Brazil's announcement of visa-free access for Chinese citizens has quickly boosted Chinese travelers' interest in visiting the country, prompting travel agencies to accelerate the rollout of South American tour products.
The Brazilian government announced on Thursday that starting May 11, 2026, Chinese citizens holding ordinary passports will be granted visa-free entry to Brazil.
According to a communique issued by Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, citizens of the People's Republic of China holding ordinary passports are eligible for short-term visa-free entry, with a maximum stay of 30 days per entry.
Data from Chinese online travel platforms show that shortly after Brazil announced its visa-free policy, searches for flights from China to Brazil increased significantly. Searches for flights to Rio de Janeiro doubled, while those for flights to Brasilia nearly tripled. Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou, Guangzhou and Chengdu were the top five Chinese departure cities for searches of flights to Brazil.
"On the platform, searches for flights from Beijing to Rio de Janeiro surged 6.8 times within an hour. Interest in flights from Shanghai and Chengdu to Brasilia also increased more than 10 times compared to last week. In terms of flight time, the fastest flight from Beijing to Rio de Janeiro takes approximately 26 hours, with transfers in cities such as Paris and Frankfurt. The fastest flight from Shanghai to Sao Paulo takes approximately 28 hours, with transfers in cities such as London, Paris, and Barcelona," said Shi Ke, a researcher at the Beijing-based Qunar Big Data Research Institute.
Several travel agencies reported strong sales of South American tourism products during the Spring Festival this year, and Brazil's visa-free policy is expected to further stimulate market demand. The agencies have already launched a diverse range of itineraries, including cultural experiences, ecotourism and in-depth tours, ranging from 10 to 30 days.
"Currently, about 13 or 14 of our South American products involve Brazil as a destination. Besides incorporating elements of Brazilian football and Carnival, we've also launched new routes this year featuring adventure tours of the Brazilian Amazon rainforest. Brazil is poised to show vitality as a destination in the future," said Li Mengran, media and public relations manager of Utour Group, a Beijing-based tourism company.
Brazil's visa-free policy sparks Chinese interest in South America travel
