The Brazilian president has recently ratified a new law that will allow certain nationalities visa waiver travel to Brazil for tourism purposes through September 2016 and permit visits of up to 90 days.

The measure is part of the Brazilian government’s efforts to encourage tourism and economic activity during the summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in the city of Rio de Janeiro. The Olympic Games will be held August 5–21, 2016, and the Paralympic Games September 7–18, 2016.

The specific date when the temporary visa waiver program will begin has not yet been announced, but it is anticipated to be during the late Spring or early Summer of 2016. The list of nationalities that will benefit from the program is not yet published, however, the Brazilian Ministry of Tourism indicated that nationals of countries that have previously hosted the Olympic Games, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and Japan, will be eligible for visa waiver travel.

Foster will continue to monitor the Brazilian government’s implementation of this temporary program and will make additional information available in future Immigration Updates^© and on our firm’s website at www.fosterglobal.com.