Australia lifts visa application charges by up to 25 % across all categories
Cyprus Cabinet Green-Lights Airport Asylum Screening & Fast-Track Returns
Spain’s Extraordinary Regularisation Drive Closes With 1.2 Million Applications
Latest News
Vienna Airport Rolls Out CT Scanners, Ends 100-ml Liquids Rule From 3 July 2026
All terminals at Vienna Airport switched to CT security scanners on 3 July 2026, letting passengers keep electronics and liquids (up to two litres) inside hand luggage. The move abolishes the long-standing 100-ml rule for departures from Austria’s main hub and is expected to speed queues during the busy summer season. Travellers must still check rules at onward or return airports.
France Drops Visa Requirement for Brazilians Visiting French Guiana
From 31 July 2026, Brazilians will no longer need a visa for stays of up to 30 days in French Guiana. The bilateral deal seeks to curb illegal crossings, foster trade and tourism, and streamline corporate travel between Amapá and France’s overseas department.
Brazil and France Agree to Six-Month Visa-Free Pilot for Travel to French Guiana
Brazil and France signed an agreement on 3 July 2026 launching a six-month trial that lifts the short-stay visa requirement for Brazilians visiting French Guiana from 1 August. The pilot is expected to boost cross-border commerce in Amapá and simplify crew rotations for companies servicing French offshore projects. Authorities will use entry-exit data to decide whether to extend the arrangement into 2027.
Swiss airports brace for record summer queues as EES border checks bite
Zurich, Geneva and Basel airports say passengers should arrive at least two hours early this summer because biometric EES border checks, combined with record holiday traffic, are lengthening queues. Business travellers are urged to pad schedules and use online services to avoid missed connections.
Swiss Airports Warn of Summer Queues as EU Entry/Exit System Bites
Zurich, Geneva and Basel airports are telling passengers to arrive up to three hours early as the EU’s new biometric EES checks compound peak-season crowds. The longer queues affect all non-EU/EFTA visitors and risk missed connections for business travellers transiting Switzerland.
Caixin: Visa-Free Push Drives Inbound Tourism Past Pre-Covid Levels, but Service Shortfalls Loom
Caixin Global’s 3 July investigation finds China’s inbound arrivals have already surpassed 2019, with visa-free travellers making up the majority. However, shortages of multilingual guides and uneven service standards could stall further growth, posing challenges for business travel and MICE planners.
Cyprus Cabinet Backs Airport Screening of Asylum-Seekers in Major Refugee-Law Overhaul
Cyprus’ 3 July bill brings airport-side asylum screening, fast-track returns and new detention rules, aligning national law with the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum. The reform will tighten border controls, speed decisions and affect how businesses move non-EU personnel in and out of the island.
EU Blue-Card salary threshold in Czechia jumps to CZK 73 823 per month
Effective 1 May 2026, foreign professionals seeking an EU Blue Card in Czechia must earn at least CZK 73 823 per month, up 6.6 % on last year. Pending applications must be updated, and employers must use new affidavit forms when sponsoring candidates through government migration programmes.
Spain Issues 600,000 Temporary Work Permits as Regularisation Applications Hit Processing Stage
Officials confirmed that more than 600,000 applicants to Spain’s extraordinary amnesty already hold temporary work permits, allowing immediate formal employment. Businesses in tourism, construction and healthcare are fast-tracking recruitment, while authorities promise extra labour-inspection capacity to prevent abuse.
Spain’s Supreme Court questions new migrant amnesty after EU border-control law enters force
Spain’s Supreme Court has referred the country’s 2026 migrant-amnesty decree to the EU Court of Justice, arguing it may conflict with the new European Pact on Migration and Asylum, which tightens biometric screening and detention rules at external borders. The move places more than a million regularisation cases—and thousands of employers planning to hire beneficiaries—under a cloud of legal uncertainty, illustrating the friction between EU border control and national labour-market needs.
Port of Dover warns of ‘summer border chaos’ under new EU Entry/Exit System
A UK Parliament letter released on 3 July 2026 warns that the EU’s new biometric EES could replicate – and exceed – the hours-long queues seen at Dover in May. Port bosses urge ministers to negotiate a temporary deferment with France to avoid major disruption to summer holidaymakers and critical freight, raising serious concerns for business continuity and supply chains.
Immigration Department Arrests 20 in Territory-Wide Crackdown on Illegal Workers
Immigration officers arrested 16 suspected illegal workers and four employers during multi-agency raids conducted 26 June–2 July. Tougher 2025 penalties mean employers could face up to HK$500,000 fines and 10 years in jail. Mobility managers are urged to tighten right-to-work checks, as enforcement resources are shifting from visa issuance to workplace audits.
India Extends IVFRT Digital Immigration System and Approves 100-Airport UDAN 2.0 Scheme
On 3 July 2026 India’s Cabinet extended the IVFRT digital immigration platform to 2031 and approved a ₹28,840-crore upgrade of the UDAN regional-airport programme. IVFRT funds new biometric e-gates that promise sub-one-minute clearance, while UDAN 2.0 will add 100 airports over ten years, vastly improving domestic connectivity. Together, the measures aim to cut travel friction for business visitors and expatriates and make tier-2 industrial hubs easier to reach.
Supreme Court Green-Lights Border “Turnback” Policy, Restricting Port-of-Entry Asylum Access
A divided Supreme Court held that asylum seekers waiting in Mexico have not “arrived” in the U.S., restoring the government’s authority to turn them back at ports of entry. The decision empowers CBP to resume metering, extends wait times for humanitarian applicants, and could spill over to business travel by stretching border resources. Employers moving talent from Latin America should brace for longer processing windows and consider alternative immigration strategies.
Visa-Free Boom: 8.31 Million Foreigners Enter China Without Visas in Q1, Up 29 %
New data released 3 July show visa-free travellers accounted for nearly 78 % of China’s 10.7 million foreign entries in Q1 2026, a 29 % jump after exemptions were extended to the UK and Canada. The boom is boosting business travel and events demand but also straining some border checkpoints.
UAE expands 14-day pre-approved entry permit to eligible Filipino travellers
From 3 July 2026, Filipino passport-holders who meet specific residency criteria can obtain a 14-day pre-approved UAE entry permit entirely online, without local sponsorship. The change shortens lead times for business trips and transit stops, bringing new flexibility for Philippine firms and multinationals moving staff through Dubai. Companies must still monitor the strict 14-day limit to avoid AED 50 daily overstay fines.
EU Entry/Exit System causes five-hour queues at Brussels Airport; Commission pledges fixes
Aviation24.be revealed on 3 July that the EU’s newly-launched Entry/Exit System is generating queues of up to five hours at Brussels Airport, hitting connection reliability for business travellers. The European Commission admits technical flaws and promises urgent fixes while Belgian authorities deploy extra staff.