national, as long as the engineer is not paid in Brazil beyond travel allowances and stays within the visit period. Longer or repeated assignments need technical assistance residence (see the technical assistance page).

Step by step

1. Check the nationality in the current Foreign Ministry visa table before booking; the table changes and was last updated on 7 October 2026.
2. Confirm the activity is on the list of business activities and that no Brazilian source pays a salary (Decreto nº 9.199 art. 29 §§ 1, 3 and 9).
3. If a visa is needed, apply at the consulate or the electronic channel indicated by the Foreign Ministry with passport, form, fee, travel proof and, if asked, proof of funds and an invitation letter (art. 29 § 11).
4. Track days: 90 per stay and 180 per migratory year; request any extension from the Federal Police before expiry (art. 20 § 4).
5. If the role becomes paid local work, switch to a work or investment residence before starting (see the work residence page).

Common traps

Receiving a Brazilian salary on a visit. Only per diems, allowances and travel costs are allowed; local pay requires residence (Decreto nº 9.199 art. 29 §§ 1 and 9).
Assuming an extension is automatic. Extensions are discretionary, only for reciprocating nationalities, and capped at 180 days per migratory year (art. 20 §§ 2 and 3).
Audit and consulting visits are capped. Visit visas for audits or consulting allow up to 90 days and cannot be extended in the same migratory year (art. 29 § 7).
Relying on a pre 2025 exemption. US, Canadian and Australian citizens need a visa under the current table; check again before each trip.
Repeated technical visits. Technical assistance on a visit must fit within the visit stay; recurring or long assignments call for technical assistance residence (RN CNIg nº 3/2017).

Sources

← Visas and residence in Brazil for investors, executives and staffWork residence for employees hired in Brazil (CLT contract) →