On February 22, 2026, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed a decree granting visa-free entry to holders of ordinary Chinese passports for short-term visits of up to 30 days, extendable to 90 days within any 12-month period. Confirmed by Brazil’s foreign ministry and reported by CGTN, the move is reciprocal to China’s own visa waiver for Brazilian citizens introduced last year and is intended to restore bilateral travel to its pre-pandemic growth path.
This policy removes one of the biggest administrative hurdles for Chinese leisure and business travelers. Before COVID-19, China was Brazil’s fastest-growing long-haul source market, but arrivals plummeted when consulates closed and health restrictions tightened. Tourism Minister Celso Sabino projects that arrivals from China in 2026 could exceed 100,000 for the first time, injecting an estimated US$250 million into local economies, from Amazon eco-lodges to luxury retail in São Paulo.
Airlines and airports are already responding. LATAM Airlines confirmed it is studying a non-stop São Paulo–Shanghai service with its incoming A350-1000 fleet, while GRU Airport in Guarulhos said it will speed up the installation of additional Mandarin-enabled e-gates and signage ahead of the next Golden Week. Travel and trade associations in both countries welcomed the decision, noting that slow visa appointments had discouraged group tours, MICE incentives and film-production crews.
