Business travel to Europe: documents and entry rules

Brazilian citizens do not need a visa for short trips to most of Europe, which leads many people to treat a business trip to Europe as simple. In practice, entry depends on more than the passport: border officers may ask for supporting documents, border control has gone digital and some countries on the route have their own rules.

ArrowTur has been managing corporate travel since 1989, and most of the questions we get about Europe are the same: do I need a visa, is insurance mandatory, what changes with the new border systems. This guide answers them based on official European Union sources and points out what to check before each departure.

Schengen Area: when no visa is needed

With a Brazilian passport, you can enter Schengen Area countries without a visa for short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The rule applies to tourism and to business activities such as meetings, client and supplier visits, trade shows and conferences.

Two important points:

Days add up: the 90 days apply to the whole Schengen Area, not to each country. Anyone who travels to Europe several times a year should track the days accumulated over the last 180.
Business is not work: providing services, working on a local project or being paid by a European company requires a visa or work permit from that country, obtained before the trip.

The United Kingdom and Ireland are not part of the Schengen Area and have their own rules. For the United Kingdom, Brazilians need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), applied for before departure on the official UK government website.

Passport and documents the border may ask for

To enter the Schengen Area, the passport must have been issued within the last 10 years and be valid for at least three months beyond the planned date of departure from the Schengen Area. If in doubt, renew it first: a passport close to expiry is an unnecessary risk.

A visa exemption does not mean skipping border control. The officer may ask about the purpose of the trip and request proof. For business trips, the employee should carry:

a company letter explaining the purpose and length of the trip and who covers the expenses;
an invitation from the host company, a meeting agenda or the trade show or conference registration;
hotel bookings for the whole stay;
a return or onward ticket out of Europe;
proof of financial means, such as a corporate card, and the travel insurance policy.

EES and ETIAS: what changes at the border

The European Union is replacing passport stamps with digital checks. These are two different systems, and they are often confused:

EES (Entry/Exit System): electronically records the entry and exit of non-EU travelers, taking a photo and fingerprints on the first crossing. It began operating gradually in October 2025. In practice, the first entry may take longer at immigration, so allow for it on short connections. Details on the official EES website.
ETIAS: will be an online travel authorization, mandatory for citizens of visa-exempt countries such as Brazil, to be obtained before departure. At the time of writing, the European Union had not yet announced its start date. The official ETIAS website says the date will be announced several months in advance.

A warning: some unofficial websites already charge for a so-called ETIAS application. Until the system launches, there is nothing to apply for. Once it does, use only the official European Union channel.

Travel insurance for Europe

Travel insurance with 30,000 euros of coverage is required for anyone who needs a Schengen visa and has become the minimum benchmark for the region. Brazilians enter without a visa, but border officers may ask for the policy, and uninsured medical care can be expensive in any European country.

For business trips, we recommend that the insurance:

cover every country on the route, including those outside the Schengen Area;
include medical and hospital coverage of at least 30,000 euros, plus repatriation;
include lost baggage and, when the traveler carries equipment, coverage for it;
offer assistance in the traveler’s language, with the phone numbers saved on their mobile.

Planning the schedule and route

Business trips to Europe often combine more than one city. A few choices that reduce cost and fatigue:

Trains between nearby cities: on many routes, high-speed trains run from city center to city center and can be faster than flying once airport time is added.
Time difference: Europe is generally three to six hours ahead of Brasília, depending on the country and European daylight saving time. For important meetings, arriving a day early helps.
Baggage: European low-cost airlines have smaller allowances and charge extra. Check the rules for each leg, not just the international flight.
Payments: an international corporate card and some local currency cover most situations. Set out in the policy how foreign-currency expenses will be documented.

Business travel to Europe with ArrowTur

ArrowTur advises the company and the traveler on documents, entry rules and deadlines, builds routes with flights and trains between European cities, books hotels close to the appointments, adds travel insurance suited to the route and puts everything into a single itinerary, with reports by cost center. If plans change, our team finds alternatives Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Brasília time), with an emergency on-call service outside those hours. Learn more about our corporate travel management.

To talk to our sales team, call +55 11 5189-4120, message us on WhatsApp or visit our Contact us page.

Frequently asked questions

Do Brazilians need a visa for a business meeting in Europe?

No, for stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period in the Schengen Area. Paid work or providing services in the country requires a specific visa or permit.

Is ETIAS already mandatory?

Not at the time of writing. The European Union has not announced the start date yet and promises to give several months’ notice. Be wary of websites charging for an application before then.

Is travel insurance mandatory to enter Europe?

It is for travelers who need a Schengen visa. Brazilians enter without a visa, but the border may ask for the policy, and traveling uninsured is a high risk. We recommend coverage of at least 30,000 euros.