Olympics visa exemption to end soon

IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? A temporary visa exemption for nationals of Australia, Canada, Japan and the United States that was put in place for the Olympic Games is set to expire Sept. 18.

What does the change mean? Beginning Sept. 19, nationals of the four countries will need to obtain a visa when traveling to Brazil.

• Implementation time frame: The visa exemption expires Sept. 18.
• Visas/permits affected: Tourist visas.
• Who is affected: Nationals of Australia, Canada, Japan and the U.S.
• Impact on processing times: Once the waiver ends, affected nationals will need to account for visa processing times when making their travel plans.
• Business impact: The business impact is minimal. Business activities are not permitted on the visa waiver. Anyone intending to conduct business, work, study or engage in other nontourist activities must apply for an appropriate visa at a Brazilian consulate, whether traveling before or after the tourist visa waiver ends.

Background: Brazil announced in January that visas would be temporarily lifted for Australia, Canada, Japan and the U.S. to promote tourism before and during the Olympic Games. The waiver will remain in place through Sept. 18 to coincide with the end of the Paralympic Games, which are underway in Rio de Janeiro.

BAL Analysis: Visa rules will return to normal beginning Sept. 19. Those traveling to Brazil on or before Sept. 18 are reminded that the visa exemption should only be used by people traveling to Brazil for tourist purposes, not for business or other activities.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group in Brazil. For additional information, please contact brazil@bal.com.

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Founded in 1980, Berry Appleman & Leiden (BAL) provides comprehensive global immigration services from seven offices across the U.S. and from offices in Geneva, London, Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore and Sydney. BAL manages global visa matters and customized application approaches for work permits, business visas, and residence permits in more than 100 countries. With a single cost center for worldwide operations, BAL offers centralized management with regional and local support for the complete spectrum of global immigration matters.

Source: Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP