Is there an easy way to find out OTHER countries travel restrictions?

[MEL_Traveller]

FYI - I looked at both the IATA and TIMATIC sites this morning, and both contained out of date advice for the country I was looking for. Homepage | Smartraveller was more current.

Which country and how is it out of date? TIMATIC is used by airline check-in staff to determine whether or not you are allowed to board the plane (which visas you need, whether you are eligible for transit without visa, whether you need an electronic travel permit or visa, etc).

There may be additional restrictions once you arrive, determined by arrival immigration - for example that you must self-quarantine if you have been to a restricted area.

For example the TIMATIC entry for Australia reads:

Admission and Transit Restrictions:​

Passengers who have transited through or have been in China (People's Rep.) in the past 14 days are not allowed to transit or enter Australia. Information: This does not apply to the immediate family members of nationals of Australia. Information: This does not apply to airline crew.​

​

Passengers who have transited through or have been in Iran on or after 1 March 2020 are not allowed to enter Australia for 14 days, from the time they left or transited through Iran. Information: This does not apply to nationals of Australia, their immediate family members, permanent residents of Australia and their immediate family members.​

​

Passengers who have transited through or have been in Korea (Rep.) on or after 2100 AEDST 5 March 2020 are not allowed to enter Australia for 14 days, from the time they left or transited through Korea (Rep.). Information: This does not apply to nationals of Australia, their immediate family members, permanent residents of Australia and their immediate family members.​

This might in fact be more up to date than the smarttraveller website which doesn't have a restriction mentioned on their home page yet for South Korea: Coronavirus outbreak | Smartraveller (they only mention China and Iran so far).

 

[Jennifer Cook]

Which country and how is it out of date? TIMATIC is used by airline check-in staff to determine whether or not you are allowed to board the plane (which visas you need, whether you are eligible for transit without visa, whether you need an electronic travel permit or visa, etc).

There may be additional restrictions once you arrive, determined by arrival immigration - for example that you must self-quarantine if you have been to a restricted area.

For example the TIMATIC entry for Australia reads:

Admission and Transit Restrictions:​

Passengers who have transited through or have been in China (People's Rep.) in the past 14 days are not allowed to transit or enter Australia. Information: This does not apply to the immediate family members of nationals of Australia. Information: This does not apply to airline crew.​

​

Passengers who have transited through or have been in Iran on or after 1 March 2020 are not allowed to enter Australia for 14 days, from the time they left or transited through Iran. Information: This does not apply to nationals of Australia, their immediate family members, permanent residents of Australia and their immediate family members.​

​

Passengers who have transited through or have been in Korea (Rep.) on or after 2100 AEDST 5 March 2020 are not allowed to enter Australia for 14 days, from the time they left or transited through Korea (Rep.). Information: This does not apply to nationals of Australia, their immediate family members, permanent residents of Australia and their immediate family members.​

This might in fact be more up to date than the smarttraveller website which doesn't have a restriction mentioned on their home page yet for South Korea: Coronavirus outbreak | Smartraveller (they only mention China and Iran so far).

South Polynesia now requires a medical certificate for ALL foreign visitors, regardless of where you are travelling from or have been recently. This was only on Smart Traveller, and it has the links through to the Polynesian Health Ministery website for the information from the source. I think the message from all of this is to go to the source where recent changes are concerned.

I've not been a fan of the accuracy of TIMATIC since being refused entry to Brazil upon arrival due to a translation error that led to me being given inaccurate visa extension information by the airline.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

South Polynesia now requires a medical certificate for ALL foreign visitors, regardless of where you are travelling from or have been recently. This was only on Smart Traveller, and it has the links through to the Polynesian Health Ministery website for the information from the source. I think the message from all of this is to go to the source where recent changes are concerned.

I've not been a fan of the accuracy of TIMATIC since being refused entry to Brazil upon arrival due to a translation error that led to me being given inaccurate visa extension information by the airline.

The entry from TIMATIC for French Polynesia reads as follows:

Document Validity:​

Passports and other documents accepted for entry must be valid for a minimum of 3 months from the arrival date.​

​

Admission and Transit Restrictions:​

Passengers and airline crew who have been in Cambodia, China (People's Rep.), Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong (SAR China), India, Iran, Italy (Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy and Veneto regions), Japan, Korea (Rep.), Macao (SAR China), Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Philippines or Viet Nam in the past 30 days must have a medical certificate, dated from maximum 5 days before their arrival in French Polynesia. The medical certificate must confirm that the passenger is free from Coronavirus (COVID-19).​

​

Visitors must hold return/onward tickets. Information: Passengers leaving French Polynesia by private boat who do not have a return/onward ticket must obtain a guarantee letter from a shipping/fishing company. This does not apply to nationals of EEA Member States , Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, Switzerland and Vatican City.​

This appear to mostly mirror the direction issued by the French authorities: Renforcement des mesures prises par le gouvernement pour éviter l'entrée du coronavirus 2019-nCoV en Polynésie française - DSP , although the requirement for travellers from 'Asia, Japan and New zealand' needing a medical certificate not older than 15 days is missing. Although I wonder if this has been replaced by the more rigorous '5 day' requirements.

Not sure where smartraveller gets its advice that all travellers require the medical certificate... the link the provided (earlier in my post) does not support this, although as per edit below, the UA tool is far more general in its advice.

Understand your frustration re Brazil - but the airline's information on visa extensions is probably outside the remit of TIMATIC. That's there to determine if you are able to board based on your current status at the time of check-in.

Edited to add: interestingly the UA version of TIMATIC states:

French Polynesia - Destination Passport

Important:​

All passengers are recommended to present a medical certificate dated from maximum 5 days before their arrival in French Polynesia. The medical certificate must confirm that the passenger is free from Coronavirus (COVID-19).​

 

[Jennifer Cook]

The entry from TIMATIC for French Polynesia reads as follows:

Document Validity:​

Passports and other documents accepted for entry must be valid for a minimum of 3 months from the arrival date.​

​

Admission and Transit Restrictions:​

Passengers and airline crew who have been in Cambodia, China (People's Rep.), Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong (SAR China), India, Iran, Italy (Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy and Veneto regions), Japan, Korea (Rep.), Macao (SAR China), Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Philippines or Viet Nam in the past 30 days must have a medical certificate, dated from maximum 5 days before their arrival in French Polynesia. The medical certificate must confirm that the passenger is free from Coronavirus (COVID-19).​

​

Visitors must hold return/onward tickets. Information: Passengers leaving French Polynesia by private boat who do not have a return/onward ticket must obtain a guarantee letter from a shipping/fishing company. This does not apply to nationals of EEA Member States , Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, Switzerland and Vatican City.​

This appear to mostly mirror the direction issued by the French authorities: Renforcement des mesures prises par le gouvernement pour éviter l'entrée du coronavirus 2019-nCoV en Polynésie française - DSP , although the requirement for travellers from 'Asia, Japan and New zealand' needing a medical certificate not older than 15 days is missing. Although I wonder if this has been replaced by the more rigorous '5 day' requirements.

Not sure where smartraveller gets its advice that all travellers require the medical certificate... the link the provided (earlier in my post) does not support this, although as per edit below, the UA tool is far more general in its advice.

Understand your frustration re Brazil - but the airline's information on visa extensions is probably outside the remit of TIMATIC. That's there to determine if you are able to board based on your current status at the time of check-in.

Edited to add: interestingly the UA version of TIMATIC states:

French Polynesia - Destination Passport

Important:​

All passengers are recommended to present a medical certificate dated from maximum 5 days before their arrival in French Polynesia. The medical certificate must confirm that the passenger is free from Coronavirus (COVID-19).​

The UA site is correct, I suspect they are in the process of updating the information on the site, it's a few days old however.

The Brazil situation is too complicated to go into, but in summary, yes - it was meant to be fully outlined on TIMATIC, as it related to particular issues Brazil was having with visa processing in all countries at that time - and they admitted their fault to me, and refunded some of my costs, so they are not infallible, and its just something to be careful of in a dynamic and changing situation like this.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

The UA site is correct, I suspect they are in the process of updating the information on the site, it's a few days old however.

I see the issue. The new restrictions don't come into effect until 9 March. It's still 8 March in FP. Coronavirus: Air Tahiti Nui is implementing a procedure to simplify the travel of its customers.

Agree it is cutting it to the wire.

Seems like another source of current entry restrictions could be respective flag carriers.

 

[drron]

Some changes for Thailand.
.

Also advising on how to self quarantine.
.

 

[qaz]

Question: I was trying to look up OTHER countries travel restrictions. eg Thailand's. I don't want to be stuck in Thailand for 2 weeks because I've been to Italy. (Venice Rome Sorrento). So wondering if AFFers have a secret weapon...some Thunderbirds style database where all countries' travel restrictions are centrally monitored. ?

visit International SOS: 2019-nCoV Travel Restrictions, Flight Operations and Screening (source)


Note that whilst some travel insurance policies do not exclude pandemics, they still might not cover for:

• you failing to follow advice or act upon a warning:
  • from any government; or
  • from any offcial body; or
  • broadcast or published in mass media
• your participation in any dangerous activities
• any interference with your travel plans by any government, government regulation or prohibition or intervention or official authority
• your failure to take reasonable care

 

[jukebox333]

It may just be me, but I'm finding the advice on Cathay's website about entry into Japan slightly ambiguous:

Any passengers who arrive from the following countries are required to undergo a 14-day compulsory quarantine at a Government designated location and are not permitted to use public transportation in Japan.

• China (including mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR)
• Republic of Korea

Note: Passengers transiting from Hong Kong to Japan will also be required to undergo compulsory quarantine. (i.e. passengers on multi-leg flights from Hong Kong to Taipei, Taipei to Tokyo-Narita and Osaka-Kansai)
Visa issuance to Chinese nationals is suspended until further notice.

Now does a 2 hr stop airside for a change of flight in HKG make my PER-NRT trip a "transit from Hong Kong"? Right now I assume no, but I'd hate to arrive in Japan and be directed to quarantine... I assume this note is for the benefit of travellers who have been staying in Hong Kong and are continuing thier journey on to Japan via Taipei.

Thoughts? Experience? Advice?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I assume this note is for the benefit of travellers who have been staying in Hong Kong and are continuing thier journey on to Japan via Taipei.

That's how I'm reading it too. But who knows.

 

[RooFlyer]

Question: I was trying to look up OTHER countries travel restrictions. eg Thailand's. I don't want to be stuck in Thailand for 2 weeks because I've been to Italy. (Venice Rome Sorrento). So wondering if AFFers have a secret weapon...some Thunderbirds style database where all countries' travel restrictions are centrally monitored. ?

Smarttraveller is keeping me abreast of the travel restrictions into other countries. I got this today for instance:

India

In response to the coronavirus (COVID−19), India has announced all existing visas, including the visa-free travel facility for OCI card holders, will be suspended from 12:00 GMT 13 March until 15 April 2020 at the port of departure. Visas issued to diplomats, officials, UN/International organisations, employment and project visas are exempt. Contact your airline or travel agent regarding your travel arrangements. Visas for all foreigners currently in India remain valid. If you’ve compelling reasons to travel to India, contact your nearest Indian embassy or consulate. All incoming travellers will be medically screened on arrival. If you've visited China, Italy, Iran, South Korea, France, Spain or Germany on or since 15 February 2020, you'll be quarantined for a minimum of 14 days.
We haven't changed our advice level:
Exercise a high degree of caution in India overall.

You can set up alerts for any country you are interested in.

 

[drron]

Thailand is continuing to be a worry.Two days ago it announced no more visas for citizens of China,South Korea and Italy plus every arrival to self quarantine for 14 days plus download an app so the Thai authorities could monitor you.Yesterday they cancelled that advice.

 

[Flashback]

Thailand is a bit of a worry.They have a health minister who is a loose cannon.A couple of days ago he announced that people who had visited the countries with the 5 highest number of infections would not be allowed entry to thailand.A few hours later he was over ruled and only restrictions on China and parts of Korea.
Before that he threatened to deport any European who wasn't wearing a mask.
So what might happen in Thailand in the next few weeks is impossible to predict.

Some changes for Thailand.
View attachment 208890.

Also advising on how to self quarantine.
View attachment 208891.

Interesting they're saying passport holders ... it should really be people who have been in those countries recently.

Thailand is continuing to be a worry.Two days ago it announced no more visas for citizens of China,South Korea and Italy plus every arrival to self quarantine for 14 days plus download an app so the Thai authorities could monitor you.Yesterday they cancelled that advice.

Watching with interest as due to go there in a few weeks.

Another site that gives a reasonable overview/snapshot of current updates is BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-us-canada-51847128

 

[suze2000]

Lucky we're already in Thailand, as we came via SIN. The resort we are staying at has been quiet mostly, until today, when large numbers of what I assume to be Thais have arrived for the weekend.

 

[AIRwin]

Does the link below help?

IATA - International Travel Document News

Has this content changed since?

 

[jeza]

Has this content changed since?

I'd say so as the page looks completely different to what I remember. Australia for example appears to have been updated on the 15/5/20.

 

[drron]

Thailand has just announced their borders are now closed to Non citizens until the end of June.

Thailand Extends The Ban On Foreign Passenger Arrivals Until June 30, 2020

Thailand Foreign Arrivals Ban Extended To June 30th, 2020.

loyaltylobby.com

Though China and South Korea have been take off their risk list.

S Korea, China off risk list

Thailand has decided to remove South Korea as well as China and its Hong Kong and Macao territories from its list of Disease Infected Zones for Covid-19 as it further relaxes measures against the outbreak by allowing more businesses, including shopping malls, to reopen on Sunday.

www.bangkokpost.com