Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced on January 23 that China’s ordinary passport holders will be granted visa-free entry to Brazil.
The move had long been anticipated. Brazil had been advancing its visa waiver process, and earlier this year officially launched an electronic visa system.
Once the visa-free announcement was made, social media quickly lit up.
Discussions soon centered on practical concerns such as cumbersome transit routes, long travel time, expensive airfares, and safety, seen by many as the real barriers to visit Brazil.
Data shows Brazil is clearly accelerating its outward-facing tourism strategy.
From January to July 2025, Brazil received around 6 million international visitors, already close to the record 6.7 million for all of 2024, generating $7.3 billion in tourism revenue.
Growth from China has been particularly notable. In 2024, Brazil welcomed 76,000 Chinese visitors. In the first half of 2025, arrivals reached 58,000, up 40% year on year.
Since June 1, 2025, Brazilian ordinary passport holders have been allowed visa-free entry to China for stays of up to 30 days. Previously, the two countries also extended the validity of ordinary passport tourist and business visas from five to ten years.
Platform data further supports this trend. According to Decolar, flight searches from Brazil to China in the second half of 2025 rose 85% year on year, with October seeing the highest search volume, driven mainly by China’s National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays.
Marcelo Freixo, President of Embratur, Brazil’s tourism promotion agency, previously stated: “China is the world’s largest outbound tourism market. By 2028, outbound trips are expected to reach 200 million. There is no reason for us not to expand into this market.”
