Why do we need a visa to enter Brazil?

Question

Some of my coworkers will be traveling to Rio in 2 weeks and we just found that we have to have a freakin visa to enter Brazil. Kinda like a permit or something. The worst part of this is that it costs like $150 somethingggg. I have traveled in Argentina before and it wasn't even required. Why on earth do we need one? My coworker whos philipino has no american passport is not even required to apply and pay for one this is unbelievable why could they just enter Brazil without that permit compared to American citizens with US Passports??Why does Brazil permit that??

Answer 1

You will find that Brazillians have to apply for a visa to get into the US, so often it is just a politcal reversal to apply US citizens apply for a visa in advance.

The phillipines may allow brazllians to go their with no problems, and Brazil allows the same for Filipinos.

Many countries require a pre-application of a visa. It is their country and they can do what they want. If you don't like, open the border up to Mexico.

Answer 2

Because the United States began to charge people visiting from certain countries (including Brazil) after 9/11. Visas are standard for visiting many places because it acts as a sort of background check for you so the country can be sure they aren't letting in a murderer on the run or something, but some of the extra charges are being put back on Americans as a sort of revenge. When you arrive in customs and immigrations there they will also put the Americans in a seperate line and take an electronic thumb scan, another response to how the US is doing the same to visiting Brazilians.