Mexico Unites Nigeria, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Egypt, And Libya To Launch Shocking New E-visa Schemes For 2026 — Tourists Warned To Watch For Hidden Rules

Published on November 3, 2025

The European Union is introducing nan European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) successful precocious 2026 arsenic a caller physics recreation licence for visa-exempt visitors. This is simply a brand-new strategy (not a visa, but a mandatory e-authorization) for short-term recreation (tourism, business, transit) to Schengen-area countries. EU officials person group a launch timeline of Q4 2026 for ETIASbal.com. Once successful effect, travelers from astir 60 visa-waiver countries will request to use online and person ETIAS support earlier their trip. An ETIAS authorization will beryllium valid for aggregate entries complete 3 years (or until passport expiry) and is expected to costs EUR 20joinsherpa.combal.com. This caller gateway is simply a important upgrade to EU separator control, complementing nan biometric Entry/Exit System (EES) that will beryllium operational by April 2026joinsherpa.com.

Mexico – New Tourist e-Visa Platform (Launching 2025–2026)

Mexico is launching a wholly caller electronic visa (e-Visa) platform to streamline introduction for visitors who require a visa. Starting pinch a aviator successful August 2025, nan Mexican authorities rolled retired an online visa exertion strategy for overseas visitors arriving by airmexiconewsdaily.com. This e-Visa (valid for single introduction up to 180 days) is intended for tourism, family visits, aliases taste purposes – it does not licence activity activitiesmexiconewsdaily.com. Travelers from countries that usually request a Mexican visa tin now use afloat online without visiting a consulatemexiconewsdaily.com. The strategy creates a integer visa pinch biometric information and allows approved visas to beryllium downloaded electronicallymexiconewsdaily.com. Initial implementation began successful 2025, and officials indicated nan level would beryllium afloat successful work by January 2026 for eligible tourer visasjoinsherpa.com. Notably, Mexico is besides reinstating e-Visas for Brazilian citizens: aft suspending them successful 2022, nan authorities announced that effective February 5, 2026, Brazilians tin again get Mexican visas electronically alternatively than via consulatesriviera-maya-news.com. These moves people a important modernization of Mexico’s visa process, aimed astatine boosting tourism by making recreation easier for visa-required nationalities.

Nigeria – New Comprehensive e-Visa System (Launched 2025)

Nigeria has overhauled its introduction visa process pinch a caller e-Visa system, which went unrecorded successful 2025 arsenic portion of nan country’s Visa Policy 2025. The Federal Government announced that from May 1, 2025, each visa applications would beryllium processed online via a centralized e-Visa platformsciencenigeria.com. This is simply a brand-new gateway replacing accepted visa stamps pinch physics approval. The e-Visa strategy covers visas for travelers visiting Nigeria (for business, tourism, etc.) and is complemented by digital Landing/Exit Cards to grounds entries and departuressciencenigeria.comsciencenigeria.com. Applicants use and salary online, and a centralized visa support halfway astatine Immigration office conducts information screenings (integrated pinch Interpol databases) earlier granting nan e-Visasciencenigeria.com. The caller process requires travelers to complete an online landing paper anterior to boarding flights, and an exit paper earlier departure, to guarantee compliance pinch visa conditionssciencenigeria.comsciencenigeria.com. This e-Visa rollout (with nary exertion fees, per officials) is aimed astatine some tightening separator security and simplifying travel. By 2026, Nigeria’s strategy is afloat operational, representing a important upgrade from its erstwhile visa-on-arrival and embassy visa processes.

South Africa – Transition to Digital ETA Visa System (Expansion of e-Visa)

South Africa is expanding its existing physics visa programme into a much precocious Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system. A fully digital, AI-powered ETA level launched successful September 2025 for short-term visitors from visa-required countriesiafrica.com. This is fundamentally an upgrade of South Africa’s e-Visa inaugural into a faster, much inclusive system. Initially nan ETA covers tourist visas (for stays nether 90 days) for nationals who antecedently needed a visaiafrica.com. The caller strategy promises near-instant approvals via mobile devices and will gradually switch nan older e-Visa portal for countries specified arsenic India, China, Nigeria, Russia, and others crossed Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europeiafrica.comiafrica.com. South Africa’s Home Affairs Ministry has indicated that more visa types (business, study, work, etc.) will beryllium added complete time, pinch nan eventual extremity that each visa categories beryllium disposable done nan online systembusinesstech.co.zabusinesstech.co.za. In 2023, nan authorities had already expanded nan e-Visa to 20 further countries and was improving nan platform’s stabilitybusinesstech.co.zabusinesstech.co.za. By 2026, nan caller ETA strategy is expected to beryllium afloat rolled out, making South Africa’s visa process wholly physics for astir nationalities – a important modernization aimed astatine reducing delays and attracting investors and tourists.

Saudi Arabia – New Instant e-Visa Portal (Launched Late 2025)

Saudi Arabia has introduced a new e-Visa gateway called nan KSA Visa platform, launched arsenic a aviator successful precocious 2025 to further digitize and grow its visa services. This platform, unveiled successful October 2025, offers a streamlined physics visa application for various sojourn purposestimesofindia.indiatimes.com. It fundamentally upgrades Saudi Arabia’s existing e-visa strategy (which began pinch tourer e-visas successful 2019) by adding caller visa categories and faster processing. Through nan KSA Visa portal, eligible travelers from complete 60 countries tin use online to visit family aliases friends, be events, execute Umrah (outside Hajj season), aliases circuit nan countrytimesofindia.indiatimes.comtimesofindia.indiatimes.com. The strategy provides some single-entry (90-day stay) and multiple-entry (1-year validity) e-visas, pinch applications processed successful arsenic small arsenic minutes to a fewer daystimesofindia.indiatimes.comtimesofindia.indiatimes.com. By consolidating each accusation and exertion steps digitally, nan level makes visiting Saudi Arabia easier than ever. It offers instant support for galore applicants – for instance, those from eligible countries aliases holding valid US/UK/Schengen visas tin get an e-visa issued to their email almost immediatelytimesofindia.indiatimes.comtimesofindia.indiatimes.com. The caller portal is simply a permanent upgrade to Saudi migration services going into 2026, reflecting nan Kingdom’s push to boost tourism and “people-to-people” connectionstimesofindia.indiatimes.com.

Sri Lanka – Expanded Free ETA Visa Scheme (2025–2026)

Sri Lanka is expanding its Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) strategy by broadening nan visa interest waiver programme for tourists. In July 2025, nan authorities announced plans to adhd 33 much countries to nan database of nationalities who are exempt from paying ETA fees for short visitsenglish.news.cn. (Previously, Sri Lanka granted free ETAs only to travelers from 7 countries, including India, China, Russia, and a fewer othersenglish.news.cn.) This description – efficaciously a free-visa strategy – is aimed astatine stimulating tourism recovery. While nan argumentation was approved successful 2025, its implementation faced ineligible delays: arsenic of precocious October 2025, nan required authorities gazette was awaiting parliamentary approvalenglish.news.cnenglish.news.cn. Officials expected nan free ETA hold to beryllium finalized wrong a period aliases twoenglish.news.cn, which suggests a rollout by nan extremity of 2025 aliases early 2026. Once successful effect, visitors from nan further 33 countries will beryllium capable to get Sri Lankan ETAs online at zero cost, making recreation much attractiveenglish.news.cn. This is an description of Sri Lanka’s existing e-visa/ETA strategy (not a caller platform), but it importantly widens nan scope by making visas free for galore much nationalities successful 2026.

Philippines – Broadened e-Visa Eligibility (Expansion successful 2025)

The Philippines has been gradually expanding its comparatively caller e-Visa system. Initially launched successful 2023 for Chinese nationals (and later Indian nationals), nan Philippine online visa level extended its scope successful late 2025 to screen European travelers. On September 29, 2025, nan Philippines expanded its e-Visa programme to nationals of 4 further countries: France, Austria, Greece, and nan Netherlandsdelightful.ph. Citizens of those countries tin now use online for a 9(a) Temporary Visitor’s Visa (for tourism aliases business) alternatively of going done consulatesdelightful.ph. This marks nan first description of nan Philippine e-Visa beyond Asia, reflecting an effort to pull much long-haul tourists. The e-Visa allows a enactment of 30 aliases 59 days and streamlines nan process by eliminating nan request to sojourn an embassytimesofindia.indiatimes.comtravelspan.in. As of 2025, a full of 12 countries are eligible for nan Philippines’ e-Visa (including India, China, respective ASEAN neighbors, and nan caller European additions)obnews.co. Further description s are likely, but moreover by 2026 this strategy remains targeted – it’s an upgrade of an existing program, making recreation easier for prime nationalities and reducing visa processing times.

Egypt – New On-Arrival e-Visa System and Extended Transit Visa Egypt is rolling retired a integer “e-Visa connected Arrival” strategy to make introduction easier for tourists.

Egypt has announced enhancements to its visa system, combining a new e-Visa connected Arrival service pinch an hold of its transit visa program. In May 2025, Egypt’s authorities revealed plans for an “emergency e-Visa connected arrival” aimed astatine simplifying last-minute tourer entriestravelobiz.com. This caller strategy – first launching astatine Cairo International Airport and past expanding to each 14 world airports – will let travelers from nan 78 countries eligible for Egypt’s modular e-Visa to get a tourer visa electronically upon arrivaltravelobiz.com. Instead of lining up for accepted visas, visitors tin usage self-service kiosks, a mobile app, aliases an online portal astatine nan airdrome to use and pay, receiving their e-visa support wrong minutestravelobiz.comtravelobiz.com. It’s fundamentally a fast-track integer visa for those who didn’t get 1 earlier travel. This on-arrival e-visa is an upgrade to Egypt’s existing e-Visa programme (which antecedently required online exertion before travel) and is portion of a broader push to double tourer numbers by 2028travelobiz.comtravelobiz.com.

In addition, Egypt has extended its 96-hour free transit visa strategy done April 2026travelobiz.com. This programme allows transit passengers of definite airlines (like EgyptAir) to time off nan airdrome and circuit nan state for up to 4 days visa-free, boosting short stopover visitstravelobiz.com. By continuing it into 2026, Egypt is encouraging much layover tourists. Together, nan caller on-arrival e-Visa and nan extended transit visa bespeak Egypt’s effort to modernize introduction formalities and pull much visitors pinch flexible, physics visa options.

Libya – New Tourist e-Visa System (Launched 2024)

Libya has precocious joined nan e-Visa inclination successful an effort to tie tourists. The internationally recognized authorities successful Tripoli launched an physics visa strategy connected March 21, 2024, which by 2025–2026 is nan superior method for visitors to get visasen.wikipedia.org. This brand-new e-Visa portal allows overseas travelers to use online and person a visa support earlier arriving, replacing nan aged request to get visas done Libyan embassies. The Libyan tourer e-Visa is simply a single-entry visa valid for 90 days (for a enactment of up to 30 days) and carries a interest of $63en.wikipedia.org. It is disposable to astir nationalities, pinch a fewer exceptions (citizens of definite countries successful conflict aliases without negotiated ties are ineligible)en.wikipedia.org. Applicants capable retired forms and upload documents connected nan evisa.gov.ly site, and erstwhile approved, they tin recreation to Libya and person a visa-on-arrival stamp. The preamble of this e-Visa gateway is simply a important improvement for Libya, which historically had a cumbersome visa process. By 2026, Libya’s e-Visa strategy is afloat operational, marking an opening-up of nan state – nan authorities hopes nan convenience of online visas will attract much world tourists and business visitors, contempt ongoing information considerationsvisaguide.world.