How to Get Your Brazil Tourist Visa Approved the First Time (For U.S., Canadian, Chinese & Australian Travelers)
If you’re from the United States, Canada, China or Australia and planning a trip to Brazil, you now need an e-Visa before entering the country. I recently completed mine, got approved in 3 days, and honestly… the process is not hard if you pay attention to the details. Most people getting denied the first time are making small mistakes, especially with the passport photo.
The good news is that once approved, the visa is valid for up to 10 years with multiple entries, which makes it worth handling correctly the first time.
The Official Brazil e-Visa Website
Use ONLY the official website below to apply:
Official Brazil e-Visa Website
Do not use random third-party websites charging extra fees to “help” you apply. The official system is through VFS.
How Much Does the Brazil Tourist Visa Cost?
The current fee is approximately $80.90 USD.
That includes the visa fee and processing fee.
What You Need Before Applying
Before you sit down to fill out the application, make sure you have:
Your passport
A digital passport-style photo
Your estimated arrival and departure dates
Your parents’ full legal names/birthdates
A valid email address
A debit or credit card for payment
One thing people get confused about is the travel dates. You do NOT need to submit proof of flights just to complete the application. You can use your projected or estimated arrival and departure dates.
Use Your Passport EXACTLY
This is important.
When entering your information, make sure your:
Full name matches your passport exactly
Passport number is correct
Birthdate is correct
Parents’ names are written fully and correctly
Do not shorten names or leave out middle names if they appear on your passport or official documents. Take a clear picture of your passport with no reflections.
The Passport Photo Is Where Most People Mess Up
Honestly, this is probably the number one reason people get denied the first time.
I strongly recommend getting a professional passport-style photo taken instead of trying to take one yourself against a random wall in your house. I went to Walgreens and had them take mine.
Make sure:
You ask for the DIGITAL version emailed to you
The background is completely white
The lighting is clear
The image is not blurry
Your face is centered properly
The Brazil e-Visa website has a resizing tool built into the application process, which helps.
If needed, you can also use Canva to resize the image and remove your background to make it white and clean up the white background, if you don’t do a professional picture.
Again, the background being fully white matters more than people realize.
My Approval Timeline
After I submitted everything, I received my approval by email in about 3 days.
Once approved, they send you a PDF version of your e-Visa. Save it on your phone and print a copy out as backup before your trip. You will need the printed version during your flight.
My Advice to Avoid Delays
Here’s what I’d personally recommend if you want the smoothest approval process possible:
Apply at least 2–4 weeks before your trip
Double-check every spelling detail
Use a professionally taken passport photo
Don’t rush the upload section and make sure the size of the photos are exactly as they request. Use the website’s resizer or Canva.
Make sure your passport has enough validity remaining (at least 6 months before expiration)
Apply directly through the official site only
Brazil has honestly become one of my favorite countries I’ve ever visited, and the visa process was much easier than people online made it seem. Most of the stress comes from avoidable mistakes. If your information is clean and your photo is correct, the process is pretty straightforward.