New offerings from sherpa since October 2025
- 🇺🇸 United States ESTA: Hungarian nationals can now apply online with sherpa after the US restored full ESTA privileges for Hungary (2 years, multiple entry).
Electronic visa and border system updates
- 🇿🇦 South Africa launched its eTA portal with the following phased rollout:
- Phase 1: By the end of October, G20 delegates from China, India, Indonesia, and Mexico only
- Phase 2: All tourists from these 4 countries (late November)
- Phase 3: All visa-required nationalities once stable
- 🇪🇺 The European Union launched the Travel to Europe mobile app in Sweden, allowing travelers to pre-register passport data and facial images within 72 hours of arrival. Other European countries are expected to add support over time as the EES rollout continues.
- 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka suspended Visa on arrival issuance on October 15th, requiring travelers to receive advance approval, before reversing its decision to restore Visa on arrival issuance on October 30th.
- 🇵🇭🇨🇳 The Philippines announced it will launch an eVisa system for Chinese nationals in November 2025.
- 🇹🇼 Taiwan made its existing Digital Arrival Card mandatory for all incoming passengers from October 1st, requiring completion within three days before arrival.
- 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea introduced a mandatory Digital Arrival Card on October 1st for all travelers, requiring completion within three days before arrival.
New visa exemptions and policy changes
- 🇧🇧🇧🇿🇩🇲🇻🇨 Barbados, Belize, Dominica, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines implemented full freedom of movement allowing indefinite residence and work from October 1st.
- 🇨🇳🇸🇪 China announced visa exemption for Swedish nationals, effective start date pending confirmation.
- 🇷🇺🇯🇴 Russia and Jordan announced a visa waiver agreement on October 31st for mutual visa-free travel up to 30 days, effective December 13th, 2025.
- 🇿🇦🇱🇹 South Africa exempted Lithuanian nationals for stays up to 90 days from October 7th.
- 🇲🇲🇲🇾 Myanmar granted visa exemption for Malaysian passport holders from October 1st.
- 🇲🇪🇹🇷 Montenegro suspended its visa-free regime with Türkiye from October 30th.
