Global Mobility News from VisaHQ

The EU’s biometric Entry/Exit System is now live at half of Belgium’s external borders, extending beyond Brussels Airport to Zeebrugge and Brussels-Midi. Travel bodies predict longer queues until passengers become familiar with fingerprint and facial-capture kiosks.

Poland has shut ten land-border crossings with Russia and Belarus, citing security threats. The move forces detours of up to 300 km for freight and travellers and underscores Warsaw’s tougher external-border stance.

France activated biometric Entry/Exit System (EES) kiosks at about half of its external border points on 10 January. Travel bodies warn that first-time enrolments can multiply queuing times, especially at Dover and St Pancras, threatening delays for business travellers shuttling between London and Paris. Companies should pad journey times, update 90/180-day trackers and brief employees on the new procedures.

The State Department says it has cancelled more than 100,000 visas since January 2025—150 % more than the previous year—as part of the Trump administration’s expanded “continuous vetting” programme. The policy affects students, temporary workers and tourists alike, and can void a visa electronically once an arrest or overstay is detected. Companies and universities face new compliance headaches, and travellers risk being stranded abroad when a revocation is triggered.

As of 8 January, the UK requires an Electronic Travel Authorisation for every Hong Kong SAR or BN(O) passport holder entering visa-free. The £16 app-based permit must be obtained before departure; airlines will refuse boarding without it. Corporate mobility teams must update travel workflows immediately, and travellers undertaking paid work still need the appropriate work visa.

Finland’s amended Aliens Act took effect on 8 January, extending the baseline residence requirement for a permanent-residence permit from four to six years and adding mandatory B1-level language skills and a two-year work-history test. Applications filed before 8 January stay under the old rules, creating a dual pipeline that may last into 2027. Employers must plan for an extra permit renewal and support language training to retain foreign talent.