If you are heading overseas in the coming months, your pre-departure checklist just got a little longer.
Several major tourist destinations have quietly updated their entry requirements, introducing new digital forms, health declarations, and shifted visa rules. The days of simply showing up at a foreign immigration desk with nothing but a valid passport and a smile are increasingly behind us—digital arrival cards and electronic authorizations are quickly becoming the new global standard.
Here is exactly what American travelers need to know to navigate these new rules and avoid getting turned away at the boarding gate.
1. Vietnam: The New Digital Arrival Card
The Change: A mandatory Digital Arrival Card is now required before you clear immigration.
If you are flying into Vietnam via Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN), you can no longer skip this step. Vietnam has replaced the old paper arrival slip with a mandatory electronic declaration that generates a QR code to speed up border processing.
How it works: You must fill out the form online up to 72 hours before your arrival in Vietnam. It is completely free and asks for your passport info, flight details, purpose of visit, and where you are staying. The catch: The Immigration Department strongly advises completing this pre-arrival form before your departure to avoid delays. You need this form even if you are just transferring through Ho Chi Minh City to another domestic flight in Vietnam, as transit passengers are only exempt if they are staying in the airside transit area.
Where to get it: The official government portal is prearrival.immigration.gov.vn. Watch out for third-party sites trying to charge you a fee.
2. India: The Return of Air Suvidha
The Change: A mandatory health self-declaration form (Air Suvidha 2.0) is back.
Following a WHO alert regarding an Ebola outbreak in parts of Africa, India has temporarily brought back mandatory health screening for all arriving international passengers. Importantly, there is no outbreak in India; this is purely a precautionary border measure.
How it works: You have to fill out the form online up to 24 hours before you land. You will need to detail your recent travel history and list any potential exposure or symptoms.
The catch: This health declaration applies to all travelers regardless of nationality or final city in India, including passengers transiting through hubs such as Singapore, Dubai, or Kuala Lumpur on their way to India. Airlines may check for this submission at the boarding gate, and you must be able to show the confirmation receipt upon arrival. If you don’t have it saved on your phone or printed, you could face issues.
Where to get it: Fill it out for free at airsuvidha.civilaviation.gov.in
3. Sri Lanka: A Free Visa Win
The Change: The government fee for the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) has been completely waived for Americans.
Good news for your wallet: Sri Lanka has dropped the application fee for its tourist e-visa for travelers from 40 countries, including the US, UK, and Australia.
How it works: You still absolutely must apply for the ETA before you arrive. You just don’t have to pay the processing fee anymore.
The catch: The free visa is valid for 30 days and allows for double entry. If you want to stay longer, you will have to apply for a visa extension upon payment of the applicable visa fee. Be careful, as many third-party websites will try to charge you this fee even though it is now free; only use the official portal at eta.gov.lk.
4. Thailand: Slashing Visa Exemption Times
The Change: Visa-free stays are being slashed from 60 days back down to 30 days for many Western travelers.
Thailand recently approved a major restructuring of its visa exemption policy. While the exact enforcement date depends on when the rule is formally published in the Royal Gazette (taking effect 15 days after publication), the writing is on the wall for long-term travelers.
How it works: Visitors from 59 countries and territories will soon be capped at a 30-day stay upon arrival, rather than the 60 days they have enjoyed recently.
The catch: If you were planning to spend two months backpacking through Chiang Mai and the southern islands, you will soon need to apply for a formal tourist visa in advance or plan for a border run.
5. The Bahamas: Testing Digital Customs
The Change: The country is testing a new digital arrival card to replace the old paper customs and immigration forms.
The Bahamas is slowly modernizing its borders. They have launched a pilot program that combines immigration and customs into a single digital form.
How it works: Right now, this is only a “soft launch.” The digital card is only available for select visitors arriving on specific flights.
The catch: Because they haven’t published a master list of which flights qualify, you shouldn’t panic if you can’t find the form online before your trip. If your airline doesn’t prompt you to use the new digital system, you will simply fill out the traditional paper cards while on the airplane.
Stay Ahead of the Curve
Heading abroad this summer? Do not let a paperwork error ruin your trip before it even begins. Ensure you are fully prepared by checking the absolute latest entry requirements, mandatory tourist fees, and breaking travel alerts here on the Traveler Dashboard
Summer 2026 Entry Rules
Enter your email address to subscribe to Travel Off Path’s latest travel news, straight to your inbox