Do you want to visit Brazil? Starting next year, US travelers will first need to share their bank statements

2024 appears to be the year of travel extensions.

Hot on the heels of the European Union postponing (again) its much-discussed ETIAS program, which will require visitors from most non-EU countries to obtain pre-travel authorization, Brazil has postponed the start of its new visa system for travelers from the US, Canada and Australia.

However, if 2024 is the year of postponement, 2025 is when everything will be right. And for travelers from these three countries heading to Brazil, this will hit their destination, hit their bank balances – and require them to share their bank statements too.

ETIAS is scheduled to start in 2025 and Brazil has already confirmed the start date of its visa program.

From April 10, 2025, citizens of Australia, Canada and the USA will need a visa to enter the country. The positive side is that those traveling for tourism or cruises can apply for an evisa online instead of visiting a consulate.

The cost will be $80.90, but the visa will be valid for 10 years and for multiple entries. Stays are limited to 90 days per year. Previously, the visa was supposed to be introduced in 2024 – or rather, reintroduced. Until 2019, US travelers to Brazil were required to obtain visas – with evisas introduced just a year before the system was completely abolished.

Candidates must also provide additional information, in accordance with the Brazilian government website. A letter of intent should detail the dates and purpose of the trip, as well as confirmed details of where you will be staying. Proof of residence in the USA and return tickets to Brazil (or, if not, a signed return statement) and proof of income will also be required.

The latter takes the form of the last three checking or savings account statements, or the last six pay stubs, and travelers will need an average of at least $2,000 in their accounts. Those who don’t meet the requirements must get a sponsor to sign for them, showing their finances.

Although it may seem complex, visa systems tend to work based on reciprocity and it is a similar situation for Brazilians traveling to the US – only worse.
Currently, almost all Brazilian citizens must schedule a visa at the nearest embassy and prove that they have the means to pay for the entire proposed trip. A visa to the US – even for those in transit – costs US$185.

Processing times for Brazil’s visa system will average five working days, although VFS – the company that handles applications – “strongly recommends” applying two months before travel.

Brazil saw nearly six million arrivals in 2023, with 483,000 US citizens visiting in the first nine months of the year alone. That puts U.S. visitors second only to Argentines, according to travel trade publication Travel Pulse.

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