US tourists

Brazil put into operation today an electronic system that allows visitors from Australia, Canada, the United States and Japan to apply online for their respective visas to tourism or business and no need to do paperwork in the respective consulates.

Rio de Janeiro, Nov 21 (EFE) .- Brazil put into operation today an electronic system that allows visitors from Australia, Canada, the United States and Japan to apply for Internet their respective visas for tourism or business and without the need to do paperwork in the respective consulates.

Visitors from these countries, four of the few whose nationals Brazil requires a visa to enter the country due to reciprocity, were responsible for 63.74% of total visas for tourism requested before the Brazilian authorities the year past and 58.15% of business visas.

The so-called Visa for Electronic Visas (E-Visa) Program "offers speed and convenience to those who apply for a visa to enter Brazil and increases efficiency in the provision of consular services, "the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

According to the Foreign Ministry, responsible for the system, the person interested in the visa can request it remotely both through the internet portal inaugurated today (www.vfsglobal.com/brazil-evisa) and by applications that were created to mobile phones and electronic tablets.

In order to embark for Brazil, the tourist will only have to present to the airline with which he / she will travel a paper copy or a digitalized image of the respective electronic visa.

The visa will cost 40 dollars, below the value of the traditional visa, and a maximum validity of two years and medium.

The system went into operation this Tuesday for Australian visitors, but the Japanese will have to wait until January 11 of next year, Canadians on January 18 and Americans until January 25.

Brazil had already temporarily exempted tourists from these four countries on June 1 and September 18 from last year to facilitate entry into the country for those interested in attending the Olympic Games that Rio de Janeiro organized in 2016.

Brazil has bilateral agreements for exemption from visa with 82 countries, among which the majority of Latin Americans and those of the European Union, but the list does not include important issuers of tourists, mainly the United States, Japan and China.

The inauguration of the electronic visa system coincided with the entry into force on Tuesday of the new Migration Law of Brazil, which revokes legislation of the era of the last military dictatorship (1964-1985) that treated immigrants as a threat to national security.

The new law guarantees foreigners practically the same rights to nationals, mainly those related to civil, cultural and economic freedoms, in addition to access to public health services, social assistance, education and justice.

In addition to determining the rights and duties of immigrants and visitors, the new law regulates their entry and stay in the country, reduces the bureaucratic procedures required and criminalizes xenophobia, racism and any form of discrimination against foreigners.