If you are plotting your subsequent journey out of India, it’s a good suggestion to do your homework on some revised guidelines and bulletins on international travel. From visa payment hikes and new arrival formalities to up to date border procedures and new flight routes, a number of adjustments have come into impact or are on the horizon for Indian travellers. Some could have an effect on how a lot you spend, others the way you transit or enter a vacation spot. Here are 5 current international travel updates value realizing earlier than you ebook your subsequent journey.
France drops airport transit visa requirement for Indians
Indian travellers transiting via France have one much less visa hurdle to fret about. Effective 10 April 2026, Indian nationals holding atypical passports now not want an airport transit visa when passing via the international zone of French airports en path to a 3rd nation. The exemption applies so long as passengers stay inside the international transit zone throughout their layover, making connections via French hubs easier and doubtlessly increasing routing choices for Indian flyers.
Vietnam requires digital immigration declaration for travellers to Ho Chi Minh City
Under rules issued by the Vietnam Immigration Department, passengers arriving at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City should now full a digital immigration declaration previous to arrival, efficient 15 April 2026. The new rule doesn’t substitute the e-visa requirement however provides an extra step, particularly for these arriving in Ho Chi Minh City. The requirement applies to overseas passport holders besides transit passengers, so these solely connecting via Vietnam are unaffected. Passengers coated underneath the rule are required to submit their private and travel particulars earlier than arrival, both on-line earlier than departure by way of the official immigration portal or on arrival utilizing a QR code accessible inside the immigration space on the airport. Read more on Condé Nast Traveller.
Akasa Air introduces direct flights from Mumbai to Hanoi in Vietnam
Akasa Air is increasing its international footprint with the launch of direct flights to Hanoi, saying Vietnam because the airline’s seventh international vacation spot. Starting 4 September 2026, the service will function 4 weekly flights between Mumbai and Hanoi, opening up one other direct possibility for Indian travellers heading to Southeast Asia. Bookings are already open throughout Akasa’s web site, app and travel platforms.
Schengen’s new Entry/Exit System is now absolutely in place
On 10 April 2026, the Entry/Exit System (EES) changed the previous passport stamping course of for most non-European travellers. When you cross the border for the primary time underneath the EES, you will want to supply your private knowledge. Instead of getting your passport stamped, passport management officers will take a photograph of your face and/or scan your fingerprints, which will likely be recorded in a digital file. Once you may have crossed EES-participating borders greater than as soon as from the system launch, your biometric knowledge, which might have already been recorded, will merely have to be verified by passport management officers. The European Union is introducing the EES as a part of a wider transfer to modernise and safe its exterior borders. Replacing bodily passport stamps with an automatic document is predicted to make border checks extra environment friendly, scale back human error and make it simpler for authorities to confirm travel histories. It may even assist observe visa overstays and stop misuse of visa-free travel. After launching in October 2025 and rolling out progressively over six months, the system is now absolutely in place throughout 29 Schengen international locations. Read more on Condé Nast Traveller.
Thailand hikes visa charges for prolonged stays
For years, Indian travellers have loved straightforward, visa-free entry to Thailand for stays of as much as 60 days, one of many key causes it stays a go-to for fast international holidays. However, these trying to keep longer—whether or not for work, examine or a number of visits—will quickly face higher visa prices, with a revised payment construction confirmed by the Royal Thai Embassy coming into impact on 27 April 2026. The adjustments apply throughout vacationer, enterprise and long-stay visa classes, that means that whereas the headline visa-free profit stays intact, anybody who truly wants a visa will now should funds considerably extra. The new visa prices are Rs3,000 for a single-entry vacationer visa, Rs13,500 for a multiple-entry vacationer visa, and Rs2,500 for a transit visa. Non-immigrant visas begin at Rs7,000 and go as much as Rs30,000 for long-duration multiple-entry permits, whereas SMART visas vary from Rs30,000 to Rs1.2 lakh relying on validity, and Long-Term Resident visas can value as much as Rs1.4 lakh. Read more on Condé Nast Traveller.