Online visa platform VisaHQ has reported a 42 % spike in UK user sessions since 21 December as travellers scramble for rapid entry-clearance advice amid unprecedented holiday-season traffic. Data published on 24 December show that Mediterranean sun-destinations and the United States top the list of urgent applications.
With airlines adding larger-gauge aircraft and even one-off ‘positioning’ flights, many passengers are discovering only at the airport that a destination requires a pre-arranged e-visa or health declaration. VisaHQ’s customer-service team handled more than 3,000 live-chat requests on 24 December alone—double the 2024 figure.
![VisaHQ Warns Record Christmas Eve Travel May Complicate Last-Minute Visa Checks]()
The company notes that some overseas consulates are closed until the first week of January, leaving express-processing services the only route for late bookers. Employers should remind staff that UKVI’s own overseas posts also operate skeleton staffing through 29 December, potentially delaying entry-clearance vignette corrections.
VisaHQ urges travellers to complete digital visa applications on a laptop rather than a phone to reduce upload errors, and to carry printed proof of approval because several airlines’ mobile-boarding apps cannot yet display third-party e-visa PDFs.
Looking ahead, the firm expects an even sharper New Year rush as winter-sun travellers realise that Thailand’s new online ‘ETA’ will become mandatory on 1 January.
With airlines adding larger-gauge aircraft and even one-off ‘positioning’ flights, many passengers are discovering only at the airport that a destination requires a pre-arranged e-visa or health declaration. VisaHQ’s customer-service team handled more than 3,000 live-chat requests on 24 December alone—double the 2024 figure.
The company notes that some overseas consulates are closed until the first week of January, leaving express-processing services the only route for late bookers. Employers should remind staff that UKVI’s own overseas posts also operate skeleton staffing through 29 December, potentially delaying entry-clearance vignette corrections.
VisaHQ urges travellers to complete digital visa applications on a laptop rather than a phone to reduce upload errors, and to carry printed proof of approval because several airlines’ mobile-boarding apps cannot yet display third-party e-visa PDFs.
Looking ahead, the firm expects an even sharper New Year rush as winter-sun travellers realise that Thailand’s new online ‘ETA’ will become mandatory on 1 January.
Source: VisaHQ News
