New offerings from Sherpa since August 2026

Digital Arrival Cards for the following destinations are now available through Sherpa. Travelers can complete the form at any time, and Sherpa will ensure it is submitted within the required window where applicable, so travelers can focus on packing, not paperwork:

• 🇨🇴 Colombia Check-Mig
• 🇨🇳 China Digital Arrival Card
• 🇮🇳 India e-Arrival Card
• 🇰🇷 Korea e-Arrival Card
• 🇸🇬 Singapore Arrival Card (SGAC)
• 🇹🇼 Taiwan Arrival Card (TWAC)

Thailand cuts its visa exemption to 30 days

🇹🇭 Thailand will reduce its visa exemption from 60 days to 30 days, effective September 15:

• Duration: the visa-free stay drops from 60 days to 30 days for around 60 nationalities, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
• Purpose: the exemption now covers tourism only. Travelers visiting for other purposes may require an eVisa before travel.
• Nationalities losing visa-free access: around 20 nationalities lose visa-free access entirely and will need an eVisa, including Colombia, Mexico, and Sri Lanka.

Thailand has also proposed a tourist entry fee of THB 450 (around USD 13.50 per person) for all arrivals. The proposal is in public consultation and targeted for early 2027, beginning with air arrivals.

Electronic visa and border system updates

• 🇿🇦 South Africa updated its eTA program in several ways:
  • A USD 30 fee now applies, effective August 17.
  • Travelers from visa-exempt countries (such as Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States) can now apply for an eTA voluntarily for faster border clearance, subject to the same fee, while keeping the option to enter visa-free at no cost.
  • South Africa also announced plans to expand eTA eligibility to additional visa-required nationalities (currently open to China, India, Indonesia, and Mexico).
• 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan is phasing in enforcement of its QazETA electronic travel authorization for visa-exempt travelers:
  • The QazETA platform has been running in a pilot phase, during which the eTA remains voluntary.
  • The eTA is expected to become mandatory at international airports on November 1, 2026.
• 🇧🇩 Bangladesh introduced a mandatory Digital Arrival Card, completed online before arrival, and a Digital Departure Card before departure. Eligible travelers can also apply for a Visa on arrival online.
• 🇱🇰 Sri Lankan consulates are now notifying all travelers to obtain an eTA before travel, and a Visa on arrival may no longer be available.
• 🇵🇭 The Philippines implemented its eVisa system for visa-required nationals residing in the United States and specified Caribbean and Pacific territories, including Palau, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
• 🇮🇱 Israel added Colombia to the list of eTA eligible nationalities, effective September 1.
• 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea made its Digital Arrival Card mandatory for all arriving travelers, including citizens.

Mutual visa waivers and exemptions

• 🇨🇳 China added Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam to its 240-hour visa-free transit policy and to the 30-day visa-free entry policy for Hainan Province.
• 🇶🇦 Qatar introduced a free Visa on arrival for Macao SAR passport holders traveling for tourism, valid for stays up to 30 days.
• 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan announced a 30-day visa-free regime for Indian citizens. Sherpa is reviewing the change, which is not yet reflected in Uzbekistan's official visa regulations.
• 🇬🇫 French Guiana introduced visa-free entry for Brazilian nationals for stays up to 30 days.
• 🇧🇼 Botswana introduced visa-free entry for Omani nationals for stays up to 90 days.