Immigration requirements can be complicated to keep track of under normal circumstances, let alone in the age of coronavirus, where the rules seem to be changing by the day. I just realized I’ve never written about the resource that I’ve been using for a long time, which has proven extremely useful.
In this post:
The IATA travel map (powered by Timatic)
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has a useful coronavirus travel regulations map, which gives you a rundown of immigration restrictions by country.
This is powered by Timatic, which is the resource that airlines use when it comes to validating travel requirements for passengers. Therefore you can bet it’s typically going to be accurate.
This resource is also developed based on partnerships with airlines and closer relations with government agencies worldwide, meaning this typically contains the most up-to-date information.
Of course there’s the disclaimer that even though the info is constantly being updated, IATA can’t guarantee the accuracy of the info, given how quickly this situation is evolving.
It can be tough to keep track of travel restrictions by country
Don’t use the IATA map as your only resource
While this map is a phenomenal resource for understanding the basics of entry requirements and getting a good overview of the current situation, this isn’t the sole resource you should depend on.
While the information is typically accurate, it might not tell the full story. When considering where to travel, in many cases you don’t just want to know the technical entry restrictions, but also want to know what you’ll be subjected to once there, and (understandably) this resource doesn’t tell you that. We have been trying to keep both entry and quarantine requirements for 195 countries updated daily on our Coronavirus Travel Policies page.
Furthermore, the map typically reflects correct information as of now, in some cases it doesn’t list new rules that countries have announced for entry over future dates.
Always make sure you also check out an official tourism website for more details.
Don’t rely solely on the IATA map when making travel decisions
Some interesting outliers
If you’re looking at the world map, you might notice a few things:
- Mexico and Serbia are the two countries that don’t seem to have any COVID-19 related travel restrictions
- Information isn’t collected for all countries and territories, with exceptions including the Faroe Islands, Libya, Niger, Syria, and Yemen
- This doesn’t necessarily reveal restrictions for specific parts of countries; for example, Alaska and Hawaii have added restrictions compared to the rest of the US, but that’s not noted in the map
Serbia has no coronavirus travel restrictions
Bottom line
The IATA map is the single best resource for getting an easy look at immigration requirements around the world in light of coronavirus. I recommend using this as an overview for any travel you may be considering, but then also go to an official government source to get the full details of what you can expect if traveling somewhere.
Mexico along with US and Canada has limited border entries to "essentials only", if that means anything. Its border probably should not be marked as "Not Restrictive"
@Dave - Don't you have more meaningful things to do?
Ben, I think you should try TravelDoc.aero
Am I reading it right? It says Australia partially restricted? Only citizens / residents are allowed in. Once in, you can’t get out. Nor can you travel to most states.
@Dave
In the same vein, I did not see the travel restrictions for HK in this map and clicking on its landmass appears to just redirect to Mainland's policies
TIMATIC is only as good as the data inputted and IATA is notoriously lax at doing this when there are no member airlines in the country.
I'll give the example of Sierra Leone on the map in question. The borders are closed and have been closed since March. We have been engaged in discussions with SLCAA and the Ministry there in recent weeks to set up protocols for reopening, but there is no timeline or...
TIMATIC is only as good as the data inputted and IATA is notoriously lax at doing this when there are no member airlines in the country.
I'll give the example of Sierra Leone on the map in question. The borders are closed and have been closed since March. We have been engaged in discussions with SLCAA and the Ministry there in recent weeks to set up protocols for reopening, but there is no timeline or set of protocols agreed for this as of this morning. Yet IATA gives info that is 3-months out of date implying that you can enter with home quarantine in some cases. That simply is false.
Don’t forget that this is a very fluid situation, and things can get changed with just a few hours notice. I heard on the radio the other day that some airlines are now seeing 2/3 of tickets being booked within three days of departure which I guess is a result of this.
While it may be current to today, there is little information on updated news as to future openings. Austria, as an example, should at least list the planned entry requirements and opening as of July 1. There are also other countries that are outdated and not accurate.
Why is Taiwan listed as "Chinese Taipei"? It should be clear to everyone by now that Taiwan is an independent and autonomous country. I hope the US wake up to this soon and form a strong new transpacific alliance with Taiwan. It reduces the dependency on China and sets an example for the rest of the world.
Great resource but just want to point out that information from some countries (e.g., Philippines) are outdated.
Great resource. Thanks.