A Comprehensive Analysis of Last Month’s Changes in International Relations and Travel Arrangements Across the Globe
- Europe
Named relevant jurisdictions: Serbia, Turkey, Switzerland, Vanuatu, Ukraine, Indonesia - Americas
Named relevant jurisdictions: United States, Israel - Middle East
Named relevant jurisdictions: Kazakhstan, Qatar, Iran - Asia
Named relevant jurisdictions: Thailand, Saudi Arabia, India and Indonesia - Caribbean
Named relevant jurisdictions: St Kitts and Nevis, Benin
Europe
On 9 June 2022, Serbia announced that it had completed preparations to lift visa requirements for travel with Turkey. An expected agreement between Belgrade and Ankara will enable citizens of the two countries to “cross state borders with a valid biometric ID card to improve and facilitate the movement of people and goods,” said a statement from the government.
On 10 June 2022, Switzerland announced that it has decided to no longer permit to enter the country visa-free Vanuatu citizens whose passports were issued on or after May 25, 2015. The press release stated the following: “The EU has decided to temporarily suspend the visa exemption for nationals of Vanuatu. The reason is that the number of passports issued as part of the “Citizenship-by-Investment” program in Vanuatu has increased significantly since 2015.” The temporary suspension is to be in place until 3 February 2023.
On 29 June 2022, Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi and her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba signed an agreement on visa-free travel. The agreement allows visa-free travel for Ukrainian citizens to visit Indonesia for up to 30 days. This also applies to Indonesians arriving in Ukraine for a period of up to 30 days within 60 days.
Carribean
On 2nd June 2022, the Embassy of Saint Kitts and Nevis in Havana welcomed His Excellency Boniface Vignon of the Republic of Benin, who, together with SKN’s resident ambassador Her Excellency Mrs. Verna Mills, signed a Joint Communiqué establishing formal diplomatic ties. The occasion also saw the signing of a visa waiver agreement to facilitate ease of travel between the two nations.
Americas
On 3 June 2022, US-Palestinian congresswoman Rashida Tlaib launched a petition calling on US president Joe Biden to reject efforts to allow Israelis to enter the United States without a visa. The petition asks the Biden administration to ensure that US law is upheld, which prohibits Israel from joining the Visa Waiver Program while continuing to discriminate against US citizens on the basis of their ethnicity, national origin, religion, and political opinion, as has been documented extensively by the State Department.
Middle East
On 7 June 2022, the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Qatar H E Arman Issagaliyev announced that Kazakhstan introduced a visa-free regime with 65 countries of the world, including Qatar.
On 19 June 2022, the President of Kazakhstan Kasym-Jomart Tokayev announced during talks with his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi in Tehran the introduction of a 14 day visa free regime for citizens of the two countries.
Asia
On 7 June 2022, the Deputy government spokesperson for Thailand Traisuree Traisoranakul said that qualifying tourists holding Saudi Arabian passports will be able to stay for 30 days with a visa exemption stamp entered in their passport on arrival at the Thai immigration checkpoint at Thai international airports.
On 17 June 2022, India and Indonesia renewed their agreement on visa waiver on diplomatic and official passports and witnessed the exchange of agreements that will further strengthen the countries’ counter-narcotics and trade cooperation.