Visa requirements for Sammarinese citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of San Marino. As of July 2023, San Marino citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 173 countries and territories, ranking the San Marino passport 19th in terms of travel freedom according to the Henley Passport Index. [1] Currently (as of 2020) the San Marino passport is one of the four European "ordinary" passports to provide visa-free access to the People's Republic of China.
Besides the Sammarinese passport, there are only 3 other passports that provide either visa-free entry or entry via an electronic visa or travel authorisation to the world's four largest economies: China (visa-free, 90 days), India (e-Visa, 60 days), the European Union (visa-free, 90 days within 180 days), and the United States (ESTA required for arrivals by air and sea, 90 days): those of Brunei, Taiwan, Singapore.
San Marino and Russia signed a visa-free agreement on 2 December 2021, [2] however it has not been implemented yet.
Country | Visa requirement | Allowed stay | Notes (excluding departure fees) |
---|---|---|---|
Afghanistan | Visa required [3] | ||
Albania | Visa not required [4] | 90 days | |
Algeria | Visa required [5] | ||
Andorra | Visa not required [6] | ||
Angola | Visa required [7] | ||
Antigua and Barbuda | Visa not required [8] | 1 month | |
Argentina | Visa not required [9] | 90 days | |
Armenia | Visa not required [10] | 180 days | |
Australia | eVisitor [11] | 90 days |
|
Austria | Visa not required [12] | 90 days |
|
Azerbaijan | Visa required [13] | ||
Bahamas | Visa not required [14] | 8 months | |
Bahrain | eVisa / Visa on arrival [15] | 14 days | |
Bangladesh | Visa on arrival [16] | 30 days | |
Barbados | Visa not required [17] | 6 months | |
Belarus | Visa not required [18] | 30 days [19] |
|
Belgium | Visa not required [21] | 90 days |
|
Belize | Visa not required [22] | 90 days | |
Benin | eVisa / Visa on arrival [23] [24] | 30 days / 8 days |
|
Bhutan | Visa required [25] | ||
Bolivia | Visa on arrival [26] | ||
Bosnia and Herzegovina | Visa not required [27] | 90 days |
|
Botswana | Visa not required [28] | 90 days | |
Brazil | Visa not required [29] | 90 days | |
Brunei | Visa required [30] | ||
Bulgaria | Visa not required [31] | 90 days |
|
Burkina Faso | Visa required [32] | ||
Burundi | Visa required [33] | ||
Cambodia | eVisa / Visa on arrival [34] | 30 days |
|
Cameroon | Visa required [36] | ||
Canada | Visa not required [37] | 6 months | |
Cape Verde | Visa not required [39] | 30 days | |
Central African Republic | Visa required [40] | ||
Chad | Visa required [41] | ||
Chile | Visa not required [42] | 90 days | |
China | Visa not required [43] | 90 days | |
Colombia | Visa not required [44] | 180 days |
|
Comoros | Visa on arrival [45] | ||
Republic of the Congo | Visa required [46] | ||
Democratic Republic of the Congo | Visa required [47] | ||
Costa Rica | Visa not required [48] | 90 days | |
Côte d'Ivoire | eVisa [49] | 3 months |
|
Croatia | Visa not required [50] | 90 days |
|
Cuba | Tourist Card required [51] | ||
Cyprus | Visa not required [52] | 90 days |
|
Czech Republic | Visa not required [53] | 90 days |
|
Denmark | Visa not required [54] | 90 days |
|
Djibouti | eVisa [55] | 31 days | |
Dominica | Visa not required [56] | 21 days | |
Dominican Republic | Visa not required [57] | 90 days | |
Ecuador | Visa not required [58] | 90 days | |
Egypt | Visa on arrival [59] | 30 days | |
El Salvador | Visa not required [60] | 3 months | |
Equatorial Guinea | Visa required [61] | ||
Eritrea | Visa required [62] | ||
Estonia | Visa not required [63] | 90 days |
|
Eswatini | Visa not required [64] | 30 days | |
Ethiopia | eVisa [65] | up to 90 days |
|
Fiji | Visa required [66] | ||
Finland | Visa not required [67] | 90 days |
|
France | Visa not required [68] | 90 days |
|
Gabon | eVisa [69] |
| |
Gambia | Visa not required [70] | 90 days | |
Georgia | Visa not required [71] | 365 days / 1 year | |
Germany | Visa not required [72] | 90 days |
|
Ghana | Visa required [73] | ||
Greece | Visa not required [74] | 90 days |
|
Grenada | Visa not required [75] | 3 months | |
Guatemala | Visa not required [76] | 90 days | |
Guinea | eVisa [77] | 90 days | |
Guinea-Bissau | eVisa / Visa on arrival [78] | 90 days | |
Guyana | Visa required [79] | ||
Haiti | Visa not required [80] | 90 days | |
Honduras | Visa not required [81] | 3 months | |
Hungary | Visa not required [82] | 90 days |
|
Iceland | Visa not required [83] | 90 days |
|
India | e-Visa [84] | 60 days |
|
Indonesia | Visa on arrival [87] | 30 days |
|
Iran | Visa on arrival [88] | 15 days [89] | |
Iraq | eVisa [90] | ||
Ireland | Visa not required [91] | 90 days | |
Israel | Visa not required [92] | 3 months | |
Italy | Visa not required [93] | ||
Jamaica | Visa not required [97] | 90 days | |
Japan | Visa not required [98] | 90 days | |
Jordan | Visa on arrival [99] |
| |
Kazakhstan | Visa not required [101] | 30 days | |
Kenya | Electronic Travel Authorisation [102] | 3 months |
|
Kiribati | Visa required [103] | ||
North Korea | Visa required [104] | ||
South Korea | Visa not required [105] | 30 days | |
Kuwait | eVisa / Visa on arrival [106] | 3 months | |
Kyrgyzstan | Visa not required [107] | 60 days | |
Laos | eVisa / Visa on arrival [108] [109] | 30 days |
|
Latvia | Visa not required [113] | 90 days |
|
Lebanon | Visa on arrival [114] | 1 month |
|
Lesotho | Visa not required [115] | 90 days | |
Liberia | Visa required [116] | ||
Libya | Visa required [117] | ||
Liechtenstein | Visa not required [118] | 90 days |
|
Lithuania | Visa not required [119] | 90 days |
|
Luxembourg | Visa not required [120] | 90 days |
|
Madagascar | eVisa / Visa on arrival [121] | 90 days | |
Malawi | eVisa / Visa on arrival [122] [123] | 90 days | |
Malaysia | Visa not required [124] | 3 months | |
Maldives | Free visa on arrival [125] | 30 days | |
Mali | Visa required [126] | ||
Malta | Visa not required [127] | 90 days |
|
Marshall Islands | Visa required [128] | ||
Mauritania | Visa on arrival [129] |
| |
Mauritius | Visa not required [130] | 90 days | |
Mexico | Visa not required [131] | 180 days | |
Micronesia | Visa not required [132] | 30 days | |
Moldova | Visa not required [133] | 90 days |
|
Monaco | Visa not required [134] | ||
Mongolia | Visa required [135] | ||
Montenegro | Visa not required [136] | 90 days | |
Morocco | Visa not required [137] | 90 days | |
Mozambique | Visa on arrival [138] | 30 days | |
Myanmar | Visa required [139] | ||
Namibia | Visa required [140] | ||
Nauru | Visa required [141] | ||
Nepal | Visa on arrival [142] | 90 days | |
Netherlands | Visa not required [143] | 90 days |
|
New Zealand | Electronic Travel Authority [144] | 3 months |
|
Nicaragua | Visa not required [147] | 90 days | |
Niger | Visa required [148] | ||
Nigeria | Visa required [149] | ||
North Macedonia | Visa not required [150] | 90 days | |
Norway | Visa not required [151] | 90 days |
|
Oman | eVisa [152] | 30 days | |
Pakistan | eVisa [153] | 90 days | |
Palau | Free visa on arrival [154] | 30 days | |
Panama | Visa not required [155] | 180 days | |
Papua New Guinea | eVisa / Free visa on arrival [156] | 60 days | |
Paraguay | Visa required [157] | ||
Peru | Visa not required [158] | 183 days | |
Philippines | Visa not required [159] | 30 days | |
Poland | Visa not required [160] | 90 days |
|
Portugal | Visa not required [161] | 90 days |
|
Qatar | Visa not required [162] | 30 days | |
Romania | Visa not required [163] | 90 days |
|
Russia | eVisa [164] | 16 days |
|
Rwanda | eVisa / Visa on arrival [166] | 30 days | |
Saint Kitts and Nevis | eVisa [167] | ||
Saint Lucia | Visa not required [168] | 6 weeks | |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Visa not required [169] | 1 month | |
Samoa | Visa not required [170] | 60 days | |
São Tomé and Príncipe | Visa not required [171] | 15 days [172] [173] | |
Saudi Arabia | eVisa / Visa on arrival [174] [175] | 90 days | |
Senegal | Visa on arrival [176] | ||
Serbia | Visa not required [177] | 90 days | |
Seychelles | Free visitor's Permit on arrival [178] | 3 months | |
Sierra Leone | Visa required [179] | ||
Singapore | Visa not required [180] | 30 days | |
Slovakia | Visa not required [181] | 90 days |
|
Slovenia | Visa not required [182] | 90 days |
|
Solomon Islands | Free Visitor's permit on arrival [183] | 3 months | |
Somalia | Visa on arrival [184] |
| |
South Africa | Visa not required [185] | 90 days | |
South Sudan | Electronic Visa [186] | ||
Spain | Visa not required [188] | 90 days |
|
Sri Lanka | eVisa / Visa on arrival [189] | 30 days | |
Sudan | Visa required [190] | ||
Suriname | eVisa [191] | ||
Sweden | Visa not required [192] | 90 days |
|
Switzerland | Visa not required [193] | 90 days |
|
Syria | eVisa [194] | ||
Tajikistan | Visa not required [195] | 30 days |
|
Tanzania | eVisa / Visa on arrival [197] [198] | 3 months | |
Thailand | Visa not required [199] | 60 days | |
Timor-Leste | Visa on arrival [200] | 30 days | |
Togo | Visa on arrival [201] | 7 days | |
Tonga | Visa required [202] | ||
Trinidad and Tobago | Visa required [203] | ||
Tunisia | Visa not required [204] | 3 months | |
Turkey | Visa not required [205] | 3 months | |
Turkmenistan | Visa required [206] | ||
Tuvalu | Visa on arrival [207] | 1 month | |
Uganda | eVisa / Visa on arrival [208] |
| |
Ukraine | Visa not required [210] | 90 days |
|
United Arab Emirates | Visa on arrival [211] | 30 days | |
United Kingdom | Visa not required [212] | 6 months | |
United States | Visa Waiver Program | 90 days | |
Uruguay | Visa not required [214] | 90 days | |
Uzbekistan | Visa not required [215] | 30 days | |
Vanuatu | Visa not required [216] | 30 days | |
Vatican City | Visa not required [217] | ||
Venezuela | Visa not required [218] | 90 days | |
Vietnam | eVisa [219] | 30 days | |
Yemen | Visa required [220] | ||
Zambia | eVisa / Visa on arrival [221] | 90 days | |
Zimbabwe | eVisa / Visa on arrival [222] | 3 months |
|
Visa requirements for Sammarinese citizens for visits to various territories, disputed areas, partially recognised countries and restricted zones:
Visitor to | Visa requirement | Allowed stay |
---|---|---|
Asia - Europe | ||
Hong Kong | Visa not required [223] | 90 days |
Macao | Visa not required [224] | 30 days |
Kosovo | Visa not required [225] | 90 days [225] |
Taiwan | Visa not required | 90 days [226] |
Many countries require a minimum number of blank pages to be available in the passport being presented, typically one or two pages. [227] Endorsement pages, which often appear after the visa pages, are not counted as being valid or available.
Many African countries, including Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo, South Sudan, Uganda, and Zambia, require all incoming passengers older than nine months to one year [228] to have a current International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis, as does the South American territory of French Guiana. [229]
Some other countries require vaccination only if the passenger is coming from an infected area or has visited one recently or has transited for 12 hours in those countries: Algeria, Botswana, Cabo Verde, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Lesotho, Libya, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tunisia, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. [230] [231]
Very few countries, such as Paraguay, just require a valid passport on arrival.
However many countries and groupings now require only an identity card – especially from their neighbours. Other countries may have special bilateral arrangements that depart from the generality of their passport validity length policies to shorten the period of passport validity required for each other's citizens [232] [233] or even accept passports that have already expired (but not been cancelled). [234]
Some countries, such as Japan, [235] Ireland and the United Kingdom, [236] require a passport valid throughout the period of the intended stay.
In the absence of specific bilateral agreements, countries requiring passports to be valid for at least 6 more months on arrival include Afghanistan, Algeria, Anguilla, Bahrain, [237] Bhutan, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Curaçao, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, [238] Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Laos, Madagascar, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Peru, [239] Philippines, [240] Qatar, Rwanda, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tokelau, Tonga, Turkey, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Vanuatu, Venezuela, and Vietnam. [241]
Countries requiring passports valid for at least 4 months on arrival include Micronesia and Zambia.
Countries requiring passports with a validity of at least 3 months beyond the date of intended departure include Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Honduras, Montenegro, Nauru, Moldova and New Zealand. Similarly, the EEA countries of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, all European Union countries (except Ireland) together with Switzerland also require 3 months validity beyond the date of the bearer's intended departure unless the bearer is an EEA or Swiss national.
Countries requiring passports valid for at least 3 months on arrival include Albania, North Macedonia, Panama, and Senegal.
Bermuda requires passports to be valid for at least 45 days upon entry.
Countries that require a passport validity of at least one month beyond the date of intended departure include Eritrea, Hong Kong, Lebanon, Macau, the Maldives [242] and South Africa.
Some countries, including Australia, Canada, Fiji, New Zealand and the United States, [243] routinely deny entry to non-citizens who have a criminal record, while others impose restrictions depending on the type of conviction and the length of the sentence.
The government of a country can declare a diplomat persona non grata , banning them from entering the country or expelling them if they have already entered. In non-diplomatic use, the authorities of a country may also declare a foreigner persona non grata permanently or temporarily, usually because of unlawful activity. [244]
Kuwait, [245] Lebanon, [246] Libya, [247] Syria, [248] and Yemen [249] do not allow entry to people with passport stamps from Israel or whose passports have either a used or an unused Israeli visa, or where there is evidence of previous travel to Israel such as entry or exit stamps from neighbouring border posts in transit countries such as Jordan and Egypt.
To circumvent this Arab League boycott of Israel, the Israeli immigration services have now mostly ceased to stamp foreign nationals' passports on either entry to or exit from Israel (unless the entry is for some work-related purposes). Since 15 January 2013, Israel no longer stamps foreign passports at Ben Gurion Airport. Passports are still (as of 22 June 2017 [update] ) stamped at Erez when passing into and out of Gaza.[ citation needed ]
Iran refuses admission to holders of passports containing an Israeli visa or stamp that is less than 12 months old.
Several countries mandate that all travellers, or all foreign travellers, be fingerprinted on arrival and will refuse admission to or even arrest travellers who refuse to comply. In some countries, such as the United States, this may apply even to transit passengers who merely wish to change planes rather than go landside. [250]
Fingerprinting countries/regions include Afghanistan, [251] [252] Argentina, [253] Brunei, Cambodia, [254] China, [255] Ethiopia, [256] Ghana, Guinea, [257] India, Japan, [258] [259] Kenya (both fingerprints and a photo are taken), [260] Malaysia upon entry and departure, [261] Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, [262] Singapore, South Korea, [263] Taiwan, Thailand, [264] Uganda, [265] the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
Many countries also require a photo be taken of people entering the country. The United States, which does not fully implement exit control formalities at its land frontiers (although long mandated by its own legislation), [266] [267] [268] intends to implement facial recognition for passengers departing from international airports to identify people who overstay their visa. [269]
Together with fingerprint and face recognition, iris scanning is one of three biometric identification technologies internationally standardised since 2006 by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for use in e-passports [270] and the United Arab Emirates conducts iris scanning on visitors who need to apply for a visa. [271] [272] The United States Department of Homeland Security has announced plans to greatly increase the biometric data it collects at US borders. [273] In 2018, Singapore began trials of iris scanning at three land and maritime immigration checkpoints. [274] [275]
Visa requirements for Bosnia and Herzegovina citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Visa requirements for Mongolian citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Mongolia.
Visa requirements for Pakistani citizens are the requirements by other countries to obtain a visa before entry on an ordinary Pakistani Passport.
Visa requirements for Azerbaijani citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Azerbaijan.
Visa requirements for Bolivian citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Bolivia.
Visa requirements for Cameroonian citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Cameroon. As of 15 June 2024, Cameroonian citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 53 countries and territories, ranking the Cameroonian passport 89th in terms of travel freedom (tied with passports= from Angola according to the Henley & Partners Passport Index.
Visa requirements for Colombian citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Colombia.
Visa requirements for Cuban citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Cuba.
Visa requirements for Democratic Republic of the Congo citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Visa requirements for Moldovan citizens are administrative entry restrictions imposed on citizens of Moldova by the authorities of other states.
Visa requirements for Tuvaluan citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Tuvalu. As of 20 December 2020, Tuvaluan citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 127 countries and territories, ranking the Tuvaluan passport 45th in terms of travel freedom according to the Henley Passport Index.
Visa requirements for Vanuatu citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Vanuatu. As of 22 July 2024, Ni-Vanuatu had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 93 countries and territories.
Visa requirements for Tongan citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Tonga. As of 15 June 2024, Tongan citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 131 countries and territories, ranking the Tongan passport 42nd in terms of travel freedom according to the Henley Passport Index.
Visa requirements for Swiss citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Switzerland.
Visa requirements for Dominican Republic citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of the Dominican Republic. Along with Cuba and Haiti the Dominican republic passport is considered the weakest passport in Latin America for traveling. Despite several promises by the Government the Dominican Republic still doesn't have the biometric passport. In June 2024 the Government again promised the beginning of introduction of the biometric passports for February 2025. Since 2023 Dominicans can go visa free to Angola but it is not showed on the map.
Visa requirements for Zimbabwean citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Zimbabwe. As of 2 July 2019, Zimbabwean citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 64 countries and territories, ranking the Zimbabwean passport 80th in terms of travel freedom according to the Henley Passport Index.
Visa requirements for Andorra citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Andorra. As of 11 January 2024, Andorran citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 172 countries and territories, ranking the Andorran passport 19th in terms of travel freedom according to the Henley Passport Index.
Visa requirements for Guyanese citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Guyana.
Visa requirements for Central African citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Central African Republic. As of 2 July 2019, Central African Republic citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 49 countries and territories, ranking the Central African passport 94th in terms of travel freedom according to the Henley Passport Index.
Visa requirements for Chad citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of the Chad. As of 2 July 2019, Chadian citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 51 countries and territories, ranking the Chadian passport 92nd in terms of travel freedom according to the Henley Passport Index.
Many tourists, people on working holidays, and some students and workers coming to New Zealand must pay an International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) of NZD $35.
Australian citizens and permanent residents can visit, work and live in New Zealand. You do not need a visa before you travel to New Zealand.
The number of remaining blank pages a passport should have is also an issue. Some travellers have reported arriving with one or less than one full page left and waiting for hours at immigration, until an official reluctantly grants them entry. The FCO lists no hard and fast rules because, in many cases, there aren't any.
African countries that requires (sic) Yellow Fever vaccination certificate: Countries that require vaccination for all travellers older that 9 months or 1 year: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameron, Central African Republic, Congo, Côte d'lvoire, DRC, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Niger, Togo.
African countries that requires Yellow Fever vaccination certificate: Countries that requires (sic) vaccination for travellers from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission or transit for 12 hours in those countries: Algeria, Botswana, Cabo Verde, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Lesotho, Libya, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tunisia, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Passport valid for travel to the United States – Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your period of stay in the United States (unless exempt by country-specific agreements). Each individual who needs a visa must submit a separate application, including any family members listed in your passport.
Countries whose citizens are allowed to enter Turkey with their expired passports: 1. Germany – Passports expired within the last year / ID's expired within the last year, 2. Belgium - Passports expired within the last 5 years, 3. France - Passports expired within the last 5 years, 4. Spain - Passports expired within the last 5 years, 5. Switzerland - Passports expired within the last 5 years, 6. Luxemburg - Passports expired within the last 5 years, 7. Portugal - Passports expired within the last 5 years, 8. Bulgaria – Valid ordinary passport
Q: Do I need at least 6 months passport validity in order to enter Japan? A: Japan does not have any regulations relating to passport validity, so long as your passport will be valid until after you leave Japan.
You're not from an EEA country: you must have a valid passport to enter the UK. It should be valid for the whole of your stay.
Travellers heading west from the UK to New Zealand may soon be able to avoid the onerous requirement to clear US border control during the refuelling stop at Los Angeles airport (LAX). Unlike almost every other country in the world, the US insists on a full immigration check even for passengers who simply intend to re-board their plane to continue onwards to a foreign destination. Air New Zealand, which flies daily from Heathrow via Los Angeles to Auckland, says there are currently "strict requirements for travellers" in transit at LAX. Through passengers to Auckland on flight NZ1 or Heathrow on NZ2 must apply in advance for an ESTA (online visa) even though they have no intention of staying in the US. They also have to undergo screening by the Transportation Security Administration.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)Effective April 27, 2018, border control authorities at all of China's ports of entry, including its airports, will start collecting the fingerprints of all foreign visitors aged between 14 and 70. Diplomatic passport holders and beneficiaries of reciprocal agreements are exempted..
Will visitors still have their digital photo and fingerprints taken at the immigration desk on arrival? Yes, the need to have photos and fingerprints taken upon arrival is to authenticate that the person who applied for the Visa is the same person at the port of entry
While a requirement for a biometric entry-exit system has been in law for over a decade, it is not yet a reality. Many reasons for the long gestating development have been documented in BPC's 2014 report Entry-Exit System: Progress, Challenges, and Outlook, including the technological, operational, and cost challenges of creating exit systems and infrastructure where none exist today. However, many critics, especially in Congress, simply accused the Department of Homeland security of dragging its feet... the major operational, logistical, and technical challenge in implementing exit capability at our ports has been the land borders. Unlike airports and seaports, the land border environment is not physically controlled, there is no means to get advance information on who is arriving, and the sheer volume of travel—both vehicular and pedestrian—creates challenges in any system to not further exacerbate delays. While biometric exit for land vehicular traffic is still in the "what if" stage, CBP is moving ahead and piloting systems and technology to use with the large population of pedestrian crossers at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Long demanded by lawmakers in Congress, it is considered a critical step to developing a coherent program to curb illegal immigration, as historically about 30 percent to 40 percent of illegal immigrants in the United States arrived on tourist visas or other legal means and then never left, according to estimates by Homeland Security officials.
Efforts to determine whether visitors actually leave have faltered. Departure monitoring would help officials hunt for foreigners who have not left, if necessary. Domestic security officials say, however, it would be too expensive to conduct fingerprint or facial recognition scans for land departures.
The breach of privacy is probably the biggest threat to the biometric technique of iris recognition. Secondly, a device error can false reject or false accept the identity which can also have some heinous consequences. Lastly, the method isn't the most cost-effective one. It is complex and therefore expensive. Furthermore, the maintenance of devices and data can also be relatively burdensome. However, thanks to the oil money and spending ability of Dubai, they are economically equipped to effectively embrace this system.
Unlike with documents, it's very hard for a traveler to present a forged copy of a fingerprint or iris. That's why the U.S. Department of Homeland Security plans to vastly expand the amount of biometric data it collects at the borders. According to Passcode, a new program will ramp up a process to scan fingers and eyes in order to stop people entering and exiting the country on someone else's passport.
Singapore has started scanning travellers' eyes at some of its border checkpoints, its immigration authority said on Monday, in a trial of expensive technology that could one day replace fingerprint verification.
The iris technology could potentially scan irises covertly, as opposed to the scanning of thumbprints which necessitates active participation.