Asia Visa and Travel News
India continues to expand the number of entry points accessible to foreign travelers holding an electronic visa. The country has announced the addition of two land border checkpoints and three seaports to the e-Visa system.
In response to the air travel disruptions caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, India has announced a series of exceptional measures for foreign nationals currently present in the country.
Facing disruptions to air travel caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, Philippine authorities have decided to grant a temporary relaxation of stay rules for certain foreign nationals currently present in the country.
Amid air travel disruptions caused by the ongoing tensions in the Middle East, Bahrain has announced ‘exceptional measures’ concerning visit visas.
As South Korea continues rolling out its electronic arrival card system (e-Arrival Card), designed to modernize entry procedures into the country, some questions remained regarding the continued use of paper forms. Contacted by VisasNews, South Korean authorities indicated that both formats are currently still being used in parallel.
The Japanese government has approved a bill aimed at reforming several provisions of the country’s immigration legislation, including the creation of the “JESTA” electronic travel authorization system. Presented to the House of Representatives, the text also provides for a significant increase in the legal ceiling for fees related to residence permits, marking the first revision in more than forty years.
Because of the air travel disruptions caused by the current crisis in the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates has announced exceptional measures for travelers who were unable to leave the country as scheduled. Authorities have decided to waive overstay penalties for those affected by these circumstances, while also providing administrative assistance for situations impacted by flight cancellations or rescheduling.
Facing air travel disruptions caused by the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, Kuwait has announced several exceptional measures for travelers and residents. Authorities have decided to automatically extend visit visas by one month and grant additional time to residents currently stranded abroad.
In response to air travel disruptions caused by escalating tensions in the Middle East, Thailand is introducing exceptional measures for foreign travelers unable to leave the country. Thai immigration authorities have notably announced the waiver of overstay fines in certain cases, while tourism officials are considering financial assistance for visitors stranded in the country.
In response to the sudden closure of its airspace and the escalating tensions in the Middle East, Qatar has announced the automatic and free extension of all entry visas that are set to expire.
After several weeks of technical disruptions on the official Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) portal, approval notifications are once again being sent to applicants. A return to normal operations has been observed on the ground, even though Sri Lankan authorities have not, at this stage, issued any official statement confirming that the system has been fully restored.
In her general policy speech delivered on February 20, 2026, at the opening of the 221st session of the National Diet, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi confirmed that her government will soon introduce a bill to establish the electronic travel authorization system “JESTA”.
While the ETA platform remains affected by a technical issue, Sri Lanka’s Department of Immigration and Emigration has issued further clarification. Although most tourist and business travelers may still travel to the country despite not receiving formal approval, no exemption from the required pre-departure application process has been granted.
While numerous reports in recent weeks have suggested an imminent reduction in the length of visa-free stays in Thailand, authorities have confirmed that the policy is indeed under review, but no final decision has yet been made.
Sri Lankan authorities are currently dealing with a technical issue affecting the transmission of Electronic Travel Authorizations (ETA). Despite these delays, travelers who have already submitted their applications are permitted to travel to the country and will be assisted upon arrival in Sri Lanka.
