Brazil Closes Its Doors to American Tourists

If you’re planning a trip to Brazil in the near future, you might want to reconsider. Over the last few days, the US government had been urging US citizens to leave Brazil. In alerts from the US Embassy, the State Department also was recommending that US citizens refrain from traveling to Brazil and other countries across the globe.

But the game changed last Friday when Brazil announced that it was closing its borders. Noncitizens and nonresidents (with a few exceptions) are now prohibited from entering the country. In particular, the move was aimed at foreigners who were traveling for tourism and business.

After all, the entire country has nearly stopped. Businesses are closed; government offices are closed; and, in many locations, residents have been instructed to stay at home. In most cases, only essential services are available.

Brazil, like many countries, has taken these measures in an effort to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus. There is an expectation by many that the public health situation will, following trends in the US, get worse in the days and weeks to come.

The new restrictions do not prevent US citizens from leaving Brazil. So, if you’re still there, you may want to consider catching one of the remaining commercial flights still flying from Brazil. You might also consider enrolling in STEP, the US government’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, so you can stay up to date on the latest news from Brazil.

Or just stay tuned to our blog. We’ll do our best to keep you updated as well.