China extends visa-free policy to 9 more countries — including South Korea

China extends visa-free policy to 9 more countries — including South Korea

From Friday, citizens of nine more countries can enter China without needing a visa to visit. Holders of ordinary passports from eight countries in Europe — Slovakia, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Andorra, Monaco and Liechtenstein — as well as South Korea can visit for business or leisure purposes for up to 15 days without needing … Read more

Sri Lanka visa problem was a ‘technical issue’ says tourism minister

Sri Lanka visa problem was a ‘technical issue’ says tourism minister

The cost to obtain a short-term visa to visit Sri Lanka rose from $50 to $100 in April. But the reason for it is disputed. The price hike followed Sri Lanka’s transition from using internal Electronic Travel Authorizations, or ETAs, to an e-visa system operated by the visa processing company VFS Global. Sri Lanka’s Tourism … Read more

Best passports in the world? See the 2024 Nomad Passport Index

Best passports in the world? See the 2024 Nomad Passport Index

Many passport rankings focus on one factor: visa-free travel. But passport strength is more complex than this, according to the tax and immigration consulting firm Nomad Capitalist. That’s why it produces a weighted annual index that analyzes five criteria: Visa-free travel — 50% Taxation — 20% Global perception —10% Ability to hold dual citizenship — … Read more

Don’t let this passport quirk upend your next vacation

Don’t let this passport quirk upend your next vacation

Fatcamera | E+ | Getty Images Passport processing times are back to normal after big delays in 2023, making it less likely travelers will miss a trip because of a stalled renewal. However, another common passport snafu threatens to upend your trip overseas — and it involves passports that haven’t yet expired but are close … Read more

U.S. passport delays have eased — but aren’t yet back to normal

U.S. passport delays have eased — but aren’t yet back to normal

Tooga | Digitalvision | Getty Images Long delays to get a new U.S. passport have eased from earlier in 2023 but haven’t yet returned to their pre-pandemic baseline. As of Nov. 6, the U.S. State Department is processing routine passport applications in seven to 10 weeks, the agency said. It’s processing expedited applications — which … Read more

Traveling to every country on one of the worst passports in the world

Traveling to every country on one of the worst passports in the world

Maliha Fairooz said her first memory of traveling was from Bangladesh to London when she was four years old.  “Most kids, when they’re on an airplane, they’re crying and throwing tantrums,” she said. “But not me — I was so excited. I remember flying through the clouds, looking down at the sky and thinking ‘I’m … Read more