Practical Travel Safety Issues - Brazil Visa Question for US Passport Holder

My wife and I received Brazilian tourist visa in 2010 and we did indeed visit Brazil. At the time they were issued, the validity was for 5 years. Now, Brazilian tourist visas are valid for 10 years. Is this retroactive to our visas issued in 2010?

No, only visa's issued after the date at which this agreement came into effect will have validity of 10 years. As your visa was issued before that date and before the validity change, you and your wife's visa will only be valid until the date stated on it.

No, only visa's issued after the date at which this agreement came into effect will have validity of 10 years. As your visa was issued before that date and before the validity change, you and your wife's visa will only be valid until the date stated on it.

Thanks... I was afraid of that.

Only visas issued with a 10-year validity may have a validity of 10 years. [I mention this because Brazil still issues some visas to US persons for periods that are not valid for 10 years, even as general tourist visas currently being issued by Brazil for US passport-holders are now generally good for 10-years.]

The visa of the OP and his wife are indeed only valid until the date stated on the visa. There is no automatic amendment to extend their Brazilian visas' validity beyond the initial validity period.

Was hoping to sneak the 2016 Rio Olympics under the 2010 visa, but it expires in 2015.

Don't worry, the 2016 Olympics won't be in Rio. My bet is that London gets them two times in a row, since the cariocas haven't lifted a finger yet on Olympics prep.

Don't worry, the 2016 Olympics won't be in Rio. My bet is that London gets them two times in a row, since the cariocas haven't lifted a finger yet on Olympics prep.

Much of the London venues were designed to be temporary and will be dismantled by then.

Don't worry, the 2016 Olympics won't be in Rio. My bet is that London gets them two times in a row, since the cariocas haven't lifted a finger yet on Olympics prep.

I hear it is very easy to hold the games in the middle of nowhere. Look for a move to Salt Lake City 2016. ;)

Honestly, none of us in Rio could ever figure out how the IOC awarded the games to Rio. The city has absolutely horrible infrastructure. About all they have done since the games were awarded is cleaned up the favelas a bit and put up some walls on a few of the highways to try and hide the slums a bit, but in general, I don't see it happening.

Perhaps the US and Brazil will have general visa-waivers in place for citizens of the other country before 2016. We are far closer to that now than were a few years back.

The irony is that acquiring dual-citizenship may well be a faster way of getting visa-waiver outcomes for US-Brazil travel than waiting for US DHS to allow Brazil into the VWP.

Perhaps the US and Brazil will have general visa-waivers in place for citizens of the other country before 2016. We are far closer to that now than were a few years back.

The irony is that acquiring dual-citizenship may well be a faster way of getting visa-waiver outcomes for US-Brazil travel than waiting for US DHS to allow Brazil into the VWP.

In the case of acquiring US citizenship, it may be faster, but it will definitely be more expensive with the global tax :D