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Japan has reopened its borders to foreign tourists for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The gradual reopening will start with small-scale test tours from a limited number of countries. In a controversial move, the number of visitors that can enter the country is currently capped at 50. These individuals will

The European Commission has revealed its plan to digitalize the Schengen visa. This will replace the mostly paper-based application system to obtain a visa for EU and Schengen countries currently in place. This means the Schengen visa will soon be available through a simplified online application process, similar to the European Travel Information and Authorization

New Zealand has reopened its borders to international visitors from over 60 visa waiver countries. Arrivals must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and meet all other entry requirements. The move is step 4 of New Zealand’s 5-stage reopening plan. The policy aims to fully reopen the country’s borders by late 2022, after more than 2

Hong Kong is set to reopen its borders to international visitors. The new entry rules will come into effect from May 1, 2022. Overseas travelers have been completely banned from Hong Kong for the last 2 years, with only Hong Kong citizens and residents able to enter. The Hong Kong government announced the easing of

Singapore has seen a sharp rise in passenger traffic since reopening borders. The number of flights and arrivals have both increased as the country continues to roll back restrictions. Since the beginning of April, international travelers have been able to once again visit Singapore with an SG Arrival Card. The online application currently includes a

The United States government has announced that the US ESTA will be mandatory for citizens of all Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries entering the United States by land. This new policy will be introduced on May 2, 2022. From this date, visa-exempt travelers will still be able to enter the US by land without a

The United States Department of State has redesigned the US passport and introduced the Next Generation Passport (NGP). From summer 2022, all passport agencies and centers in the US will issue the updated version of the travel document for all new US passport applications and renewals. When Did the US Next Generation Passport Come Out?

Malaysia has announced that it plans to reopen to international visitors after long-term border closures due to COVID-19. Tourists who get a Malaysia eVisa online will be able to travel to the Southeast Asian nation for vacations in the near future. The decision from the Malaysian government comes after several neighboring countries like Thailand and

The Vietnamese government have proposed a complete reopening of the country to international tourists from the middle of March 2022. Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam held a discussion in Hanoi last week between 7 key government departments: the Ministries of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Health, Foreign Affairs, Transport, Public Security and

South Africa has now launched its electronic visa (eVisa) service, allowing foreign visitors to apply for a visa online. The South Africa eVisa is currently available to nationals of 14 different countries around the world. It is likely to be expanded to other nationalities in the future. The digital visa platform has been in the

Australia will once again welcome tourists to its shores from February 21, 2022. Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that the country’s strict travel regulations would be lowered to fully vaccinated visitors. Australia’s borders have been closed for nearly 2 years as part of the country’s COVID-19 travel restrictions. Morrison said “It’s a sensible and, I

The New Zealand government has announced the reopening of the country’s borders, starting from the end of February 2022. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed the decision at the end of January, stating that the new border measures would be implemented in a staggered 5-stage system. “Opening back up in this managed way balances inflows of