Want to visit Brazil? Starting next year, US travelers will first have to share their bank statements

2024 is shaping up to be the year of travel reprieves.

In the wake of the European Union’s postponement (once again) of its highly controversial ETIAS program, which will require visitors from most third countries to obtain pre-travel authorization, Brazil has postponed the start of its new system visa requirements for travelers to the United States, Canada and Australia.

However, if 2024 is the year of reprieve, 2025 is the year when everything will come knocking. And for travelers from these three countries heading to Brazil, it will hit their bank accounts – and also require them to share their bank statements.

ETIAS is expected to start in 2025 and Brazil has now confirmed the start date for its visa program.

From April 10, 2025, Australian, Canadian and American citizens will need a visa to enter the country. On the plus side, those traveling for tourism or cruises can apply for an evisa online, rather than visiting a consulate.

The cost will be $80.90, but the visa will be valid for 10 years and for multiple entries. Stays are limited to 90 days per year. The visa was previously expected to be introduced in 2024 – or rather reintroduced. Until 2019, American travelers to Brazil were required to obtain a visa – with evisas being introduced only a year before the system was completely abolished.

Applicants will also be required to provide additional information, according to the Brazilian government website. A letter of intent should detail the dates and purpose of the trip, as well as confirmed details of where you will stay. Proof of residency in the United States, return tickets to Brazil (or, alternatively, a signed return declaration) and proof of income will also be required.

This takes the form of the last three checking or savings account statements, or your last six payslips, and travelers will need on average at least $2,000 in their account. Those who do not qualify must have a sponsor sign for them, showing their finances instead.

Although it seems complex, visa systems tend to operate on reciprocity and it’s a similar situation for Brazilians traveling to the United States – only worse.
Currently, almost all Brazilian citizens must make a visa appointment at the nearest embassy and prove they have the means to pay for the entire proposed trip. A visa to the United States – even for those in transit – costs $185.

Processing times for the Brazilian visa system will average five business days, although VFS – the company that handles applications – “strongly recommends” applying two months in advance of travel.

Brazil saw nearly six million arrivals in 2023, with 483,000 U.S. citizens visiting in the first nine months of the year alone. That places U.S. visitors second behind Argentines, according to tourism publication TravelPulse.

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