Brazil Waives Visa Requirement for Jamaicans

Come June 25, Jamaicans travelling to Brazil for leisure and business will have an easier time getting there, as the Government of the South American country has abolished visa requirements for those categories of visitors from the island.

The agreement for the visa waiver was signed recently by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. A.J. Nicholson and Brazilian Ambassador to Jamaica, His Excellency Antonio da Costa e Silva, whose tour of duty ended on May 31.

State Minister in the Ministry, Hon. Arnaldo Brown, said the move signals a deepening of relations between the two countries. “It was one of the results that Ambassador Costa e Silva was desirous of having,” he told JIS News in a recent interview.

The State Minister said Brazil is an “important economy in this region” and is one of the emerging economies in what is referred to as the BRICS, which involves Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.”

“Its contribution to the global economy has become significant,” he added.

He noted that Jamaica opened an Embassy in Brazil in 2012, and the Government is of the view that “in deepening our bilateral agreement, it would be useful if our nationals could travel to Brazil as hassle-free as possible.”

The visa waiver applies to persons, who are travelling to Brazil to conduct business or for vacation and will be in the country for 30 days or less.

Persons, travelling to Brazil to work, study, do research, provide technical assistance or other activity will have to go through the regular process of obtaining a visa.

Other bilateral agreements brokered during Ambassador da Costa e Silva’s tenure include the air services agreement, which will see direct flights between Jamaica and the south-east regions of Brazil, such as Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Salvador, as well as the twinning of the cities of Kingston and Salvador.