Every month, hundreds of thousands of foreign visitors — tourists, remote workers, digital nomads, and investors — pass through Brazil's international airports and land border crossings. Drawing from the official microdata of the Brazilian Federal Police (Polícia Federal / STI), the FloripaGuru Analytics Team compiled a comprehensive dataset of foreign arrivals from 2022 to 2026.
In this breakdown, we examine which nationalities lead in visits to Brazil, how arrival trends evolved over time, and the role of Santa Catarina state (Florianópolis) in international tourism.
Top 15 Origin Countries for Foreign Arrivals in Brazil (2022–2026)
Over the 55-month observation window (January 2022 to July 2026), the Federal Police recorded over 31 million total foreign entries (excluding Brazilian citizens).
Below is the complete annual breakdown for the top source countries:
| # | Country | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 (7 mo) | Total Arrivals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Argentina | 1,069,226 | 1,930,356 | 2,044,753 | 3,478,061 | 2,182,513 | 10,704,909 |
| 2 | Chile | 222,043 | 483,470 | 697,188 | 844,657 | 543,624 | 2,790,982 |
| 3 | United States | 347,227 | 498,023 | 557,722 | 557,274 | 326,417 | 2,286,663 |
| 4 | Uruguay | 189,294 | 338,728 | 412,307 | 543,915 | 362,089 | 1,846,333 |
| 5 | Paraguay | 229,457 | 325,821 | 382,430 | 421,002 | 309,596 | 1,668,306 |
| 6 | France | 146,387 | 199,540 | 244,004 | 295,585 | 174,185 | 1,059,701 |
| 7 | Portugal | 158,655 | 192,129 | 227,070 | 268,140 | 165,240 | 1,011,234 |
| 8 | Venezuela | 156,826 | 188,541 | 202,665 | 199,234 | 96,379 | 843,645 |
| 9 | Colombia | 111,325 | 152,015 | 171,981 | 243,083 | 163,629 | 842,033 |
| 10 | Italy | 105,909 | 151,292 | 183,129 | 212,701 | 115,623 | 768,654 |
| 11 | Germany | 114,744 | 143,651 | 165,944 | 187,580 | 113,436 | 725,355 |
| 12 | Peru | 78,311 | 125,002 | 166,270 | 211,820 | 143,546 | 724,949 |
| 13 | Bolivia | 108,885 | 151,514 | 166,589 | 161,806 | 101,379 | 690,173 |
| 14 | Philippines | 106,843 | 136,019 | 153,789 | 165,319 | 95,843 | 657,813 |
| 15 | Spain | 89,959 | 120,734 | 140,123 | 164,123 | 96,346 | 611,285 |
Key Trends Analysis: Who Travels to Brazil & Why?
1. Argentina — Undisputed Leader (10.7M+ Arrivals)
Argentine citizens represent over 34% of all foreign arrival traffic into Brazil.
- Key drivers: Geographical proximity, Mercosul visa-free travel using national DNI IDs, and convenient land border crossings through Rio Grande do Sul and Paraná.
- Top destinations: Southern coastal resorts, led by Florianópolis (Santa Catarina), Balneário Camboriú, and Búzios.
- In 2025, an all-time record was set with 3.47 million Argentines entering Brazil in a single year.
2. Chile — Fastest Growing Market in South America
Chilean tourist arrivals expanded nearly fourfold, jumping from 222k in 2022 to 844k in 2025.
- Key drivers: Expansion of direct low-cost flights (Sky Airline, JetSMART, LATAM) linking Santiago to Florianópolis, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo.
- Florianópolis has emerged as a top summer getaway for Chileans due to safe environment and direct flights.
3. United States — Top Non-Latin American Source (2.28M Arrivals)
US visitors rank 3rd overall.
- Key drivers: Business hubs in São Paulo, leisure travel to Rio, and growing numbers of digital nomads obtaining 1-year VITEM XIV remote worker visas. For extended stays, travelers frequently rely on the 90-day tourist visa extension guide or consult our comprehensive Brazil visa guide.
- Despite the reintroduction of the electronic visa (eVisa) requirement, US arrivals remain strong at over 550,000 annually.
4. European Nations (France, Portugal, Italy, Germany)
Combined European entries exceeded 3.5 million visitors over the period.
- France (1.05M) and Portugal (1.01M) lead the European continent.
- Portuguese citizens benefit from language ease and bilateral residency agreements.
- French and German travelers favor ecotourism in Northeast Brazil and remote working stays in Florianópolis.
5. Seasonality & Monthly Peak Arrival Trends
Monthly data reveals strong seasonality:
- Peak Season (January–February): South American tourist arrivals (Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay) surge during the Southern Hemisphere summer, exceeding 900,000–950,000 monthly arrivals.
- Year-round Steady Flow (May–October): Visitors from the US and Europe exhibit a more evenly distributed arrival pattern throughout the year.
The Role of Santa Catarina & Florianópolis
The state of Santa Catarina (SC) holds 5th place out of all 27 Brazilian states in direct international border arrivals (over 2.39M foreign registrations directly at SC border checkpoints and FLN Hercílio Luz airport).
When including foreign travelers who land in São Paulo (GRU) or Rio (GIG) before taking domestic connections to Florianópolis, total foreign visitor presence on the island exceeds 1.2 million annually. Popular hubs for international residents include southern and northern island districts such as Campeche and Jurerê.