While planning for this trip there was one thing that I took for granted when booking tickets to Chile. The thing that I took for granted was the fact that I was an American citizen. In past travels around the world having an American passport meant easy and convenient travel. There was never a need for a visa or other additional cost. I was able to go straight through customs with a tip of my cap. This however was not the case when I booked my tickets to Chile with a layover in Rio de Janerio, Brazil.
Brazil is one of the few countries in the world that US citizens need a visa prior to entry of the country. As you can see Brazil, Venezuela, and Cuba are the only countries in the Americas that require US citizens to have a visa prior to entry. Venezuela and Cuba were not a surprise to me due to the widely know political tension between their governments and the United States. So the question why does Brazil the largest country in South America require US citizens to have a visa prior to entry is a simple one its because we require one from them. The United States requires every Brazilian to apply and pay $160 for a visa in turn Brazil has enacted a reciprocity fee. One reason that the US government hasn’t added Brazil to the Visa Wavier Program (VWP) is due to the fear of illegal immigration. There are various guidelines that a country must meet to be part of the VWP including a maintain counterterrorism efforts, law enforcement, border control, and document security standards. It wasn’t until May 1st, 2014 that Chile was added to the VWP list, which also ended visa requirements for US travelers.
Since Chile joined the VWP tourism expectations are high amongst political leaders. Mrs. Javiera Montes Cruz, Undersecretary of Tourism states that with the revocation of the visa policy future targeting and segmentation of the US market will be possible. In 2013 the US tourist came in large numbers 176,720 to be exact while spending over $207.1 million. Another additional boost in the Chilean tourist industry is the addition of United Airlines to the Chilean fleet increasing flight capacity by 16%. Increased flight capacity also entails an increase in hotel infrastructure within the country.
With the upcoming Olympic games this summer in Rio de Janerio Brazils government has decided to lift its reciprocity fee for a visa between June 1st and September 18th. This was done to hopefully draw in a larger amount of American tourist to the games. It’s to bad that our trip didn’t over lap with these dates. It would have saved me some additional money and hassle. This was defiantly a learning experience that even though I have a US passport, the 2nd highest ranked in terms of travel freedom in the world, it doesn’t mean I shouldn’t check before booking a trip.
Brazil is one of the few countries in the world that US citizens need a visa prior to entry of the country. As you can see Brazil, Venezuela, and Cuba are the only countries in the Americas that require US citizens to have a visa prior to entry. Venezuela and Cuba were not a surprise to me due to the widely know political tension between their governments and the United States. So the question why does Brazil the largest country in South America require US citizens to have a visa prior to entry is a simple one its because we require one from them. The United States requires every Brazilian to apply and pay $160 for a visa in turn Brazil has enacted a reciprocity fee. One reason that the US government hasn’t added Brazil to the Visa Wavier Program (VWP) is due to the fear of illegal immigration. There are various guidelines that a country must meet to be part of the VWP including a maintain counterterrorism efforts, law enforcement, border control, and document security standards. It wasn’t until May 1st, 2014 that Chile was added to the VWP list, which also ended visa requirements for US travelers.
Since Chile joined the VWP tourism expectations are high amongst political leaders. Mrs. Javiera Montes Cruz, Undersecretary of Tourism states that with the revocation of the visa policy future targeting and segmentation of the US market will be possible. In 2013 the US tourist came in large numbers 176,720 to be exact while spending over $207.1 million. Another additional boost in the Chilean tourist industry is the addition of United Airlines to the Chilean fleet increasing flight capacity by 16%. Increased flight capacity also entails an increase in hotel infrastructure within the country.
With the upcoming Olympic games this summer in Rio de Janerio Brazils government has decided to lift its reciprocity fee for a visa between June 1st and September 18th. This was done to hopefully draw in a larger amount of American tourist to the games. It’s to bad that our trip didn’t over lap with these dates. It would have saved me some additional money and hassle. This was defiantly a learning experience that even though I have a US passport, the 2nd highest ranked in terms of travel freedom in the world, it doesn’t mean I shouldn’t check before booking a trip.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_(document)#Visa_restrictions
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_requirements_for_United_States_citizens
- http://www.oregonlive.com/travel/index.ssf/2014/02/us_adds_chile_to_visa_waiver_p.html
- http://www.forbes.com/sites/ricardogeromel/2011/08/26/why-the-us-should-include-brazil-in-the-visa-waiver-program/#7756437524415adc17a12441
- http://www.theworldfolio.com/interviews/chile-puts-tourism-as-key-area-in-its-economic-development-plans/3418/