New offerings from sherpa since February 2026
- 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates Business eVisa: Travelers can now apply online for a Business eVisa with sherpa.
Electronic visa and border system updates
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom ETA enforcement began February 25, 2026. Visa-exempt travelers now need an ETA to enter the UK. This marks the completion of a phased rollout that began in October 2023.
- 🇲🇽 Mexico launched a new eVisa portal for Brazilian nationals. The eVisa is for a single entry, air travel only, valid up to 180 days.
- 🇲🇿 Mozambique relaunched its eTA and eVisa portal, now covering 166 nationalities. The eTA is required for 29 nationalities (including Canada, China, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States) and the eVisa for 137 (including India, Australia, Mexico, and Turkiye).
- 🇯🇵 Japan reaffirmed plans for JESTA (Japan Electronic System for Travel Authorization), with a launch target of 2028.
- 🇹🇷 Turkiye introduced mandatory travel insurance for eVisa applicants, included as part of the eVisa fee.
Visa-free policy updates
- 🇨🇳 China exempted nationals of Canada and the United Kingdom from visa requirements for tourism and business stays up to 30 days, effective February 17, 2026. This continues China's strategy of eliminating visas to attract visitors from previously visa-required markets.
- 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan granted visa-free access to nationals of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Saudi Arabia for stays of up to 30 days from February 2, 2026 to February 2, 2027.
- 🇫🇷 France announced a visa-free airport transit pilot for Indian nationals. Start date has not yet been confirmed.
Processing disruptions
- 🇻🇳 Vietnam's government did not process eVisa applications from February 14 to February 22 due to the Lunar New Year holiday. Sherpa notified all impacted customers in advance.
- 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka's ETA system experienced a disruption from approximately February 11 to February 25 during which approval notices were not issued. The government advised that travelers would be verified upon arrival. Sherpa notified all impacted customers. The system has since been restored.
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