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Brazil denies Taiwanese visas without explanation

Brazil has been denying Taiwanese nationals tourist visas since late last month, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) is still trying to find out why the country implemented the measure, which only targets Taiwan, ministry spokeswoman Phoebe Yeh (葉非比) said yesterday.

"The ministry was aware of a related situation but still doesn't understand the reason Brazil refused to issue its tourist visas to Taiwan," she said.

Although Brazilian business visas are still available, the denial of its tourist visas had "caused inconvenience" to Taiwanese, Yeh said, adding that the ministry had instructed the country's representative office in Brazil to communicate with the Brazilian government.

Taiwan had not received a response from Brazil, but it is still the holiday season, Yeh said.

She made the remarks at the ministry's regular press conference, in the wake of a report by the Chinese-language United Daily News yesterday which said the Travel Agent Association of the ROC, Taiwan on Wednesday decided to seek help from the ministry and Tourism Bureau over the matter.

The Brazilian representative office in Taiwan, the Brazil Business Center, could not be reached for comment over the matter yesterday.

Yeh said that the ministry had been informed that a notice had been posted on the door of the Brazil Business Center last month saying that Brazil had suspended issuing tourist visas.

The Brazilian Ministry of External Relations told the Taipei Times in a phone interview last night that Brazil "has no policy to deny" tourist visas to Taiwanese people.

The ministry said the Brazilian representative office issues visas on a case-by-case basis, adding that the reason why some applicants were denied might be that they did not fulfill certain requirements.

Asked about the "notice" MOFA spoke of, the ministry said it had no information about any such notice.
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