by Natasha Lair
Last updated: 4:50 PM ET, Mon October 19, 2026
Nearly 100 changes to visa requirements, electronic travel authorizations (ETAs) and arrival procedures have been recorded worldwide over the past year, according to travel document provider iVisa.
The company has launched a free Global Policy Tracker that documents changes to international entry requirements, with at least 97 updates across 61 countries recorded since October 2025.
The tracker, which is updated weekly, covers everything from new digital arrival cards and fee increases to entry restrictions and problems with newly introduced border systems.
The changes come amid record international travel. According to UN Tourism, international tourist arrivals reached 1.52 billion in 2025, nearly 60 million more than the previous year.
Digital Entry Systems Bring New Challenges
While governments increasingly turn to digital border processing, several new systems have experienced difficulties.
The United Kingdom made its ETA mandatory for travellers from 85 nationalities in February 2026. A subsequent system outage during the busy summer travel season resulted in delays exceeding 60 hours for some travellers.
In Europe, the rollout of the European Union's Entry/Exit System (EES) in April 2026 was followed by lengthy delays at some border crossings. One easyJet flight reportedly departed Milan without 122 passengers shortly after the system's introduction.
Some border wait times subsequently reached five hours, according to figures cited by iVisa.
The EU has also delayed the introduction of its separate European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), which will require eligible visa-exempt travellers, including Canadians, to obtain authorization before visiting participating European countries. The launch is now expected in 2027, although no firm date has been confirmed.
Digital arrival cards are also becoming more common. iVisa identified at least 16 countries introducing or requiring them during the past year, including Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, Cambodia and Papua New Guinea.
Unlike visas or ETAs, these forms generally collect arrival and traveller information and must be completed separately.
Sri Lanka provides another example of how quickly requirements can change. The country introduced a mandatory pre-departure ETA in October 2025, withdrew the requirement just 15 days later and experienced further processing disruptions in February 2026. The pre-departure requirement was reinstated in May.
What It Means for Travel Advisors
For Canadian travel advisors, the growing number of entry requirements reinforces the importance of checking documentation rules for each client, even when they have previously visited a destination.
A traveller returning to a familiar country may now need an additional authorization, digital arrival form or different documentation than on their last trip.
“Every one of these changes looks small on its own: a new form here, a fee increase there,” said David Perez, Co-Founder and CEO of iVisa.
“Add them up over a year, and the pattern is unmistakable: the rules are moving faster than most travelers, or the airlines and agencies serving them, can keep track of."
The company's new tracker allows users to search policy changes by country and document type, with entries linked to government or other verified sources.
iVisa acknowledges that the tracker is not exhaustive. Current coverage focuses primarily on high-traffic travel routes and English-language sources, with plans to expand its scope.
Travellers and advisors should continue to verify requirements through official government sources and airlines before departure.
The free tracker is available at ivisa.com/tools/global-policy-tracker
Topics From This Article to Explore
