Brazil Olympics

The 31st summer Olympic Games will be taking place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, next summer. Fans of the Summer Olympics and Paralympic Games are already getting excited for Rio 2016. And with good reason! The Summer Olympics are a great opportunity to root for your home country and take a once-in-a-lifetime trip to see the best in the world compete.

Thankfully, if you’re hoping to travel to the Olympics in Brazil next year, the Brazilian government has made things a little bit easier for you. The Washington Times reports that Brazil’s Lower House voted to ease up on visa requirements during the Brazil Olympics.

People visiting Brazil from the United States usually need to obtain a travel visa in advance, which costs $160 and can take anywhere from 10 to 45 business days to receive, depending upon where you live. However, during the Summer Olympics in Brazil, foreign travelers to the country will be able to obtain a 90-day Brazil visa waiver.

The details are still being worked out, but it looks like visitors will not need to have tickets to the Olympics in order to obtain the 90-day waiver. The beginning of the waiver period has yet to be determined, but no one will be able to arrive in Brazil without a visa after September 18, 2016.

The fact that you don’t need a ticket to the Olympics in order to obtain a waiver opens this program up to a lot more people. Currently, the Brazilian real is worth seventy cents on the American dollar. That means that tourists from America can make their money go quite far on a Brazilian vacation.

Don't get stuck in the surge!

Apply Now to Avoid Delays
FEBRUARY 26, 2016
Plan Ahead! Apply now!

We are expecting an increase in passport applications through 2018. Submit your passport application well ahead of your planned travel dates in order to avoid possible delays!

You can renew a passport conveniently by mail at any time if you meet certain criteria. If you are applying for the first time or are under 16 years old, you must appear in person at a passport acceptance facility, including designated U.S. post offices, clerks of court, and public libraries. Passport acceptance facilities offer routine service (6 weeks) and expedited service (3 weeks). The expedited service costs an additional $60. Save the $60 expedite fee by planning ahead!

In 2007, we experienced an unprecedented surge in passport applications, issuing over 18 million passports as a result of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). Nearly ten years later, those passports are beginning to expire, and we have been experiencing increased demand for passport renewals. We issued over 15.5 million passports in fiscal year 2015 and the increased demand is expected to continue through 2018.

For more information on how or where to apply, please visit Travel.State.Gov/ApplyEarly or call the National Passport Information Center toll-free at 1-877-487-2778/1-888-874-7793 (TTY/TTD).