(BRAZIL) — Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced on January 23, 2026 that Brazil will grant visa exemptions for Chinese nationals for certain categories of short-term stays, a reciprocal move after China adopted a similar policy in 2025.
“The decision was made in the context of deepening cooperation between Brazil and China, with the aim of further facilitating people-to-people exchanges and promoting bilateral interaction,” Lula’s office said in a presidential note dated Jan 23, 2026.
Announcement and background
Brazil framed the change as a response to a trial policy China implemented on June 1, 2025, allowing Brazilian ordinary passport holders to enter China visa-free for up to 30 days.
The Brazilian presidency issued its statement after a high-level call between Lula and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the evening of January 22, 2026. The announcement places Brazil among countries using visa facilitation to try to lift travel demand and make business trips easier.
Officials noted the move comes even as other governments tighten parts of their immigration systems, adding uncertainty for travelers planning multi-country itineraries. Reciprocity has become the central political logic of the change, with Brazil explicitly linking the decision to China’s June 1, 2025 trial policy for Brazilian ordinary passport holders.
Policy details and eligibility
Under the Brazilian policy, eligible trips cover short-term stays for tourism, business, family visits, academic exchanges, and transit. Brazil limited the exemption to holders of ordinary Chinese passports, matching the passport category referenced in China’s visa-free entry policy for Brazilians.
Stay limits set out by Brazil allow Chinese nationals to remain for up to 30 days per entry, with a maximum total stay of 90 days within a 12-month period. Those caps mean repeat travelers will need to track both the length of each visit and the accumulated time across the year.
Travelers building itineraries around multiple entries also face a practical constraint: even if each entry stays within 30 days, the total time in Brazil cannot exceed 90 days within the 12-month window. Visa-free travel still leaves travelers subject to border checks and compliance expectations on arrival.
This section will be linked to an interactive tool that outlines specific eligibility scenarios and examples of permitted short-term activities.
Implementation and timing
Brazil has not yet published the start date for visa-free entry under the new rules. The presidency said the commencement date should come “shortly” in a joint circular by the Ministries of Tourism and Foreign Affairs (Itamaraty).
That implementation step matters for airlines, tour operators and corporate travel planners because it determines when travelers can rely on the exemption at check-in and at the border, rather than applying for a visa under existing procedures. Brazil’s government pointed readers to official channels for updates and documentation.
Travel and industry effects
For business travelers, the shift can reduce lead time for short visits, including meetings tied to trade and investment, while also making it easier to schedule last-minute travel around factory inspections, contract talks, and conferences. Tour operators and cultural organizations may also see faster planning cycles for group travel.
Analysts view the policy as a major step in the “Year of Culture and Tourism between Brazil and China” slated for 2026, the Brazilian information said. The government presented the change as an economic play as well as a diplomatic one, emphasizing China’s role in Brazil’s economy.
China is Brazil’s largest trading partner, and the waiver is expected by the government to increase the number of Chinese business travelers and high-spending tourists. In 2024, Brazil saw approximately 76,000 Chinese visitors, and the government said it aims to exceed this significantly under the new regime.
Early travel-interest indicators moved quickly after the announcement: within hours, flight searches from Chinese cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou) to Brazilian hubs (Brasília, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo) reportedly surged by over 80%. Airlines and travel agencies often treat search activity as a directional signal of intent, though final demand depends on flight availability, prices, and the practical details of when the visa exemption takes effect.
This section will be enhanced by an interactive tool showing projected traveler flows, economic impacts, and booking signals.
U.S. context and related immigration changes
The announcement comes against a broader backdrop of shifting entry rules in other countries that can affect travel planning across regions. U.S. immigration policy changes involving Brazil form part of that wider travel backdrop, though Brazil’s decision applies to entry into Brazil and is tied directly to reciprocity with China.
The U.S. State Department confirmed on Jan 14, 2026 that it will suspend processing of all immigrant-class visas for citizens of 75 countries, including Brazil, effective January 21, 2026. That suspension covers family-based, employment-based, and diversity lottery green card cases.
The U.S. State Department’s description of the change included an exemption: non-immigrant categories such as B-1/B-2 business-tourist visas remain active. At the same time, applicants for those nonimmigrant categories face increased scrutiny under new “public-charge” reviews, the U.S. policy summary said.
U.S. officials have not publicly commented on the Brazil-China visa waiver itself. Historically, the Department of Homeland Security monitors regional visa-free arrangements for potential impact on irregular migration patterns toward the U.S. border, the summary said, but it did not describe any new DHS step tied to Brazil’s decision.
Practical steps for travelers and companies
For Chinese nationals considering Brazil under the new framework, the practical next step is confirming when the joint circular takes effect and whether it includes any exclusions or entry conditions beyond the headline categories and time limits. Brazilian travelers and companies arranging trips for visiting Chinese partners also need clarity on timing.
The exemption will not apply until the government publishes the commencement details. That timing determines when travelers can rely on the waiver instead of applying for a visa under existing procedures, which matters for check-in and border control procedures.
Sources and further information
Brazil’s government pointed readers to official channels for updates and documentation. Travelers can check announcements from the Brazilian presidency through Agência Brasil and follow updates from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Itamaraty), including any joint circular issued with the Ministry of Tourism.
For the U.S. immigrant-visa suspension referenced in the same period, readers can consult the U.S. State Department newsroom for the Jan 14, 2026 update. Chinese state media also carried coverage dated Jan 24, 2026, through Xinhua News Agency.
Until Brazil publishes the joint circular, travelers and airlines will likely watch for the effective start date that determines when ordinary Chinese passport holders can enter under the visa exemption rules rather than applying in advance. For Lula, the announcement put the emphasis on “deepening cooperation” and “people-to-people exchanges,” tying a concrete travel policy change to Brazil’s broader approach to relations with China.
