Asia

The Asia Travel Information category provides up-to-date information on travel formalities in Asian countries such as China, Japan, India, Thailand, Malaysia and other popular destinations. This category is dedicated to publishing information on visas, passports, mandatory vaccinations, travel restrictions and customs regulations for travelers visiting various Asian countries. Articles published in this category will contain useful tips for travelers, information on precautions to take, recent changes in laws and regulations, as well as updates on known incidents that could affect the safety of travelers to Asian destinations.

India: international flights resume from March 27

From March 27, 2022 (start of the 2022 summer program), international commercial flights to/from India will resume service outside the current bilateral agreements. This will mean the termination of the travel bubble agreements*, and all travelers will be able to rediscover India's unique atmosphere. Airlines will still be able to ... Read the article

Indonesia: test program to Bali

Indonesia will allow travelers to enter Bali without quarantine as part of a trial program starting on March 14. This date could even be brought forward if the number of Covid infections in Bali drops as early as next week. This program is aimed at fully vaccinated travelers who have received their booster shots. ... Read the article

Thailand: 2nd PCR test abolished from March 1

This Wednesday, February 23, 2022, the "Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration" (CCSA) has decided to abolish the requirement for a second PCR test on day 5 under the Test and Go quarantine exemption program to enter Thailand. As of March 1, 2022, this second test will no longer be mandatory, and ... Read the article

Philippines: border reopening scheduled for February 10

Foreign nationals from 157 countries that are fully vaccinated and not subject to visa requirements (including France) will once again be able to travel to the Philippines from February 10, 2022, the Philippine government has announced. The country of 7,000 islands has decided to follow in the footsteps of its neighbors, Thailand and Indonesia, ... Read the article

Indonesia reopens its borders to French travelers

Despite a steady increase in cases of Covid-19 in Indonesia this month, attributed by health authorities to the Omicron variant, the destination of Bali will once again welcome French travellers from Friday February 4. To travel to Bali, travelers will need to undergo a PCR test and a quarantine period ranging from 5 to ... Read the article

Thailand Pass: elimination of quarantine for certain vaccinated travellers

Thailand has an unfortunate reputation for making entry into the country extremely complicated. This improves (slightly) on November 1 with the introduction of the Thailand Pass, which will partially replace the Certificate of Entry (COE). This compulsory document will enable you to upload all the necessary documents (hotel, flight, etc.), which will be processed in ... Read the article

Singapore reopens to the French on Vaccinated Travel Lane

Cases of Covid-19 are exploding. But that hasn't stopped the French government from classifying it as "green", and Singapore from announcing the reopening of flights to new destinations, including France, for those vaccinated without quarantine. Singapore Airlines has already scheduled 4 weekly flights from Paris. From October 20, French travellers will have to comply with certain ... Read the article

Mongolia: e-Visa now available

Even if a mandatory 14-day quarantine complicates the stay, the Mongolian government has launched its e-Visa application website, a huge change in the country's tourism policy. 36 countries, including EU members, Australia, China, the UK, Switzerland and South Korea, can apply for this 100% document by ... Read the article

India officially allows tourists from October 15

We announced it to you a short while ago. The Indian government has decided to once again accept tourists on its soil after an 18-month suspension. The opening will take place in two phases: from October 15, 2021, tourists from certain countries under bilateral agreements will be accepted via charter flights ... Read the article

Soon, 500,000 free visas for India

When travel restrictions for tourists are lifted in India, the first 500,000 tourist visas issued will be free of charge. This is part of the measures taken by the Ministry of Finance to help revive the country's tourism sector. For the time being, it has not been specified whether this measure concerns classic visas ... Read the article

Hong Kong: facial recognition at border crossings

The Immigration Department has announced that facial recognition technology will be available at more border crossings later this year to facilitate "contactless" travel. The technology will allow residents to pass through immigration checkpoints by looking at a camera after using their ID cards or QR codes generated through ... Read the article

India reintroduces e-Visas for non-tourists

Despite an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases in India, and a forthcoming generalized containment in France, India has decided to relaunch online visas for "business", "conference" and "medical" reasons (i.e. excluding tourism). Even if leaving the country is always complicated, business travel could be one of the imperative reasons for going ... Read the article

Kazakhstan opts for a visa-free policy

Nursultan officials have announced the Government's intention to abolish visa requirements for foreign visitors. The move is designed to boost foreign tourism to the country and make it a more attractive location for cross-border investment in the age of Covid-19.

Mongolia launches its electronic visa for 2021

Following in the footsteps of Kenya and Russia, Mongolian deputies decided to change the concept of visa issuance during their last parliamentary session of 2020. The health crisis linked to COVID-19 has prompted the authorities to consider new methods for issuing visas.

China: compulsory health QR code to enter the country

In order to ensure the health and safety of international travelers and reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19, the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in France has announced in a press release that all travelers wishing to visit China will be required to present a negative PCR or serological test accompanied by a QR ... Read the article

India visas: a gradual return to normal

Good news! On Thursday October 22, the Indian Government announced the immediate reinstatement of all conventional visas, with the exception of Tourism, Medical Tourism and e-visas. The announcement comes almost 8 months after the total closure of the country's borders following the global pandemic of COVID-19. ... Read the article

Electronic visa for Indonesia coming soon

The opening of Indonesia's borders will be accompanied by the launch of an e-Visa to facilitate arrivals in the country. Immigration authorities have announced the launch of the e-Visa on October 15. Initially, this e-Visa will be reserved for nationals of countries that have signed an agreement, such as South Korea, China, the United Arab Emirates and ... Read the article