AI Hallucinations at the Border? Travel Experts Warn Chatbots Are Giving Dangerous Visa Advice

Industry experts are warning that chatbots may pose serious risks when relied on for visas and border requirements.

That warning comes after a solo traveller attempting to cross from Vietnam into Cambodia found herself stranded at a remote land border in 40°C heat after a popular AI chatbot incorrectly told her she could obtain a visa on arrival. She could not.

The incident is now being highlighted by visa processing company iVisa as an example of what can happen when travellers rely on general-purpose AI tools for legal travel requirements.

According to the company, the traveller, Rita Santos, was forced to pay a $250 emergency fee to secure rushed documentation after arriving at the border, where she also spent hours waiting in extreme heat with no support available.

“Wrong information at the wrong moment has a real cost,” Santos said. “I wasn’t just dealing with a logistical nightmare, I was in survival mode. You need a tool you can actually trust when you are at your most vulnerable.”

The story taps into a broader shift already underway across the travel industry. A February 2025 Kantar survey of more than 10,000 consumers found that 40% of global travellers have already used AI tools to help plan trips, while 62% said they would consider doing so in the future.

But travel advisors and documentation specialists say there’s a major difference between using AI for itinerary inspiration and relying on it for constantly changing entry requirements.

Why AI struggles with visas

According to iVisa, there are three main problems with using large language models (LLMs) for visa research:

* Visa rules can change overnight, while AI models often rely on older training data
* Land border rules frequently differ from airport entry rules
* There is no accountability if the information is wrong

The company argues that these tools can present inaccurate information with a high degree of confidence, making it difficult for travellers to know when they are receiving incorrect advice.

The issue also comes at a time when entry requirements continue to evolve rapidly worldwide, including the rollout of Europe’s Entry/Exit System (EES), new digital authorization programs and changing border procedures across Asia and Latin America.

“Travel is about freedom, but that freedom rests on the foundation of accurate legal documentation,” said Victor Gimenez, Director of Customer Experience at iVisa. “We don’t guess; we verify. Our platform combines cutting-edge technology with a global team of experts who monitor government updates in real-time.”

While AI continues to reshape travel planning, the story also underscores where human expertise still matters most, particularly for complex international itineraries, multi-country trips and destinations with frequently changing rules.

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