Global Mobility News from VisaHQ

The February 2026 Henley Passport Index places India 75th, up 10 spots year-on-year. Indian citizens can now enter 56 destinations visa-free or with a visa on arrival after The Gambia restored easy access. Although the absolute gain is small, the higher ranking means Indian business travellers face fewer pre-trip visa formalities relative to many peers, easing last-minute travel planning for multinationals.

El Consejo de Ministros aprobará en los próximos días un real decreto que regularizará a quienes lleven al menos cinco meses viviendo en España antes del 31-12-2025. La vía ejecutiva desbloquea la iniciativa ciudadana paralizada y podría beneficiar a más de medio millón de personas, ampliando la mano de obra disponible y reduciendo la economía sumergida. Las empresas deberán preparar procesos internos para apoyar a los trabajadores que opten al nuevo permiso.

Hong Kong processed a record 335 million passenger movements in 2025—up 12 % year-on-year—and will begin testing a fully contactless, facial-recognition e-Channel by June. The upgrade is aimed at easing congestion at land and airport checkpoints as the city’s visitor numbers rebound. Faster clearance will benefit business travellers and cross-border commuters alike.

The Home Office confirmed that from 25 February 2026 all nationals who require a visitor visa will receive an electronic visa only; paper vignettes will cease. Travellers must create a UKVI account and link their current passport or risk being denied boarding. Employers need to audit frequent travellers and update right-to-work processes. The change is a key milestone in the UK’s fully digital border strategy.

Germany has halted the acceptance of new visa applications in Tehran, citing security pressures on embassy staff. Only pending files will be handled, significantly slowing family-reunion, study and work-visa pipelines. German employers and mobility managers should prepare for lengthy rerouting and higher costs. The move underscores the exposure of corporate immigration programmes to geopolitical shocks.

Effective 11 February 2026, anyone who overstays a UAE visa will be charged a flat AED 50 per day, replacing the patchwork of different tariffs that existed between visa types and emirates. The ICP and GDRFA portals have been updated to let users check and pay fines online, and grace periods have been standardised. The change brings clarity for visitors and corporate mobility planners while tightening compliance enforcement.

The Federal Chancellery has fixed 14 June 2026 for a referendum on the SVP’s initiative to cap Switzerland’s population at 10 million. If approved, the constitution would oblige the government to throttle residence, family-reunification and asylum permits once 9.5 million residents is reached and to quit the EU free-movement accord at 10 million. Businesses warn the plan would deepen skills shortages and strain relations with the EU, while supporters say it is vital to protect infrastructure and the environment.

Documents uploaded February 13 outline ICE’s intent to spend $38.3 billion converting warehouses and building eight mega-facilities that could more than double U.S. immigration-detention capacity by 2026. The scale of the plan signals a long-term enforcement tilt and could expose more foreign workers to detention for minor status issues, making compliance audits and employee-rights training even more critical for corporates.

British Columbia issued 474 invitations over two days—13 for entrepreneurs and 460 for skilled workers—lowering both its wage floor (to C$62/hour) and SIRS points cut-off (to 135) compared with earlier “high-earner” rounds. The aggressive start to 2026 indicates the province will move fast to allocate its larger PNP quota and gives corporate recruiters a clear salary benchmark for foreign hires.

The DGAC has told airlines to cancel up to a third of flights at CDG and a fifth at Orly on Sunday, 15 February, as a snowstorm approaches Paris. The cuts aim to keep remaining services punctual, but travellers should brace for wider European knock-on delays and longer immigration lines. Corporate mobility teams should communicate waiver options and build extra time into itineraries.

All Greece Visa Application Centres in India reopened on 13 February after a cyber incident shut them for nearly two months. Standard Schengen processing times of 15 days—and limited 5-day priority slots—have resumed, clearing backlogs for tour operators and corporate travellers who favour Greece as a Schengen entry point.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on 14 February, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said Austria will “significantly step up” deportations to Syria and Iraq and push for EU-backed return centres outside Europe. The plan, which follows Austria’s controversial resumption of removals to Syria, could tighten migration controls and affect corporate mobility processes.

New Flemish data reveal a 53 % leap in single-permits for non-EU nationals, prompting Employment Minister Zuhal Demir to tighten access to the region’s labour market. Key bottleneck occupations lose fast-track status and employers face longer labour-market tests. Business groups fear deeper skills shortages and urge companies to extend recruitment lead-times.

Guangzhou’s Canton Fair opened mandatory online pre-registration for overseas buyers on 14 Feb ahead of its 139th session (15 Apr–5 May 2026). The e-badge system is integrated with China’s expanded visa-free rules and promises 24-hour approval, while invitation letters for others are accelerated. Expected record attendance and tight hotel inventory mean corporate sourcing teams should register and book early.

Larnaca and Paphos airports went on emergency stand-by after Israel–Iran hostilities forced multiple Israel-bound flights to divert to Cyprus and prompted the cancellation of all scheduled Israel services on 14 February 2026. Operators scrambled to create parking space, while authorities coordinated air-traffic corridors and warned travellers of continuing disruption. The incident underscores Cyprus’ strategic role as a regional diversion hub and highlights the need for robust corporate travel contingency planning.

Hong Kong International Airport entered peak Lunar New Year mode on February 14, with 636,000 people projected to leave the city in a single day and total holiday traffic expected to top 11.38 million. Airlines, immigration officers and the Airport Authority have deployed extra resources, but travellers are still experiencing long check-in queues. Employers should factor in added journey time for assignees returning after the break.

The Irish government has automatically prolonged all Temporary Protection permissions by 12 months to 4 March 2027, covering more than 105,000 mainly Ukrainian refugees. Existing yellow certificates remain valid for work, services and re-entry, eliminating the need for immediate renewals and easing administrative pressure. Employers gain certainty that Ukrainian staff can stay and work for at least another year, aiding workforce planning.

The Italian government has invoked emergency powers to postpone a nationwide airport strike from 16 to 26 February, ensuring air links remain intact during the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics. The move averts disruption for an estimated 27 000 passengers and gives airlines time to reshape February schedules. Companies with travellers in Italy should monitor carrier rebooking policies and prepare contingency plans for the new strike date.

From 25 February 2026 dual nationals must either present a current British passport or pay £589 for a Certificate of Entitlement; otherwise airlines will deny boarding. The rule is linked to full ETA enforcement and could disrupt business travellers whose UK passports have expired. Companies should audit affected staff and assist with renewals immediately.