Brazil and India have formally brought into force a landmark reciprocal visa agreement that will significantly ease long-term travel between the two countries, according to confirmation issued by Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 17 January 2026. The arrangement, activated following the exchange of final diplomatic notes between Brasília and New Delhi, doubles the validity of tourism and business visitor visas for holders of ordinary passports, extending it from five years to ten. The move is widely expected to strengthen commercial, technological and cultural ties between the South American and South Asian powers.
Officials say the measure is designed to reduce the administrative burden faced by companies and frequent travellers operating across the Brazil–India corridor. More than 80 Brazilian firms are currently active in India, particularly in the technology, renewable energy and agribusiness sectors, while a growing number of Indian IT and engineering companies have established a presence in São Paulo and Campinas. Under the updated framework, travellers from both countries will be permitted multiple entries over a full decade. The extended validity aligns the bilateral visa regime with long-term visitor policies already used by the United States and the Schengen Area, offering greater predictability for cross-border mobility planning.
Although the validity period has been increased, the agreement does not alter existing length-of-stay rules. Visitors will continue to be allowed stays of up to 90 days per trip, with the possibility of extending to 180 days within any 12-month period. Visa fees also remain unchanged, and both governments will continue to issue electronic visas alongside traditional visa stickers. Travel and mobility professionals are already assessing the operational impact. For companies managing frequent international travel, the extended duration provides added flexibility for project rotations and reduces the need for repeated applications. Several corporate travel managers noted that employees whose five-year visas are due to expire in 2026 or 2027 may benefit from waiting to apply under the new ten-year scheme rather than renewing early.
To support organisations navigating the new process, global visa services provider VisaHQ has positioned its platform as an administrative aid for both Brazilian and Indian visa applications. Its system centralises document requirements, tracks consular appointment availability and highlights cases where travellers may instead qualify for an e-visa, potentially lowering compliance costs for businesses operating internationally. Industry observers view the agreement as another indicator of expanding South-South cooperation. Bilateral trade between Brazil and India reached a record USD 16 billion in 2025, driven largely by agricultural exports, pharmaceuticals and digital services. India’s Adani Ports has also been shortlisted to develop a new container terminal at the Port of Santos, underscoring the depth of economic engagement.
The travel sector hopes the relaxed visa conditions will encourage airlines to revive discussions around a direct São Paulo–Mumbai route, a proposal that has circulated for several years but has yet to materialise. Brazilian and Indian consulates in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Rio de Janeiro and Brasília have already updated their appointment systems to accommodate the new validity period. The first ten-year visas issued under the arrangement are expected to be stamped within days, marking the practical beginning of a travel policy shift aimed at reinforcing the strategic partnership between the two nations.
