Irish passport holders can now hop on a flight to Rio or São Paulo without an e-visa or consular sticker. In a policy bulletin dated **4 March 2026**, Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that **nationals of Ireland—along with China, Denmark, France, Hungary, Jamaica, Saint Lucia and the Bahamas—may enter visa-free for up to 30 days**. An in-country extension can bring the total stay to 90 days within any 12-month period. The change, published as Inter-Ministerial Ordinance 18/2026, is part of Brazil’s “Open Doors 2026” tourism-recovery plan. For Irish corporates the immediate win is speed: staff travelling for conferences or client meetings no longer face the US $120 fee and two-week wait associated with the old e-visa. Travel-management companies are already stripping the visa line out of cost estimates, and airlines such as TAP and Air France-KLM expect stronger demand for one-stop services via Lisbon and Paris. The waiver covers tourism, trade fairs and short business meetings but **does not permit paid employment**. HR teams sending engineers or project managers must still secure the appropriate residence visa if the traveller will work or stay beyond the 90-day cap. Brazil’s Federal Police will count cumulative days across multiple trips, so mobility managers should track assignments carefully. Analysts predict a 25 percent rise in Irish arrivals by 2028 if the policy remains. Tour operators see opportunities in combining Brazil with Argentina or Chile, capitalising on the Irish passport’s already-strong Latin-American reach. The policy is unilateral—Brazil does not expect reciprocity from Ireland—but signals a broader move away from strict tit-for-tat visa rules in the region. Practical tips for travellers: carry proof of onward travel, a bank statement or credit-card limit, and ensure your passport is valid for six months. Airlines have been briefed, but ground staff may take time to adjust; having the ordinance or a print-out of the Stamped Nomad explainer to hand could avoid a check-in desk dispute.
Source: Stamped Nomad
