Brazilians can and will continue to be able to enter Europe visa-free. Towards the end of the year 2022, Brazilian citizens travelling to the Schengen area will be required to obtain an Electronic Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS). It is worth knowing ETIAS is not a visa, but a visa waiver, which can be considered a special travel authorisation or permit that will be required to enter the EU.
Can Brazilians travel to Europe without a visa?
At the moment, Brazilians can enter the Schengen Area for short periods of time without a visa. This can be done only for specific purposes, for example, tourism and visiting friends and families.
In 2022, the Schengen countries will implement the ETIAS system for visa-free entry into Europe. Since Brazil is among the eligible countries, this means that Brazilian will continue to be able to enter Europe visa-free.
However, they will be required to obtain an ETIAS authorisation to do so. Fortunately, the process will be completed entirely online.
Please note: those who wish to relocate to Europe or stay long-term (for example, to work or complete a degree) will need to get a relevant visa to do so. This should be obtained from the authorities of the Schengen country they wish to move to.
Travelling across Europe without a visa
The Schengen area is composed of a group of 26 European nations that share mutual borders with each other. The countries in the Schengen area have abolished passports and other means of border controls in an effort to allow citizens to move freely within the region.
The ETIAS visa waiver has been implemented as a security measure to enhance the strength of European borders while still allowing people the freedom of movement they need to see and experience European countries. It allows travellers who wish to enter the EU to be pre-screened using their information and travel details in order to protect both the region and third-country visitors from any potential security risks that may arise.
Moreover, ETIAS is expected to make document checks more efficient at the border.
Are Brazilian citizens required to obtain the ETIAS visa waiver?
Travellers from Brazil are among the citizens of 60 countries that are allowed to apply for and obtain an ETIAS visa waiver in order to travel to Europe visa-free.
One of the main benefits of being able to apply for one is that Brazilians are spared visits to a local embassy or consulate in order to obtain one. Applicants from Brazil can simply fill out an online application form with the required details, pay the processing fee and receive their ETIAS visa waiver within a few minutes.
What do Brazilian citizens need to apply for the ETIAS visa waiver?
In order to apply for an ETIAS visa waiver and enter Europe without a Schengen visa, travellers from Brazil will need to meet certain basic requirements, such as:
- Having a valid Brazilian passport with a minimum validity of 3 months remaining.
- Having a valid email address
- Having a valid credit/debit card in order to pay the processing fee
Brazilian visitors whose passports may not have the required validity required for the ETIAS visa waiver should consider renewing their passport before beginning the application process. This will help ensure that their attempt at applying for the ETIAS visa waiver is successful.
Starting from 2022, ETIAS will be the only way for Brazilian travellers to obtain visa-free entry into Europe. The new electronic system will save them the time and hassle of applying for a regular visa for the EU.
ETIAS application for Brazilian citizens
Once all the basic requirements have been fulfilled, nationals from Brazil can begin filling out the online application with their details:
- Personal details: name, date of birth, country of citizenship
- Passport information: passport number, country of issuance, date of expiration
- Contact details: phone number, email address, permanent address
- Travel information: intended port of entry and a summary of their travel plans
It should be noted that travellers from Brazil may also be required to provide additional information to support the details they provided on the ETIAS visa waiver form. They may also need to answer questions related to their health and any criminal history they might have.
It is expected of Brazilian citizens to answer these questions as honestly as possible as all answers and/or information provided on the ETIAS application form will be checked against international security databases. Any incorrect, misleading or false information can cause complications for the travellers leading up to and including a denial of the visa waiver.
Although 95% of ETIAS visa waiver applications are accepted, in the event of a rejection travellers from Brazil have the option of appealing the decision. Brazilians will be sent an email explaining why their application was rejected and they will have the right to appeal it against the country they stated that they intended to enter from on their application. The matter will be decided against the individual laws of that particular EU country.
What can Brazilian citizens expect after submitting the ETIAS application?
After nationals of Brazil have filled out the online application with the necessary details, they will then be able to review the information one last time before submitting it. In order to complete the application process, travellers will need to pay a processing fee using a valid debit/credit card. Once the payment has cleared, Brazilian travellers will be able to submit the application for review.
If citizens of Brazil are granted the ETIAS visa waiver, they will receive the visa waiver via email. It will then be up to the Brazilian travellers to print out the ETIAS visa waiver and take it with them to the EU port of entry when they travel. It will need to be presented to European Border officials in order to be allowed entry into Europe.
The ETIAS visa waiver allows visitors of Brazil to enter Europe for a stay of 90 consecutive days within a 180-day period. It allows them entry into Europe without a regular visa. If travellers leave Europe before the 90 days are up and wish to re-enter Europe within the 180-day time frame, they will not be required to obtain a new ETIAS visa waiver in order to do so.