Americans Can Now Apply for Brazilian Visas Online

Brazil is the largest country in South American and is teeming with cultural opportunities and beautiful sights and sounds, from the Amazon to Rio de Janeiro’s nightlife. Yet the country is still having trouble getting tourists to visit—especially Americans. Even after hosting the Olympics in 2016. So the country is taking a new approach to encouraging tourism by offering online visas.

To encourage Americans to travel to Brazil, the Brazilian government has made obtaining a travel visa easier and more affordable. In the past, applying for a visa meant spending $160 and having to apply in person at a consulate or paying a third party to represent them. Now, the cost of obtaining a visa has dropped to $40 and you can complete the application process online—no consulate visits required.

The changes that the government has made to make it easier for Americans to apply for visas to Brazil have also been made for those traveling from various other countries, including Canada, Japan and Australia. Other efforts to expand tourist interest in Brazil include allowing foreign investments into airlines to improve services. In addition, the government has said it will make its own investments in other areas to help boost tourist interest and expand growth in the industry.

Although it may be easier to travel to Brazil than it was in the past, visitors are still urged to take precautions. There has been a recent yellow fever outbreak in the country as well as lingering concerns about Zika. And there is still a huge crime problem in many regions of the country.