Brazilian passport holders rarely need a flight reservation for a visa, because so much of the world is open to them without one. Europe, the UK and Japan don't ask Brazilians for a visa for a short holiday. That shifts the flight question to the airport: the check-in desk in São Paulo or Rio, and the border officer in Lisbon, Madrid or London. The big exception is the United States, plus Canada for some travellers. This guide sets out the Brazilian side first (including the rules for children), then the border rules for Schengen and the UK, the visa routes that remain, and where a reservation honestly helps.
Key facts for Brazilian travellers
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| Do Brazilians need a Schengen visa? | No, for short stays. Border guards may still ask for documents on purpose and return, including a return or round-trip ticket.[3] |
| What is new at Schengen borders? | EES has run at every Schengen border since 10 April 2026. ETIAS was due to follow in late 2026.[4][5] |
| United Kingdom | Brazilians are on the list of nationalities who can apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA).[6] |
| Canada | eTA by air if you held a Canadian visa in the last 10 years or hold a valid US non-immigrant visa; otherwise a visa.[8] |
| Children leaving Brazil | Authorisation rules apply when a minor travels without both parents.[1][2] |
| Thailand and Japan | Visa-free: a bilateral agreement with Thailand (90 days) and Japan's exemption list (90 days).[11][12] |
What does Brazil check when you leave?
For adults, exit control by the Federal Police is about your travel document. We found no Brazilian rule asking adult citizens to show a return ticket on the way out. The airline, though, must check that you can enter your destination, and that is where return or onward flights come up.
Children are different, and this catches families out. The Federal Police's guidance explains that it enforces the National Council of Justice's Resolution 131 of 2011 and can stop a Brazilian minor from leaving without the proper authorisation.[1] Under the resolution, a child travelling with both parents needs no extra document. A child travelling with only one parent needs written authorisation from the other parent with a notarised signature, and a child travelling alone or with a third party needs authorisation from both parents. An authorisation that doesn't state a validity period is valid for two years.[2] Sort this out before booking anything for a child.
Do Brazilians need a return ticket to enter Europe?
Not by a fixed rule, but you should be able to show one if asked. Brazilians can visit the Schengen area without a visa for short stays, and border guards check the entry conditions at the desk. Annex I of the Borders Code gives examples of papers an officer might look at. For tourist trips, the list includes accommodation evidence, documents on the planned itinerary, and, on return, "a return or round-trip ticket".[3]
Note the word "may". Most Brazilian visitors are asked a few questions and waved through. But a traveller arriving in Lisbon on a one-way ticket, with no clear plan for leaving, is precisely who gets a closer look. The same goes for the airline at Guarulhos, which won't want to fly back a passenger who is refused.
Two newer systems are relevant. The EU's Entry/Exit System, which registers non-EU travellers' entries and exits electronically, has been fully operational across Schengen countries since 10 April 2026.[4] ETIAS, the online travel authorisation for visa-exempt visitors, was expected to start in the last quarter of 2026, with the exact date to be announced by the European Commission.[5] Check the official ETIAS site before you fly, because once it starts, visa-free travellers will need it.
Our honest take: if you are going on holiday and coming home, buy the return ticket. A reservation makes sense when the return or onward leg genuinely isn't fixed, for example you are touring several countries and will decide the last stop later. Never present a reservation as a paid ticket at the border.
What about the United Kingdom?
Brazilian passports are on the UK's ETA list. One approved ETA covers visits of up to six months to Britain, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man.[6] There is no visa application and no flight document to submit. At the border, an officer may ask about your plans. Have your accommodation and return or onward details ready to show on your phone. If you are applying for a full UK visa for another reason, GOV.UK's guidance lists flight bookings among documents that aren't useful, unless you are transiting.[7]
Which visas do Brazilians still apply for, and what is said about flights?
| Destination | What Brazilians need | Flight wording we found | Our guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Visitor visa, DS-160 and interview | Flights should be bought after the visa, not before[9] | US |
| Canada | eTA if eligible by air; otherwise visitor visa[8] | Visa applicants: itinerary can include flight details[10] | Canada |
| Schengen area | No visa for short stays | Border may check a return or round-trip ticket[3] | Schengen |
| United Kingdom | ETA[6] | No flight document submitted | UK |
| Australia | Check Home Affairs for the right visa | Not checked for Brazilians in this guide | Australia |
United States
The US is the visa most Brazilians still queue for. American consular guidance is to keep your fare money until a visa is granted.[9] Expect the consular officer to ask about your plans and dates at the interview. Bringing a printed itinerary can make date questions easier, though it is entirely voluntary and won't sway the decision. Don't spend money on a non-refundable fare before the interview.
Canada
IRCC names Brazil among visa-required countries with an eTA route. It is open to Brazilians arriving by plane who either had a Canadian visitor visa at some point in the last decade or have a current US non-immigrant visa. The US visa must be valid on the day you apply for the eTA. Arriving by land or sea still needs a visa.[8] If you do apply for a visa, IRCC suggests including a travel itinerary, which can include flight details; a reservation fits that well.[10]
Visa-free in Asia: Thailand and Japan
- Thailand. Brazil is in the group of five countries with a bilateral visa exemption agreement for ordinary passports, with 90 days.[11] Airlines flying you to Bangkok may still ask about onward travel, and the Thai embassy's guidance for exemption schemes mentions onward travel, accommodation and the TDAC within 3 days before arrival.[13]
- Japan. Brazil is on Japan's visa exemption list for short stays, with 90 days; read the notes attached to the entry.[12]
Long trips through Asia are where a reservation earns its keep for Brazilians. Say you fly São Paulo to Tokyo via Doha, spend three weeks in Japan and then want to decide in Tokyo whether to go on to Bangkok or Seoul. A reservation from Tokyo onwards shows the airline in São Paulo that you plan to leave Japan, without committing you to a fare you may not use. That is an example, not a client story. Related reading: onward travel checks explained, the onward reservation service and our Japan onward ticket guide.
Reservation, refundable fare or paid ticket?
| Situation | Held reservation | Refundable fare | Paid ticket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holiday in Europe with a fixed return | Unnecessary; buy the return | Works | Best fit |
| Multi-country trip, last leg undecided | Shows an onward plan at check-in | Works, money tied up | Commits you early |
| US visa interview | Optional | Optional | Advised against before the visa |
| Canadian visitor visa | Suits the itinerary item | Works | Risky before a decision |
| Schengen border check | May not satisfy an officer expecting a "return ticket" | Satisfies it | Satisfies it |
The last row matters. Where the wording expects a return ticket, a held reservation may not satisfy it, and the border officer decides. See our comparison of reservations and refundable fares.
How should a Brazilian traveller handle the flights?
- Check what your trip really needs: a visa (US, sometimes Canada), an authorisation (UK ETA, and ETIAS once it starts), or nothing.
- For children, prepare the travel authorisation before you book.
- For a visa file, reserve a couple of days before the consulate date, copying every name from the data page.
- Test the PNR on the carrier's own lookup page.
- For a visa-free trip with a fixed return, buy the return ticket.
- For an open-ended trip, reserve the onward leg a few days before you fly out; a hold lasts a fortnight at most and the carrier decides how long.
- At the border, answer questions plainly and describe what you hold accurately.
Brazilian names can be long. If your passport shows two surnames, such as SILVA SANTOS, enter both in the surname field exactly as printed, and keep all given names together. Airline systems drop accents, so João becomes JOAO, which is fine.
What do Brazilian travellers get wrong?
- Flying one way to Europe with nothing to show about leaving.
- Forgetting the children's authorisation when one parent travels alone with them.
- Assuming ETIAS is already required, or forgetting it once it starts. Check the EU site.
- Buying non-refundable US flights before the interview.
- Splitting a double surname differently from the passport.
- Booking a reservation weeks before the outbound flight, so it has lapsed at check-in.
Read our provider checklist and how to verify before submission before paying any seller.
What happens if the airline asks at check-in?
You show what you have, calmly, and the agent decides whether you can board. If a passenger is turned away on arrival, it is usually the airline that has to carry them back, which is why a one-way traveller to Lisbon or Bangkok may be asked about the exit plan. That question is about the airline's own risk, not a rule written by Brazil.
Keep the evidence easy to reach. A PDF on your phone is fine, but a printed copy helps if the agent wants to take it to a supervisor. Have the return or onward booking, your first nights of accommodation and, for Europe, enough money for the stay. If you hold a reservation rather than a ticket, say so in plain words. Agents see both every day.
Timing is the other half. A reservation booked a month before departure may have lapsed by the time you reach the counter, since the airline sets the exact hold period and it is up to two weeks at most. For an open-ended trip, we'd book the onward leg two or three days before the outbound flight, check that it opens on the airline's website, and leave it at that.
How do you order a reservation from Brazil?
On our order page, pick a route such as São Paulo–Lisbon return or a Tokyo–Bangkok onward leg, and enter names the way the passport prints them. Brazilian customers pay the $9 international rate per traveller, single or return, with every two legs of a multi-city plan billed as one. Payment goes through Razorpay by card, so use a card enabled for international online purchases. You'll get the PDF with the airline and PNR by email in about 10 minutes, and the tracking page shows each order's progress.
More background: the dummy ticket for visa overview, flight reservation for visa, requirements by country, price in other currencies, hotel bookings for visa files and our Portugal visa guide.
For an onward leg you haven't fixed yet
Reservation with a checkable PNR, $9 per passenger, sent in about 10 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Do Brazilians need a return ticket to enter Portugal or Spain?
No visa is involved, yet officers still test the entry conditions, and the Borders Code's examples for holidaymakers include a return or round-trip ticket. Most visitors are asked little, but a one-way traveller with no exit plan may face more questions. For a normal holiday, buying the return is the safest choice.
Is ETIAS required for Brazilians now?
The EU said ETIAS was expected to start in the last quarter of 2026, with the date to be announced by the European Commission and transitional periods afterwards. Check the official ETIAS website shortly before your trip. Until it starts, Brazilians travel visa-free to Schengen with a valid passport, subject to the usual border checks.
Should a Brazilian bring a reservation to the US consulate?
Yes, as an optional aid. The State Department advises not to buy tickets before you have the visa, and nobody requires a reservation. If you print one, make sure the dates match your DS-160 answers. The officer decides on your purpose and ties to Brazil, not on the flight.
Can Brazilians get a Canadian eTA instead of a visa?
Some can. Brazilians flying in qualify for an eTA when they have had a Canadian visitor visa within ten years, or when a US non-immigrant visa is valid on the date of the eTA application. Everyone else, and anyone arriving by land or sea, needs a visitor visa.
What does my child need to leave Brazil with one parent?
Under CNJ Resolution 131, written authorisation from the other parent with a notarised signature. A child travelling alone or with someone else needs authorisation from both parents. The Federal Police enforce the rule at exit, so prepare the document before booking any flights.
How much does a reservation cost from Brazil?
A one-way or return route is $9 a traveller, and a multi-city plan costs that for each pair of legs flown. Payment is taken by card through Razorpay, the confirmation PDF follows in roughly ten minutes, and our form states the likely hold period for that route before you commit.
Sources
Last checked: October 2026.
- Polícia Federal, Rules for children and adolescents travelling abroad.
- Conselho Nacional de Justiça, Resolution No. 131 of 26 May 2011.
- EUR-Lex, Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Schengen Borders Code, Article 6 and Annex I.
- European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs, The Entry/Exit System will become fully operational on 10 April 2026.
- European Union, Revised timeline for the EES and ETIAS.
- GOV.UK, Check if you can get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA).
- GOV.UK, Guide to supporting documents: visiting the UK.
- Government of Canada (IRCC), eTA: citizens from some visa-required countries.
- U.S. Department of State, Visitor Visa.
- Government of Canada (IRCC), Supporting documents for visitor visa applicants.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, Summary of the revised visa exemption and VoA schemes, 2026 (PDF).
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Exemption of visa (short-term stay).
- Royal Thai Embassy, London, Visa exemption and visa on arrival schemes.
Related: home · Turkish travellers · Chinese travellers · Vietnamese travellers.