Visa Types for Americans: An Overview

For years, Americans could land in Brasil with nothing more than a passport. That changed on April 10, 2025. Since then, US citizens need a visitor visa for tourism, business and transit, according to the Consulate General of Brazil in New York. If you last visited before that date, this is the first thing to update in your head.

This guide is a map, not a full application manual. It explains the two families of visas that matter to most Americans, which one fits which purpose, and where the official instructions live. Visa rules are exactly the kind of thing that changes, so treat every number here as something to confirm on the consulate page before you pay or book.

The two families: visiting and staying

Brazilian consulates group visas into two main types for most travelers:

• VIVIS, the visitor visa. For short stays without the intention of living in Brasil: tourism, business trips, transit, and similar short-term purposes. The Chicago consulate lists study and other short-term purposes on its VIVIS page as well, so read that page for the exact list.
• VITEM, the temporary visa. For people who intend to live in Brasil for a period, for reasons such as work, study, research, family reunion, or retirement. The consulates list the temporary visa categories as VITEM I through XIII, each tied to a specific purpose and its own document list.

There are other categories, such as diplomatic and official visas, that most readers will never need.

The visitor visa for US citizens

For Americans, the visitor visa is now handled electronically. The consulates in New York and Chicago describe it this way:

• You apply online through the official e-Visa portal, brazil.vfsevisa.com. There is no in-person visit to the consulate.
• The fee stated by the New York consulate is US$80.90.
• The visa allows multiple entries. The Chicago consulate says it is valid for 10 years.
• The New York consulate states stays of up to 90 days per year, and says extensions are handled by the Federal Police in Brasil.
• Average processing time is about 10 business days, according to the New York consulate, and it states that it does not issue emergency visas.

That last point is the one that catches people. Apply well before you buy a nonrefundable ticket, not the week before. If you hold both Brazilian and US citizenship, the consulates say you must enter and leave Brasil on your Brazilian passport, so the visitor visa does not apply to you.

For how the 90 days are counted and extended, see Tourist stay rules for US passport holders.

The temporary visa, in general terms

A temporary visa is the starting point for living in Brasil rather than visiting. Each VITEM category has its own purpose and its own documents, and many of them require US documents with an apostille and, in some cases, a sworn translation. That paperwork is covered in Apostilles and sworn translations for US documents.

Two general points from the consulates are worth knowing before you start:

• Registration after arrival. The Chicago consulate states that holders of a temporary visa must register with the Federal Police within 90 days of first entry. Missing that step causes problems later.
• Passport validity. Your passport should be valid for the whole period you intend to stay. The consulates state this on their general information pages.

For the specific document list, fees and processing for any VITEM category, check the official page for that category on your consulate's site. Requirements differ by category and can differ in detail between consulates.

Which consulate is yours

Brazilian consulates in the United States each serve a set of states. Visitor visas for Americans now go through the online portal, but temporary visas and other services are tied to your jurisdiction. Your consulate's website tells you whether you fall under it. Read that consulate's pages rather than a forum thread or a page from another jurisdiction.

Matching your purpose to a category

A simple way to think about it:

• Coming for a holiday, a conference, a short business trip, or a connection through a Brazilian airport: start with the visitor visa page.
• Coming to work for a Brazilian employer, study in a program, join family, or retire: you are looking at a temporary visa, and the category depends on that purpose.
• Not sure: write down what you will actually do in Brasil and for how long, then compare that against the purpose described for each category. If it still is not clear, check the official page or ask the consulate directly.

Doing something on a visitor visa that belongs to a temporary category is how people get into trouble. Pick the category that matches what you will really be doing.

Checklist before you apply

• Confirm your purpose and pick the matching visa family.
• Find your consulate and read its current page for that visa.
• Check your passport expiry date against your planned stay.
• Gather documents early, especially anything that needs an apostille.
• For a visitor visa, apply through the official e-Visa portal only, and allow at least the stated processing time plus a margin.
• Keep a copy of the approved visa with your travel documents. See Documents to carry when you land.

Watch out for look-alike sites

Search results for visa applications often include third-party services that charge extra to submit the same form. The consulates point to one portal for the e-Visa. Type that address yourself, or follow the link from the consulate page, rather than clicking an ad.