Travelers heading to Uganda no longer need to present a yellow fever vaccination certificate upon entry. Ugandan immigration authorities have now officially confirmed the removal of the requirement, which has also disappeared from the documentation needed for a tourist visa.
Travelers entering the United States will soon no longer receive a passport stamp as a matter of course. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) says it is ending the routine use of admission stamps during primary inspection. Proof of admission and the authorized length of stay will instead be available primarily in electronic form through the I-94 record.
Since October 1, 2026, travelers entering or leaving Haiti have been required to complete the electronic iKat form. The digital form must be submitted within the three days before travel and applies to both Haitian nationals and foreign travelers, whether they are traveling by air, land, or sea.
One day after officially launching its electronic visa system, Turkmenistan has unveiled its new e-Visa portal. The platform now provides details on available visa categories, required documents and processing times ranging from 24 hours to seven business days. For tourists, notably, no letter of invitation appears among the mandatory documents.
Launched in December 2024 and made the mandatory channel for visa applications in May 2026, Chad’s e-Visa platform now processes more than 100 applications a day. Chad’s National Police has provided new details on how the system works, processing times and security checks, three months before the country is due to waive entry visa requirements for all African nationals.
Long known for its highly restrictive entry procedures, Turkmenistan is beginning to simplify its requirements. As of October 1, 2026, the State Migration Service is officially rolling out its electronic visa, or e-Visa, system. A dedicated online application portal also appears to have been created, while foreign nationals can now complete registration procedures online.
Visa-exempt travelers heading to the United States will soon pay slightly more for their electronic travel authorization. Starting October 16, 2026, the ESTA fee will rise from $40.27 to $40.62 as part of a new annual inflation adjustment.
Mandatory travel insurance takes effect in mainland Tanzania on October 1, 2026. The National Insurance Corporation (NIC) and Zanzibar Insurance Corporation (ZIC) have confirmed that travelers visiting both the mainland and Zanzibar only need one policy. Reduced rates for children and groups, the validity of previously purchased policies, and round-the-clock assistance are among the key details clarified by the two insurers.
Although the number of visitor visas processed by the United States has now surpassed pre-pandemic levels, wait times for visa interviews at US consulates remain significantly longer than they were in 2019. A new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report also highlights major differences between countries and consular posts.
Several Bangladeshi diplomatic missions are warning of ongoing disruptions affecting the processing and issuance of visas and “No Visa Required” (NVR) endorsements. The delays are linked to a technical issue affecting the central system operated by the Department of Immigration and Passports. The online visa application portal, however, remains accessible.
Wrapping a biometric passport in aluminum foil to stop hackers from remotely accessing its data has become a popular “travel hack” on social media in recent days. While there is some science behind the idea, modern passports already include several security features specifically designed to prevent unauthorized access to their chips.
Tanzania has set October 1, 2026 as the effective date for its mandatory travel insurance requirement for foreign visitors entering the country through Mainland Tanzania. Priced at $44, the policy can be purchased online before departure or upon arrival and will remain valid for up to 92 days.
Ghana has expanded where its electronic visa can be used. While the e-Visa application previously listed only seven airports, travelers can now select from 48 ports of entry, including numerous land border crossings and several maritime entry points.
After several months of testing, Thailand’s Immigration Bureau has officially launched the THIM application. Already downloaded more than 600,000 times, the app provides access to the TDAC digital arrival card and is expected to gradually bring together several immigration services, including stay extensions, 90-day reporting and Visa on Arrival.
Japan is gradually preparing for the introduction of JESTA, its future electronic travel authorization system for certain visa-exempt travelers. Expected to launch during fiscal year 2028, the program is beginning to take shape: travelers should need a new authorization for each new entry, some visitors may no longer receive an entry stamp in their passport, and Japan’s tax-free shopping procedures will need to be adapted to this shift toward digital immigration records.
