Travel trends report · 2027 edition · October 2026

Travel formalities: what's about to change

10 trends observed in our applications, cross-checked against border news, to get ahead of the year to come.

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In 2026, 7 applications in 10 we handled were for travellers who didn't need a visa. They still had a formality to complete.

Travelling visa-free no longer means travelling formality-free.

Visamundi key figures 2026

What our applications tell us

69%

of applications are for an authorisation for visa-exempt travellers

“Visa-free” has become a formality

42min

average issuing time for a UK ETA

An ETA is almost instant…

8.6days

average issuing time for a Tanzanian e-Visa

… an African e-Visa can take over a week

23%

of applications filed less than 7 days before arrival

One traveller in four leaves it to the last minute

8%

of scanned passports expire in less than 6 months

Passport validity is still the number one trap

4%

of passport numbers typed in differ from the document

One typo is enough to void an authorisation

Scope: applications paid on the Visamundi platform, April to 15 October 2026. Processing times measured from submission to the authorities to issuance of the document.

Ten trends, three shifts

Contents

Each trend starts from a dated public fact, cross-checks it against what we measure in our applications, then offers a cautious projection for 2027 and a tip for travellers.

Trends 01 — 03

More formalities, higher fees

  1. 01The end of “visa-free” without paperwork
  2. 02Formality fees keep inflating
  3. 03Entry fees tuned to steer tourist flows

Trends 04 — 07

More control, more digital

  1. 04Digital vetting: what governments ask of travellers
  2. 05One destination, several formalities
  3. 06The smartphone becomes the border desk
  4. 07AI as a pre-check of the file

Trends 08 — 10

A less stable environment

  1. 08Regional visas: 2027 is the Gulf's test year
  2. 09Geopolitical volatility: the visa as a diplomatic tool
  3. 10Travellers going ever more “last minute”

01 — 03

More formalities, higher fees

Visa exemption now comes with paperwork, fees keep rising and governments use the price of entry to steer tourist flows.

More formalities, higher fees

Trend 01

The end of “visa-free” without paperwork

The facts

Since February 2026, the UK has denied boarding to visa-exempt travellers without an ETA. Europe's ETIAS is expected to slip to 2027, and Japan's JESTA is planned for 2028.

2027 outlook

By 2028, almost every major destination for Western travellers will require a prior authorisation. The main risk in 2027: being denied boarding out of ignorance, and confusing look-alike acronyms (EES, ETIAS, ETA).

3

major authorisation schemes by 2028: ETA, ETIAS, JESTA

’23’24’25’26’27’28
United Kingdom
European Union
Japan
  • United Kingdom · ETA launch
  • United Kingdom · Open to Europeans
  • United Kingdom · Strict enforcement
  • European Union · EES starts
  • European Union · EES complete
  • European Union · ETIAS expected (announced)
  • Japan · JESTA planned (announced)

At Visamundi

69% of our 2026 applications are for travellers who need no visa but an electronic authorisation. The UK leads, ahead of Israel and New Zealand.

Traveller tip

Never again assume “no visa = nothing to do”. Check which authorisation you need when you book, not at the airport.

More formalities, higher fees

Trend 02

Formality fees keep inflating

The facts

The UK ETA rose from £16 to £20 on 8 April 2026. The US ESTA went from $21 to $40, and US visa applicants now pay a $250 “visa integrity fee”.

2027 outlook

The rise will continue: authorisations have become a revenue line that travellers barely notice, and governments align with one another. The cost of formalities will become a budget item in its own right.

+90 %

increase in the US ESTA, from $21 to $40

Official fees per application

UK ETA

10 £
Oct 2023
16 £
Apr 2025
20 £
Apr 2026

US ESTA

14 $
before 2022
21 $
2022
40 $
Sep 2025

At Visamundi

These authorisations are charged per traveller, children included. A family of four combining the UK, the US and Canada already pays over €250 before buying a single ticket.

Traveller tip

When a price rise is announced and the authorisation lasts several years, apply before the new fee takes effect.

“Formalities are becoming a tool to steer flows, not just a control.”

More formalities, higher fees

Trend 03

Entry fees tuned to steer tourist flows

The facts

India's tourist e-Visa costs $10 from April to June, against $25 the rest of the year. Japan tripled its departure tax on 1 July 2026, from ¥1,000 to ¥3,000, to fund its fight against overtourism.

2027 outlook

Discounts to fill the quiet months, taxes to slow down saturated destinations: the second lever is becoming the standard answer to overtourism. In 2027, expect levies to stack up, from the visa to the tourist tax.

×3

Japan's departure tax, from ¥1,000 to ¥3,000

India 30-day e-Visa, by month of arrival

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
10 $low season25 $rest of the year

Traveller tip

Budget for entry and departure taxes just like the visa. For India, apply between April and June, even for an autumn trip.

04 — 07

More control, more digital

The traveller's file grows, the phone becomes the border desk and automation no longer forgives mistakes.

Infographic · real processing times

“Issued in minutes”? Not everywhere.

Average time between submitting the file to the authorities and the document being issued, measured on our 2026 applications.

  1. Israel18 min
  2. United Kingdom42 min
  3. Saudi Arabia2.6 h
  4. New Zealand9.4 h
  5. Cape Verde9.5 h
  6. Kenya14.1 h
  7. Cameroon29.6 h
  8. South Korea3.9 d
  9. Côte d'Ivoire3.9 d
  10. Russia5.9 d
  11. Tanzania8.6 d

Source: Visamundi database, applications from April to mid-October 2026. Times vary with nationality, season and any manual review; they exclude the time spent preparing the file.

More control, more digital

Trend 04

Digital vetting: what governments ask of travellers

The facts

The United States has proposed making it mandatory for ESTA applicants to declare five years of social media, along with five years of phone numbers and ten years of email addresses.

2027 outlook

Applying for an authorisation is turning into a full profiling file. In 2027, ETIAS will in turn ask about criminal records. Honesty and consistency become the first acceptance criterion.

5 ans

of social media history requested in the ESTA proposal

ESTA proposal: years of history requested

Email addresses10 years
Social media5 years
Phone numbers5 years

At Visamundi

Every new data point lengthens the form and multiplies the chances of error, which is why we check every file before submission.

Traveller tip

Answer accurately and completely. An omission or inconsistency now weighs more than an awkward answer.

More control, more digital

Trend 05

One destination, several formalities

The facts

For India: the e-Visa, then the e-Arrival Card within 72 hours of arrival, then the Air Suvidha 2.0 health declaration. In Zanzibar, a $44 insurance comes on top of the Tanzanian e-Visa, even for travellers who already have cover.

2027 outlook

The visa is no longer “the” formality but the first on a list, each step with its own portal and filing window. The risk: thinking you're sorted with your e-Visa while one or two steps remain.

1 sur 2

add the arrival card (India) or Zanzibar insurance to their e-Visa

India

3formalities

  1. 1e-Visa · 120 to 4 days before
  2. 2e-Arrival Card · 72 h before
  3. 3Air Suvidha · health declaration
Zanzibar

2formalities

  1. 1Tanzania e-Visa
  2. 2Zanzibar insurance · $44
Thailand

1formality

  1. 1Arrival card + health · 72 h before

At Visamundi

Travellers don't refuse these extra steps: they discover them late, and would rather hand them over.

Traveller tip

List every formality for the destination, not just the visa, with the filing window for each.

“The phone is becoming the border desk.”

More control, more digital

Trend 06

The smartphone becomes the border desk

The facts

The US plans to make the ESTA Mobile app the only way to apply. The UK ETA can be requested through an official app, and the EU already offers “Travel to Europe” to pre-register for the EES.

2027 outlook

The official app checks identity, takes the application and notifies the decision. Chip reading and selfies make fraud harder but create a dependency: without a recent NFC phone, things get complicated. And fake apps will follow the path of fake websites.

NFC

passport chip read by the phone: the new standard

  1. Selfie
  2. Chip scan
  3. Submission
  4. Decision

Traveller tip

Only download the app from the link on the government website. Travel with an NFC-capable phone, charged, and able to receive notifications abroad.

More control, more digital

Trend 07

AI as a pre-check of the file

The facts

Authorities process electronic authorisations in a largely automated way: a mistake is no longer caught by an officer, it triggers a refusal or a request for more information.

2027 outlook

AI won't predict a government's decision. But many refusals stem from avoidable mistakes: a non-compliant photo, a passport close to expiry, a mistyped number. Automated checks before submission will become the norm.

8 %

of passports checked expired less than six months after upload

Out of 100 documents checked in 2026

  • 8expire within 6 months
  • 4mistyped numbers

At Visamundi

Our AI checks every document before submission. In 2026, 8% of ID documents expired less than six months after upload, and 4% of typed numbers didn't match the scanned document.

Traveller tip

Check your passport's expiry date before applying, and copy its number straight from the document.

08 — 10

A less stable environment

Regional blocs, visa diplomacy and last-minute bookings: the rules are moving, and so are travellers.

A less stable environment

Trend 08

Regional visas: 2027 is the Gulf's test year

The facts

In September 2026, the GCC Secretary General announced that the unified tourist visa for the six Gulf states would launch “soon”, with no date. In South-East Asia, the Philippines is pushing for a Schengen-style ASEAN visa.

2027 outlook

The Gulf visa has a good chance of launching, probably in stages. It would end the headache of Dubai–Oman–Qatar combined tours. For ASEAN, bilateral deals are more realistic than a common visa in the short term.

6 pays

one tourist visa: the Gulf project

Six immigration systems, one tourist visa?

Saudi Arabia
United Arab Emirates
Qatar
Oman
Bahrain
Kuwait
Unified Gulf visa

Traveller tip

Until the unified visa launches, each Gulf state keeps its own rules: one visa per destination.

A less stable environment

Trend 09

Geopolitical volatility: the visa as a diplomatic tool

The facts

Formalities follow diplomatic news: tightening, reciprocity, but also strategic openings. China has extended its 30-day visa exemption for France until 31 December 2026.

2027 outlook

Entry rules will change more often, with less notice, and can shift between booking and departure. Demand, meanwhile, swings from one corridor to another as conflicts unfold.

30 jours

visa-free in China for French citizens, until 31 December 2026

Middle East share of our applications

April 2026
8 %
Sept 2026
38 %

At Visamundi

The Middle East went from 8% of our applications in April 2026 to 38% in September, driven by Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Traveller tip

Re-check entry requirements and travel advisories a few days before departure, not just when booking.

“Between the promise of instant approval and real processing times, more trips at risk.”

A less stable environment

Trend 10

Travellers going ever more “last minute”

The facts

An authorisation “issued in minutes” makes people feel they can deal with it the day before. Geopolitical uncertainty and high airfares also push people to book later.

2027 outlook

Last minute is becoming the norm, but not every formality allows it: an ETA comes through in under an hour, a Tanzanian e-Visa in over eight days. ETIAS will illustrate the gap, with part of the applications reviewed manually.

6 → 16 %

of applications filed less than 3 days before arrival, April to October 2026

Share of applications filed shortly before arrival, 2026 (%)

23
6
Apr
25
9
May
30
13
Jun
28
13
Jul
23
10
Aug
24
10
Sep
30
16
Oct*
under 7 daysunder 3 days* October up to the 15th

Traveller tip

Apply as soon as you buy your ticket, even for an authorisation said to be instant. For an e-Visa, allow at least two weeks.

Foreword

“The border no longer starts at the airport. It starts on the traveller's phone, sometimes weeks before departure.”
Sébastien CouixFounder and CEO of Visamundi

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PDF · 24 pages · 4.8 MB

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Methodology

Each trend combines a dated public fact, published by the press or a government, an observation measured on the applications handled by Visamundi, and a projection limited to what can reasonably happen in 2027. Destination shares reflect Visamundi's activity, not the overall market.

These projections are Visamundi's own, a private travel-formalities agency, and are not official announcements. Entry rules change fast: always check the requirements in force before you travel.

Media cited in the report

  • Euronews
  • The Local
  • Korea JoongAng Daily
  • Axios
  • The Standard
  • Nippon.com
  • Outlook India
  • Business Today
  • New Straits Times
  • Khaleej Times
  • Daily Tribune
  • Gulf News
  • L'Écho touristique
  • Korea Times