Freshness engine
Visa policy changes we're tracking
Every entry carries its source, a before → after value, and links to the affected routes we re-verified.
- · unconfirmed · DESTINATION AE— → UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the opening of an electronic visa centre in Beirut next month — UAE opens electronic visa centre in Lebanon next monthaffects 0 monitored routes
- · unconfirmed · DESTINATION GB— → UK Resettlement Scheme reopened for new referrals, with around a quarter of referrals expected to be Afghan women and girls and Palestinian refugees — UK Resettlement Scheme reopens for new referralsaffects 0 monitored routes
- · unconfirmed · DESTINATION RW— → Visa exemption agreement signed for holders of diplomatic and service passports — Rwanda and Armenia sign mutual visa exemption agreementaffects 1 monitored routes
- · unconfirmed · DESTINATION RW— → Agreement on mutual visa exemption signed for holders of diplomatic passports — Rwanda and Ukraine sign mutual visa exemption agreementaffects 1 monitored routes
- · unconfirmed · DESTINATION CO— → Manifest urgency declared to ensure uninterrupted supply, customization, custody and distribution of passport booklets and Colombian visa labels — Colombia declares manifest urgency to ensure continuity of passport issuanceaffects 0 monitored routes
- · unconfirmed · DESTINATION PT— → Applicants starting the renewal process see a temporary message that their data is under validation, checked automatically against competent entities (up to about 30 minutes) — AIMA renewal portal adds automatic data-validation message for applicantsaffects 0 monitored routes
- · unconfirmed · DESTINATION GBVisa fees applied for attending in-person hearings of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council → Visa fees are waived for Commonwealth citizens, including Trinidad and Tobago citizens, attending in-person JCPC hearings — UK waives visa fees for Commonwealth citizens attending Privy Council hearingsaffects 1 monitored routes
- · confirmed · DESTINATION JP145 yuan (≈ the prior fee) → 715 yuan for the revised category (effective 1 July 2026) — Japan raises consular visa feesaffects 12 monitored routes
- · confirmed · DESTINATION CNPrevious China visa fees charged to Japanese citizens → From 14 Sep 2026 (in JPY): single 16,750 · double 25,100 · 6-month multiple 33,500 · 1-year multiple 50,250 — China adjusts visa fees for Japanese citizens under reciprocal arrangementaffects 0 monitored routes
- · confirmed · DESTINATION NZSome visitor and transit visa applications could be lodged on paper → From 1 Oct 2026 those applications must be submitted through Immigration Online (paper intake ceases for these categories) — New Zealand moves selected visitor & transit visas fully onlineaffects 53 monitored routes
- · confirmed · DESTINATION KRE-9 workers were assigned to a specific site; transfer to another site permitted only in limited cases → Allowed to transfer to another site belonging to the same construction company (same employer) where the new site meets E-9 requirements — South Korea loosens E-9 worksite transfer rulesaffects 15 monitored routes
- · reported · DESTINATION TH60 days → 30 days — Thailand halves visa-free stay from 60 to 30 daysaffects 30 monitored routes
- · unconfirmed · DESTINATION NL— → Individuals with military obligations in Ukraine are only eligible for temporary protection under stricter conditions — Netherlands adds new condition for new Ukraine temporary protection applications from 5 Augustaffects 1 monitored routes
- · unconfirmed · DESTINATION CYBelarusian nationals were able to obtain or renew passports through Belarusian consular authorities → Belarusian nationals must be physically present in Belarus for passport issuance or renewal — Residence arrangements in Cyprus for Belarusian nationals unable to renew passportsaffects 1 monitored routes
- · unconfirmed · DESTINATION BW— → Omani passport holders may enter Botswana without a visa — Botswana exempts Omani passport holders from visasaffects 1 monitored routes
- · confirmed · DESTINATION CNThe 240-hour transit and Hainan 30-day visa-free schemes did not yet cover Kyrgyzstan or Vietnam → From 20 Aug 2026 both countries are covered — 240-hour transit now applies to 57 countries; Hainan 30-day entry to 61 — China adds Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam to 240-hour transit & Hainan visa-freeaffects 0 monitored routes
- · unconfirmed · DESTINATION PT— → Third-country nationals applying as family members of EU nationals must confirm the required documents with AIMA — Third-country national family members of EU citizens must confirm required documents before applyingaffects 0 monitored routes
- · unconfirmed · DESTINATION PT— → The rule applies exclusively to residence cards (CR) issued in paper — Renewal rules apply exclusively to paper-issued residence cardsaffects 0 monitored routes
- · unconfirmed · DESTINATION CF— → Applicants may collect their biometric passports at the consular service from 11 August 2026 — Biometric passport collection now available at the embassyaffects 0 monitored routes
- · confirmed · DESTINATION EGPaper visa on arrival at Egyptian airports → Digital QR visa on arrival; pilot at Cairo International Airport terminals — Egypt launches digital visa on arrival, replacing paper VOAaffects 1 monitored routes
- · unconfirmed · DESTINATION AZ— → Full digitalization of the temporary stay extension process approved by presidential decree dated 27 July 2026 — Azerbaijan digitalises temporary stay extension for foreigners and stateless personsaffects 0 monitored routes
- · unconfirmed · DESTINATION ZA— → Mandatory digital customs requirement implemented via the South African Traveller Management System — South Africa introduces mandatory digital customs declaration via SATMSaffects 1 monitored routes
- · unconfirmed · DESTINATION US— → USCIS can refer asylum applications to Immigration Judges without interviewing the applicant — USCIS can refer asylum applications to immigration judges without interviewaffects 0 monitored routes
- · unconfirmed · DESTINATION NLAsian restaurants could use the special scheme to bring specialised cooks from outside Europe → From 1 July, Asian restaurants can no longer use the scheme to bring specialised cooks from outside Europe — Netherlands ends special scheme for bringing Asian cooks from outside Europeaffects 0 monitored routes
- · unconfirmed · DESTINATION NLThe IND pays part of the amount it loses in penalty payments → The IND will no longer have to pay part of the amount it loses in penalty payments — Dutch House of Representatives agrees to abolish IND administrative penalty paymentsaffects 0 monitored routes
- · unconfirmed · DESTINATION NLA decision moratorium for stateless and other Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank was in effect → IND will decide again on applications by stateless and other Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank — IND to decide again on applications by stateless and other Palestinians from Gaza and West Bankaffects 0 monitored routes
- · unconfirmed · DESTINATION NLThe IND temporarily did not process asylum applications from Sudan since 8 July 2023 → The IND will decide again on applications by people from Sudan — IND to resume processing asylum applications from Sudanaffects 1 monitored routes
- · confirmed · DESTINATION USDuration of status (D/S) — admitted for an unspecified period since 1978 → A fixed period of admission, up to a maximum of four years — US ends 'duration of status' for F/J/I; fixed period up to 4 yearsaffects 1 monitored routes
- · unconfirmed · DESTINATION USA 2022 Biden-era regulation on public charge determinations was in effect → The 2022 regulation on public charge determinations has been rescinded — US rescinds 2022 public charge regulationaffects 0 monitored routes
- · unconfirmed · DESTINATION SE— → Stricter requirements on good conduct (vandel) apply to residence permits from 13 July — Sweden strengthens good conduct requirements for residence permitsaffects 0 monitored routes
- · unconfirmed · DESTINATION CY— → New digital service launched for the online submission of applications to renew specific categories of residence permits of third-country nationals — Cyprus launches digital service for renewal of certain residence permits of third-country nationalsaffects 0 monitored routes
- · unconfirmed · DESTINATION SEPeople with asylum-related residence permits had the possibility of obtaining a permanent residence permit → The possibility of obtaining a permanent residence permit for people with asylum-related residence permits is removed — Sweden removes permanent residence permit option for asylum permit holdersaffects 0 monitored routes
- · unconfirmed · DESTINATION SB— → Munda International Airport went live with the border management system (BMS) on 3 July 2026 — Munda International Airport border management system goes liveaffects 0 monitored routes
- · confirmed · DESTINATION AUSubclass 417 Working Holiday not open to Cyprus, Finland, Germany or South Korea → From 1 Jul 2026 passport holders of Cyprus, Finland, Germany and South Korea may apply for 417 (ages 18–35); Uruguay added to Work and Holiday (462) with up to 1,500 places per programme year — Australia expands Working Holiday (subclass 417) eligibilityaffects 3 monitored routes
- · unconfirmed · DESTINATION PT— → From 1 July, the Portal de Renovações accepts online applications for permanent residence certificates and cards for EU nationals and their family members — EU nationals and family members can now apply for permanent residence certificates and cards via renewal portalaffects 0 monitored routes
- · unconfirmed · DESTINATION CY— → As from 1 September 2026, medical examination documents are required in addition to existing supporting documents — Cyprus requires medical examinations for Immigration Permit applications from 1 Septemberaffects 0 monitored routes
- · confirmed · DESTINATION KHChinese citizens needed an e-Visa or visa on arrival for Cambodia → Pilot 15 Jun–15 Oct 2026: visa-free, multiple entry, ≤14 days per entry; an electronic arrival card is still required — Cambodia runs a visa-free pilot for Chinese passport holdersaffects 189 monitored routes
- · confirmed · DESTINATION LKA paid tourist Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) was required → From 25 May 2026 the tourist ETA is fee-free for 40 nationalities incl. China, for 30 days; the ETA itself is still mandatory before travel — Sri Lanka makes the tourist ETA free for 40 countriesaffects 2 monitored routes
- · confirmed · DESTINATION INPaper arrival/departure (disembarkation) card completed on arrival → Foreigners and OCI holders must submit the e-Arrival card online within 72 hours before arrival at boi.gov.in — India replaces paper arrival card with a mandatory online e-Arrivalaffects 159 monitored routes
- · confirmed · DESTINATION PHChinese citizens needed a prior visa for the Philippines → From 16 Jan 2026 visa-free for tourism/business, up to 14 days (pilot, ~1 year), via NAIA/MCIA; no extension or status change — Philippines grants visa-free entry to Chinese touristsaffects 30 monitored routes
- · confirmed · DESTINATION TRChinese citizens needed an e-Visa or sticker visa for Türkiye → From 2 Jan 2026 visa-free for tourism/transit, up to 90 days within any 180-day period; passport ≥6 months valid with a blank page — Turkey introduces visa-free entry for Chinese touristsaffects 5 monitored routes
- · confirmed · DESTINATION MXShort-stay visa applicants generally needed in-person fingerprint capture → Through 31 Dec 2026, fingerprinting is waived for short visas of ≤180 days (not for D/J1/Q1/S1/X1/Z residence-track visas) — Mexico waives in-person fingerprinting for short-stay visa applicantsaffects 71 monitored routes