Visa rules change constantly, and most sites quietly keep showing the old ones. We re-check our data against official sources every week and log every change here — including the ones that have been announced but do not apply yet.
Last checked: 2026-08-10
Visa-free · up to 90 days Visa-free · up to 30 days
Found while re-reading Montenegro's country pages for the November decree. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs states it in one line: Saudi citizens may "enter, transit through, and stay in Montenegro for up to 30 days without a visa". We were serving 90. Overstaying a waiver is not a paperwork slip — it is a fine and an entry ban — so the number matters even though the verdict word does not change.
Travel authorisation (eTA) Visa required
In force since 1 August 2026: Taiwan has removed Cambodia from the conditional visa-free TAC scheme (Travel Authorization Certificate) and from the simplified high-end group-tour project. MOFA announced it on 17 July 2026 together with the one-year extension of the trial waiver for Thailand, Brunei and the Philippines. India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar and Laos keep the TAC route; only Cambodia was dropped. An ordinary Cambodian passport now needs a visa arranged in advance.
Travel authorisation (eTA) Visa-free · up to 90 days
The Solomon Islands are on Kenya's 90-day eTA exemption list in the 2025 Amendment Rules, but our snapshot had left them out and put Somalia in their place. Corrected on 28 July 2026 together with the Somalia entry — the two were a single transposition.
Visa-free · up to 60 days Travel authorisation (eTA)
Our snapshot listed Somalia among the countries exempt from Kenya's eTA, at 60 days, and left the Solomon Islands off the list. The exemption list in the 2025 Amendment Rules holds exactly 77 countries; ours also held exactly 77 — the same count with two entries transposed, which is why the error survived review. Kenya excludes Somalia and Libya from every exemption tier by name, on security grounds, and Somalia's 2024 accession to the East African Community makes the mistake easy to reintroduce from bloc membership alone. Corrected on 28 July 2026: Somali passports need an eTA before boarding.
On 20 July 2026 President Putin signed an Executive Order extending the temporary visa-free entry for Chinese ordinary-passport holders (introduced by Order No. 872 of 1 December 2025, which was due to expire on 14 September 2026) through to 31 December 2027 inclusive. Up to 30 days per entry for tourism or business, ordinary passport only. China extended the mirror waiver for Russian citizens to the same date in May 2026. No change to the verdict — the border answer stays visa-free; this locks in that it does not lapse this September.
Visa-free · up to 90 days Visa-free · up to 30 days
Base-snapshot error, not staleness: Indian passport holders get 30 days visa-free in Malaysia (waiver runs to 2026-12-31, not valid for work or study). We had 90.
Taiwan extended its trial visa-free entry for ordinary passport holders of Thailand, Brunei and the Philippines by one year: from 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2027, still 14 days per visit. MOFA announced it on 17 July 2026. Nothing changes at the border — the waiver simply keeps running.
Visa-free · up to 180 days Visa required
Albania is not on the UAE visa-on-arrival list (GDRFA Dubai), so an ordinary Albanian passport needs a UAE visa arranged in advance. Our snapshot wrongly showed 180 days visa-free - a value no UAE source supports. Two independent audits confirmed the omission.
Visa-free · up to 90 days Visa-free · up to 30 days
The China-UAE mutual visa exemption grants Chinese ordinary passports 30 days visa-free, not 90. In force since 1 November 2016; confirmed by China's MFA and the UAE consulate. This was the only real value error found in the UAE passport-wide audit - Turkey and Thailand ordinary passports genuinely need a pre-arranged visa, and Mexico's unusual 180-day visa-free arrangement is real.
Visa on arrival Visa required
Cape Verde abolished visa on arrival on 1 January 2026. Turkish passport holders now arrange a visa before travel, plus EASE pre-registration and the TSA fee.
Visa on arrival eVisa required
Djibouti issues e-visas online only; no visa on arrival. Turkish passport holders apply at evisa.gouv.dj before travel.
Visa on arrival Visa required
Jamaica has no visa on arrival for Kazakhstan. Visa-free entry only with a valid US/Canada/UK/Schengen visa; otherwise a visa must be obtained in advance.
Visa on arrival eVisa required
Djibouti issues e-visas online only. Kazakhstani passport holders must apply at evisa.gouv.dj before departure - there is no visa on arrival.
Visa on arrival Visa required
Cape Verde abolished visa on arrival on 1 January 2026. Kazakhstani passport holders now need a visa arranged before travel, plus EASE pre-registration and the TSA fee.
Visa on arrival Visa required
Cape Verde abolished visa on arrival for most nationalities on 1 January 2026; a visa must be arranged before travel, plus the mandatory EASE pre-registration and TSA fee.
Visa on arrival Visa required
Jamaica has no visa on arrival for Belarus. Visa-free entry is granted only to holders of a valid US/Canada/UK/Schengen visa; otherwise a visa must be obtained in advance.
Visa-free Visa on arrival
Grenada does not waive visas for Belarus; Belarusians are a 'Port of Entry' nationality - the permit is issued at the border, not granted in advance. We showed unlimited visa-free.
Visa on arrival eVisa required
Djibouti issues e-visas online only; there is no visa-on-arrival counter. Belarusian passport holders must apply at evisa.gouv.dj before flying.
Visa-free · up to 14 days Visa-free · up to 30 days
A new Belarus-Oman visa-waiver (Royal Decree 98/2025, in force 17 March 2026) gives Belarusian passport holders 30 days visa-free, up to 90 per year. Our data said 14.
Russia can apply for an Ethiopian e-visa online at evisa.gov.et before travel. A visa on arrival also appears to remain available (Russia is on Ethiopia’s VOA list), so this pair is less than fully certain - we serve e-visa as the reliable pre-arranged route. Confirm on the official portal before you fly.
Visa-free · up to 30 days Visa-free · up to 90 days
The Russia-Costa Rica mutual visa waiver (in force since 25 May 2019) grants 90 days. Our snapshot carried Costa Rica's internal 30-day group default, which the treaty overrides.
Visa-free · up to 90 days Visa-free · up to 60 days
Our data said 90 days. The Russia-Mauritius agreement says 60 days in any 180. We had an aggregator's number; the treaty is the treaty. Fixed.
Qatar's own visa checker now answers 'Enter visa-free' for Russian passports, and states plainly that visa-free entry is simply the new name for the old visa on arrival — nothing else changed. You still need a passport valid at least three months and a confirmed hotel booking on arrival. We were showing the old name, which made people expect a counter and a fee that no longer exist.
We were wrong, and the way we were wrong is the way that gets someone stopped at check-in. Our data said 'visa on arrival' for almost every nationality. Sri Lanka does not have one. The Department of Immigration and Emigration requires every foreign national to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization BEFORE arriving. The ETA is free for 40 nationalities and paid for the rest — but free or paid, you get it before you fly. Fixed on 14 July 2026 across all 196 pages, and pinned in our verification suite so it can never come back.
Visa on arrival Visa-free · up to 30 days
Indonesia added Belarus to its visa-free entry list (Ministerial Regulation No. 10/2026, in force 9 July 2026): 30 days, not extendable. Previously a visa on arrival was required.
Visa on arrival Visa-free · up to 30 days
Indonesia added Kazakhstan to its visa-free entry list (Ministerial Regulation No. 10/2026, in force 9 July 2026): 30 days, not extendable. Türkiye, Brazil, Peru, Macau and Belarus were added by the same regulation.
Visa required eVisa required
From 7 July 2026 Russian ordinary passport holders can apply for a Taiwan e-visa online — single entry, 30 days — instead of going to a consulate. A one-year pilot, running to 6 July 2027. Apply at the Bureau of Consular Affairs before you fly.
From 1 July 2026 to 1 July 2027, citizens of 111 countries who hold a residence permit from the US, the EU/Schengen area, the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait or Oman (valid at least 6 more months) may enter Armenia without a visa for up to 180 days a year. This can override the normal rule for your passport — an Indian or Nigerian citizen living in Dubai no longer needs an Armenian visa. Our matrix answers by passport alone and cannot see your residence permit, so check the list if you hold one.
Saudi Arabia launched an Electronic Travel Authorisation for British passport holders. It is an ADDITIONAL online route, not a new barrier: the FCDO still says a British passport holder can obtain an e-visa or an electronic visa waiver on arrival at any Saudi international airport. We deliberately did NOT change our verdict to 'authorisation required' — that would tell a Briton at the airport they should have applied in advance, which is false.
Visa on arrival Visa-free · up to 30 days
Azerbaijan waived visas for ordinary South Korean passports travelling for tourism, from 2026-07-01 to 2027-07-01: up to three entries, 30 days each. Any other purpose or a longer stay still needs a visa. A temporary, one-year measure.
Visa on arrival Visa-free · up to 30 days
Azerbaijan waived visas for ordinary Japanese passports travelling for tourism, from 2026-07-01 to 2027-07-01: up to three entries, 30 days each. Any other purpose or a longer stay still needs a visa. A temporary, one-year measure.
From 25 June 2026 the UAE (ICP) offers a visa on arrival to ordinary-passport holders of Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Kenya and South Africa — but ONLY if they also hold a valid residence permit or visa from the US, an EU state, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea or Singapore. Without one, an ordinary passport from these countries still needs a visa arranged in advance, so our base verdicts are unchanged.
From 25 June 2026 the UAE grants a visa on arrival (14 days, AED 100, or 60 days, AED 250) to citizens of the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Kenya and South Africa — but ONLY if they hold a valid residence permit from the US, an EU country, the UK, Singapore, Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand or Canada. Without one, the old rule stands: apply for a visa before you fly.
Sri Lanka made its 30-day tourist ETA free for citizens of 40 countries, among them Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Nepal and New Zealand. The authorisation is still required — only the fee is gone.
eVisa required Visa-free · up to 90 days
The same agreement, in the other direction: Saudi citizens may enter Russia visa-free for up to 90 days per calendar year, on the same conditions.
eVisa required Visa-free · up to 90 days
The Russia–Saudi Arabia mutual visa-waiver agreement (signed in Riyadh on 2025-12-01) entered into force. Up to 90 days per calendar year — continuous or cumulative — for tourism, business and private visits. NOT valid for work, study, residence, or Hajj/Umrah during the pilgrimage season.
The EU Entry/Exit System has been fully operational since 10 April 2026. It does not change who needs a visa — but every non-EU traveller now has fingerprints and a facial image registered at the border on first entry, and passports are no longer stamped. Expect longer queues on your first crossing. Ireland does not take part: entering Ireland directly, the EES does not apply. Not to be confused with ETIAS, which is a separate thing and is not live yet.
Every foreign passport holder must file the e-Arrival Card online in the 72 hours before arrival — before you fly, not after you land. Paper disembarkation forms were phased out entirely in April 2026. Free on the official portal.
Every foreign visitor must now file the Thailand Digital Arrival Card online within 72 hours of arrival — by air, land or sea. Airlines check it at boarding and immigration asks for the QR code. It is free on the official site; third-party sites charge for the very same form.
The UK Electronic Travel Authorisation is now enforced at boarding for visa-exempt nationalities, including the EU, US, Canada and Australia. Apply before you fly — the airline will not let you board without it. The fee rose from £16 to £20 on 2026-04-08. Valid 2 years.
Visa-free · up to 365 days Visa-free · up to 730 days
Georgia extended the visa-free stay for Ukrainian citizens from one year to two by government decree on 2026-02-24 — a week after our base snapshot was taken, so it never landed. Amendment to Government Resolution No. 255. Re-checked 2026-08-08 against the legislative register: Resolution No. 255 carries an amendment dated 24/02/2026 (Government Ordinance No. 80), which is the act that did this, and it applies to Ukrainians who arrived after 24 February 2025. The consolidated text is behind matsne's paywall, so the free view still shows the 2015 wording of "one full year" — a discrepancy worth knowing about rather than hiding. The original citation here was a news agency; it has been replaced with the register.
Visa required Visa-free · up to 30 days
China opened 30-day visa-free entry to Canadian passport holders. In force through 2026-12-31.
Visa required Visa-free · up to 30 days
China opened 30-day visa-free entry to British passport holders. In force through 2026-12-31.
Mozambique still admits many nationalities visa-free for 30 days, but since a new platform launched on 11 February 2026 everyone must obtain an Electronic Travel Authorisation online before flying. Airlines will not board you without it. 'Visa-free' no longer means 'just show up'.
Malawi's Second Schedule was substituted with effect from 2 January 2026 (Immigration (Amendment) Regulations 2026, GN No. 1). It is exhaustive by exclusion: visas are required by nationals of all countries except those it names. That is 22 named countries plus SADC and COMESA members whose reciprocity is satisfied — around 35 in total. Everyone else needs a visa. We serve the e-visa at evisa.gov.mw because it is valid for both arrival categories the Department of Immigration publishes, while visa on arrival is not open to Category One passengers and would strand them at check-in.
Visa-free · up to 90 days eVisa required
Malawi ended its unilateral visa-free access on 3 January 2026, moving to a reciprocity-based policy; Russia was among the countries whose waiver was withdrawn. Russians now need a visa - an e-visa online at evisa.gov.mw, or a visa on arrival. Our data said 90 days visa-free, which would strand a traveller expecting free entry. We serve e-visa as the safe pre-arranged route.
Immigration (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (Government Notice No. 1, Malawi Gazette Supplement of 2 January 2026) substituted the Second Schedule to regulation 3. The new Schedule is exhaustive by exclusion — visas are required by nationals of all countries except those it names — and it names 22, joined by SADC and COMESA members whose reciprocity the Department of Immigration confirms in its own status list. We had been carrying the pre-2026 policy: roughly 62 nationalities visa-free and 83 on visa on arrival, nearly all of it abolished. Eight pairs had been patched by hand earlier, which treated symptoms. On 28 July 2026 we replaced the lot: 161 origins now resolve to e-visa, 7 to visa-free with no stated duration, 28 to a numeric allowance. Where the Schedule grants an exemption without naming a length we print 'not stated' rather than invent 30 or 90 days — Malawi sets the visitor permit at the border. Where the Department's published status table and the gazetted Schedule disagree, we follow the Schedule: gazetted law outranks a published table, and the two errors do not cost the same. An unnecessary e-visa costs money; a missing one costs the flight.
eVisa required Visa-free · up to 90 days
Ordinary Chinese passports enter Turkiye visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180. In force since 2 January 2026. Worth knowing where this one came from: it happened six weeks BEFORE the snapshot our matrix was built from, and our matrix still said e-visa. A dataset being 'only five months old' does not make it right.
Visa on arrival Visa required
Decree No. 244/GMAI/2025 (Boletim Oficial No. 223, 24 November 2025) took effect on 1 January 2026 and ended visa on arrival for nationals of 96 countries. Until then they could pre-register on the EASE portal, pay the tourist-visa fee online and collect the visa at the airport; now the visa must come from a Cape Verdean embassy or consulate before departure, and arriving without one is grounds for refusal of entry, transit or airport stopover. We were still serving "visa on arrival" to 90 of them — an answer that strands the traveller at check-in — and have corrected all 90. EASE pre-registration and the Airport Security Tax (~3,400 CVE for stays up to 30 days) stay mandatory for everyone, including visa-exempt visitors. Mauritania is named in the decree but our data has it visa-free rather than on arrival, so it is left unchanged pending its own source.
Since 1 January 2026 foreign visitors entering Georgia must carry health and accident insurance covering the whole stay (minimum 30,000 GEL, ~US$11,000), in Georgian or English, on paper or electronic. Holders of a Georgian residence permit, holders of diplomatic and service passports, and drivers working international transport routes are exempt. Border officers may ask for it on entry by air, land or sea. This changes nothing about who needs a visa — but arriving uninsured can mean being turned away.
All arriving passengers must complete the free eTravel registration online. The window opens 72 hours prior to arrival in the Philippines; passengers leaving the country register in the same 72-hour window before departure. The QR code is shown at check-in and at the border. Only etravel.gov.ph is official — lookalike sites charge money for a free service.
Visa on arrival Visa required
Iran suspended the visa waiver for ordinary Indian passport holders with effect from 22 November 2025, announced by India's Ministry of External Affairs on 17 November 2025. The stated reason was a run of cases in which Indians were lured to Iran with false job offers or promises of onward transit — precisely because no visa was needed — and then kidnapped for ransom. The suspension has not been lifted. Our snapshot still showed visa on arrival, which would have sent an Indian traveller to an airport counter that no longer exists for them; ordinary passports now need a visa arranged in advance.
Vietnam grants 45 days visa-free to two groups. Group 1 (any purpose, Resolution 44/NQ-CP, to 14 Aug 2028): Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland. Group 2 (tourism only, Resolution 229/NQ-CP, from 15 Aug 2025 to 14 Aug 2028): Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland. Belarus has a separate 30-day bilateral waiver. Everyone else needs an e-visa (up to 90 days) from the official portal evisa.gov.vn before travel - Vietnam grants it to all nationalities. We verified the whole Vietnam matrix against the MOFA list on 15 July 2026; nothing needed changing. Bilateral and regional waivers that predate the 45-day scheme are unaffected by it: the ASEAN member states, Chile, Panama, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia.
Travellers from roughly 96 visa-exempt countries must hold an approved ETA-IL before boarding. Apply on the Population and Immigration Authority portal.
Kenya abolished visas but now requires an Electronic Travel Authorisation, applied for in advance on the official government portal. The requirement is not universal: the 2025 Amendment Rules exempt 77 countries outright, and East African Community citizens travel under their own regime. Somalia and Libya are excluded from every exemption tier.
Visa-free · up to 30 days Visa required
Adopted, and now dated. On 23 July 2026 the Government of Montenegro adopted the Decree Amending the Decree on the Visa Regime; it was published on 27 July. From 1 November 2026 Saudi citizens need a visa for Montenegro — this is Montenegro aligning its visa policy with the EU ahead of accession, and it also covers China, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye. Until 31 October 2026 nothing changes at the border: 30 days visa-free, and that is what we serve. One route stays open either way — Montenegro admits visa-required nationals who hold a valid Schengen, US, UK or Irish visa or residence permit for up to 30 days without a Montenegrin visa. That rule sits outside the decree and, as written today, is untouched by it.
Not in force yet — our data still shows the old rule until it is officially published.
Visa-free · up to 30 days Visa required
Adopted, and now dated. On 23 July 2026 the Government of Montenegro adopted the Decree Amending the Decree on the Visa Regime; it was published on 27 July. From 1 November 2026 Turkish citizens need a visa for Montenegro — this is Montenegro aligning its visa policy with the EU ahead of accession, and it also covers China, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye. Until 31 October 2026 nothing changes at the border: 30 days visa-free, and that is what we serve. One route stays open either way — Montenegro admits visa-required nationals who hold a valid Schengen, US, UK or Irish visa or residence permit for up to 30 days without a Montenegrin visa. That rule sits outside the decree and, as written today, is untouched by it.
Not in force yet — our data still shows the old rule until it is officially published.
Visa-free · up to 30 days Visa required
Adopted, and now dated. On 23 July 2026 the Government of Montenegro adopted the Decree Amending the Decree on the Visa Regime; it was published on 27 July. From 1 November 2026 Belarusian citizens need a visa for Montenegro — this is Montenegro aligning its visa policy with the EU ahead of accession, and it also covers China, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye. Until 31 October 2026 nothing changes at the border: 30 days visa-free, and that is what we serve. One route stays open either way — Montenegro admits visa-required nationals who hold a valid Schengen, US, UK or Irish visa or residence permit for up to 30 days without a Montenegrin visa. That rule sits outside the decree and, as written today, is untouched by it.
Not in force yet — our data still shows the old rule until it is officially published.
Visa-free · up to 30 days Visa required
Adopted, and now dated. On 23 July 2026 the Government of Montenegro adopted the Decree Amending the Decree on the Visa Regime; it was published on 27 July. From 1 November 2026 Russian citizens need a visa for Montenegro — this is Montenegro aligning its visa policy with the EU ahead of accession, and it also covers China, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye. Until 31 October 2026 nothing changes at the border: 30 days visa-free, and that is what we serve. One route stays open either way — Montenegro admits visa-required nationals who hold a valid Schengen, US, UK or Irish visa or residence permit for up to 30 days without a Montenegrin visa. That rule sits outside the decree and, as written today, is untouched by it.
Not in force yet — our data still shows the old rule until it is officially published.
Visa-exempt travellers to 30 European countries — the 29 Schengen states plus Cyprus — will need an approved ETIAS before departure. Target launch is Q4 2026, followed by roughly six months of transition. It will cost €20 and stay valid 3 years, or until the passport expires. NOT in force yet: no applications are being accepted, and any site taking money for an ETIAS today is fraudulent. UPDATE 3 August 2026: eu-LISA, the EU agency building the system, has concluded internally that a 2026 launch is no longer feasible, and reporting in July 2026 points to April 2027 as the earliest realistic date. The EU has not published a new official date, so the Q4 2026 target above is what the Commission still lists — treat it as unlikely, not as cancelled.
Not in force yet — our data still shows the old rule until it is officially published.
Visa-free · up to 60 days Visa-free · up to 30 days
Thailand's Cabinet approved cutting the visa-free stay from 60 to 30 days. Updated details were approved on 16 July 2026: 65 countries and territories covered — 59 get a 30-day exemption (India moves up from visa on arrival), Mauritius and Seychelles get 15 days, and visa on arrival survives for only three (Azerbaijan, Belarus, Serbia). NONE of it is in force. It takes effect 15 days after publication in the Royal Gazette, and there has been no publication. Until there is, 60 days is what you actually get at the border — and that is what we serve. Weeks, not months.
Not in force yet — our data still shows the old rule until it is officially published.