Your Passport Stays in Your Pocket: Brazil Digitises Temporary Visas
From 1 September 2026, VITEM temporary visas for visa-exempt nationals are issued electronically. For anyone moving staff or long-stay teams to Brazil, this matters.
Ask any mobility manager what they hate most. The answer is almost always the same: handing over a passport and waiting.
Brazil has moved to fix exactly that. As of 1 September 2026, temporary visas for nationals exempt from visitor visa requirements are to be issued electronically.
The Brazilian Embassy in Lima announced the change on 28 August 2026. The measure is intended to apply across Brazil's consular network, not just applications submitted in Peru.
What Actually Changes
Nothing changes for short tourist or business trips. If your delegates travel under the VIVIS exemption, carry on as before.
The change applies to travellers who need a temporary visa, or VITEM, for another purpose. That includes studying, working, joining a family member, investing, certain professional activities, and digital nomad residency.
Applications run through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Sistema Consular Integrado. Applicants complete the form and submit supporting documents electronically.
Once approved, the visa is issued without a consular sticker in the passport. The electronic document can be sent directly to the applicant, including by email.
Brazil already uses this model elsewhere. An electronic VITEM scheme introduced in 2025 issues the visa as a PDF containing a QR code, delivered by email.
Who Is Covered
The measure applies to nationals of countries benefiting from the visitor visa exemption. That includes the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland.
Several Latin American and Asian countries feature too, including Japan and South Korea. Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Affairs maintains the full visa regime table.
US, Canadian and Australian nationals sit in a different position. Since 10 April 2025 they require an e-Visa for visits, and this measure targets nationalities that remain exempt.
The Caveats Worth Knowing
Eligibility requirements have not changed. Document lists, translation, apostille and legalisation requirements all still apply, as do consular fees.
Some categories, particularly employment-linked visas, may still require prior residence authorisation. That runs through the MigranteWeb system before consular issuance.
Temporary visa holders subject to the requirement must still register with the Federal Police after arrival.
Consulates may also request original documents, additional evidence, or an interview. Those steps should become case-specific exceptions rather than routine.
The Rollout Is Still Catching Up
Here is the practical bit. As of 2 September 2026, consular posts reviewed had not published instructions presenting the new process as fully operational.
New York still states applications must be submitted in person. Montreal still instructs applicants to send paper documents after e-Consular validation.
London still requires in-person submission with original documents. Barcelona still handles temporary visas by mail, with the passport held throughout.
Paris, Geneva and Porto pages likewise reflect the previous process. These may simply await updating.
The takeaway is simple. Check the relevant consulate's instructions before starting an application or sending a passport anywhere.
Why This Matters Beyond Mobility
Long-stay categories underpin more group travel than people assume. Production crews, project teams, event staff and secondments all sit in VITEM territory.
Removing passport surrender from the routine also removes a scheduling headache. Staff can travel elsewhere while their Brazilian paperwork progresses.
Brazil as a Program Destination
Rio delivers the postcard moments and then some. Sugarloaf cable car receptions, Christ the Redeemer at sunrise, and beachfront venues along Copacabana.
São Paulo brings the business heft, a formidable restaurant scene, and gallery spaces that make striking event venues. Its hotel and conference capacity handles large groups comfortably.
Iguaçu Falls provides the wow factor few destinations can match. Helicopter transfers and walkway access make it a strong incentive centrepiece.
Salvador adds Afro-Brazilian culture, colonial architecture and percussion that gets a room moving within minutes. Paraty offers cobbled charm and island boat days.
The Amazon, Pantanal wildlife and coastal Bahia round out longer itineraries. Distances are real, so internal flights need planning.
Your DMC Is the Difference
Brazil rewards ground partners who know their paperwork and their logistics equally. Venue permits, favela community projects and internal air coordination all sit with them.
Let our destination partners handle the process and build a program worth the paperwork.
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