History of diplomatic relations
Brazil recognised the independence of the Republic of Estonia on 5 December 1921 and did not recognise the Soviet occupation of Estonia in 1940. Following the restoration of Estonia’s independence, Brazil re-recognised Estonia’s independence on 4 September 1991, and bilateral diplomatic relations were established on 16 December 1991.
The Embassy of Estonia in Brazil was opened in 2014 but was closed in 2016 due to restructuring resulting from limited resources. Estonia reopened its embassy in Brazil in 2026, and Moonika Kase has been appointed Ambassador.
The Embassy of Brazil in Tallinn was opened in the summer of 2011. Since September 2024, the Ambassador has been Rosimar da Silva Suzano.
Estonia has three honorary consuls in Brazil. Since 1996, Estonia has been represented by Honorary Consul General Jüri Saukas, whose consular district covers the states of São Paulo and Paraná. In 2008, Oskar Metsavaht was appointed Honorary Consul in Rio de Janeiro. Since 2019, Almir Maestri has served as Estonia’s Honorary Consul in Joinville, representing Estonia in the states of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul.
Parliamentary relations are supported by friendship groups.
Bilateral relations
- In 2024, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Jonatan Vseviov spoke at the FORTE International Security Conference in Rio de Janeiro.
- In 2020, President Kersti Kaljulaid visited Brazil’s Comandante Ferraz Antarctic Station on King George Island as part of the Bellingshausen expedition.
- In 2014, Minister of Foreign Affairs Urmas Paet visited Brazil.
- In 2010, Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs Celso Amorim paid an official visit to Estonia.
- In 2008, Minister of Foreign Affairs Urmas Paet visited Brazil.
Brazil is the largest economy in South America and an important trading partner for Estonia.
In 2025, Brazil was Estonia’s 51st largest export partner. The value of goods exported to Brazil amounted to approximately €27 million. The main export categories were machinery and mechanical appliances and electrical equipment (approximately 34%), chemical products (approximately 27%), and optical, measuring and precision instruments (approximately 21%). In 2025, exports of services amounted to approximately €29 million, with telecommunications, computer and information services accounting for the largest share.
An important framework for economic relations between Estonia and Brazil is cooperation between the European Union and MERCOSUR. Following nearly 25 years of negotiations, the European Commission and the MERCOSUR countries – Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay – signed the EU–MERCOSUR Partnership Agreement in Paraguay on 17 January 2026. The agreement consists of two parts: the Partnership Agreement and the Interim Trade Agreement. Estonia signed the Partnership Agreement on 25 March 2026; it must still be ratified by the Riigikogu before entering into force. The Interim Trade Agreement has been provisionally applied since 1 May 2026. The agreement provides a basis for closer economic and trade relations between the European Union and the MERCOSUR countries, including Estonia and Brazil.
In recent years, the presence of Estonian companies in Brazil has increased, particularly in the fields of forestry technology, digital solutions and technology. Brazil has shown interest in Estonia’s e-government and IT solutions for many years, including X-Road, e-ID and cybersecurity services. At the end of 2025, Brazilian direct investment in Estonia amounted to €4 million, while Estonian direct investment in Brazil amounted to €9 million.
There are 1,591 Brazilian citizens who are e-residents of Estonia, 498 of whom have registered a company in Estonia.
More information on trade between Estonia and Brazil is available from the foreign trade application of Statistics Estonia.
Cultural cooperation between Estonia and Brazil encompasses music, film and the performing arts. Estonian music has reached Brazilian audiences primarily through concerts and concert tours. In 2025, the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and Tallinn Sinfonietta performed in São Paulo, with works by Arvo Pärt included in the programme.
Film also plays an important role in cultural contacts between Estonia and Brazil. In 2016, the Brazilian film Reza a Lenda received a Special Jury Prize at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF), and in 2018, the first Brazilian Film Week was held in Tallinn.
One of the best-known examples of cultural ties between Estonia and Brazil is Brazilian fashion designer and philanthropist Oskar Metsavaht, who has Estonian roots and has served as Estonia’s Honorary Consul in Rio de Janeiro since 2008.
Estonia and Brazil also concluded an agreement on cultural and educational cooperation in 2000. Its aim is to promote cooperation in education and between universities, exchanges of teachers and researchers, and cultural exchange.
Brazil cooperates with the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence and participates in events and conferences related to NATO cyber defence cooperation. In 2022, Brazil signed a memorandum of understanding with the Estonian Information System Authority (RIA) on cooperation within LAC4, the Latin American and Caribbean Cyber Competence Centre established under the EU CyberNet project led by RIA.
Approximately 700 Estonian citizens live in Brazil. Most of them are concentrated in the city and state of São Paulo, with smaller numbers living in Rio de Janeiro, Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul and other states.