Travel visas: Brazil plans to waive visas for Australians

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Travel visas: Brazil plans to waive visas for Australians

Updated
Brazil is considering a 12-month trial period for a visa-waiver program that will be applicable for visitors from Australia, the United States, Japan and Canada.

Brazil is considering a 12-month trial period for a visa-waiver program that will be applicable for visitors from Australia, the United States, Japan and Canada.Credit: iStock

Brazil's government is considering waiving visas for visitors from Australia, the United States, Japan and Canada to boost tourism.

The proposal by new Tourism Minister Marx Beltrao would extend for a 12-month trial period a visa-waiver program adopted for visitors from the four countries during the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro this year.

Brazil's President Michel Temer is keen to draw more foreign investment and visitors to Brazil to help pull Latin America's largest nation from its worst recession since the 1930s Great Depression.

In 2015, 575,800 US citizens visited Brazil, less than 10 per cent of the total number of visitors to the South American nation. Meanwhile, the number of Brazilians visiting the United States soared in recent years to 2.6 million visitors in 2014.

The visa exemptions would become permanent if the number of tourists rises significantly and the governments of the four countries reciprocate by removing visa requirements for Brazilians visitors, the spokesman said.

The tourism ministry is studying the inclusion of several other countries in its visa waiver plan, mainly China to try to attract some of the 100 million Chinese tourists that travel abroad each year, the spokesman said.

Only 55,000 Chinese citizens visited Brazil last year.

Reuters

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