The Guardian
BriefingNine EU countries delay full EES biometric border checks
France, Greece, Portugal, Italy and others keep flexibility after the 6 September deadline, citing airport congestion while EES rolls out.
2026-09-14Open article
أطلس جوازات السفر
Travel, immigration and PR handbooks
Pick a destination by travel, immigration or PR. Each handbook says who it is for, how popular passports enter, and links through to visa explainers, policy playbooks and paperwork tools.
حسب الغرض
سفر · 12
تايلاند
TH · #59 · سفر
Thailand is one of the most-searched travel handbooks here: visa exemption has lengthened, while long stays run through Elite, LTR and DTV rather than a classic skilled-migration grid.
اليابان
JP · #144 · سفر / هجرة
Japan splits tourism, work and PR: a temporary visitor cannot switch to work in-country, but Highly Skilled Professional points can cut PR from ten years to one–three.
كوريا الجنوبية
KR · #60 · سفر / هجرة
Korea uses K-ETA for visa-free visitors and points plus D-class visas for people who stay. F-5 PR and nationality are a separate bar.
الإمارات العربية المتحدة
AE · #88 · سفر / إقامة دائمة
The UAE uses visa-free or on-arrival entry for visits, and Golden Visas plus remote-work permits for long stays. Citizenship is largely closed.
سنغافورة
SG · #32 · سفر / هجرة / إقامة دائمة
Singapore splits tourism, work passes and PR. An Employment Pass or S Pass does not guarantee PR, and PR is not citizenship.
فرنسا
FR · #101 · سفر / هجرة
France layers Schengen tourism, the VLS-TS long-stay visa and the Talent Passport. PR and nationality follow years and assimilation — not a passport-for-investment product.
إيطاليا
IT · #106 · سفر
Italy is searched more for travel than immigration: decreto flussi work quotas are tight, while elective residence and the digital-nomad visa serve a smaller long-stay set.
إسبانيا
ES · #99 · سفر / إقامة دائمة
Spain is a southern Schengen gateway and a frequent search for digital-nomad visas and faster Latin-American naturalisation. Golden-visa routes have tightened.
أستراليا
AU · #163 · سفر / هجرة / إقامة دائمة
Australia is a travel, skilled-migration and PR hotspot here: ETA / eVisitor for short stays, 189 / 190 / 491 for invitations, then PR and citizenship as separate steps.
نيوزيلندا
NZ · #157 · سفر / هجرة / إقامة دائمة
New Zealand uses NZeTA for visa-free visitors, a skills-shortage list and Accredited Employer work visas for jobs, then a resident visa and a permanent travel condition as two steps.
المملكة المتحدة
GB · #131 · سفر / هجرة
Post-Brexit Britain uses ETA for visa-free visitors, a points-based work route for jobs, and ILR for settlement. A six-month visit cannot be switched to work.
الولايات المتحدة
US · #162 · سفر / هجرة
The United States splits ESTA visa-waiver travel, non-immigrant B / H / L / F status and immigrant green cards. Overstaying a visit can poison later immigrant filings.
هجرة · 12
كندا
CA · #161 · هجرة / إقامة دائمة
Canada is the textbook points destination in this atlas: temporary and permanent residence are separate filings, and Express Entry CRS cut-offs move every year.
أستراليا
AU · #163 · سفر / هجرة / إقامة دائمة
Australia is a travel, skilled-migration and PR hotspot here: ETA / eVisitor for short stays, 189 / 190 / 491 for invitations, then PR and citizenship as separate steps.
ألمانيا
DE · #96 · هجرة / إقامة دائمة
Germany is the EU Blue Card and Opportunity Card hub: Schengen for short stays, Blue Card or §18 residence for work, and settlement faster than the usual EU five years.
المملكة المتحدة
GB · #131 · سفر / هجرة
Post-Brexit Britain uses ETA for visa-free visitors, a points-based work route for jobs, and ILR for settlement. A six-month visit cannot be switched to work.
الولايات المتحدة
US · #162 · سفر / هجرة
The United States splits ESTA visa-waiver travel, non-immigrant B / H / L / F status and immigrant green cards. Overstaying a visit can poison later immigrant filings.
نيوزيلندا
NZ · #157 · سفر / هجرة / إقامة دائمة
New Zealand uses NZeTA for visa-free visitors, a skills-shortage list and Accredited Employer work visas for jobs, then a resident visa and a permanent travel condition as two steps.
سنغافورة
SG · #32 · سفر / هجرة / إقامة دائمة
Singapore splits tourism, work passes and PR. An Employment Pass or S Pass does not guarantee PR, and PR is not citizenship.
هولندا
NL · #113 · هجرة / إقامة دائمة
The Netherlands uses the highly skilled migrant scheme and the 30% ruling for salary-qualified hires, and DAFT as a US founder exception. Short stays remain Schengen.
أيرلندا
IE · #140 · هجرة / إقامة دائمة
Ireland is EU but not Schengen: an Irish visitor visa is not a UK ETA. Work is Critical Skills; settlement is Stamp 4.
اليابان
JP · #144 · سفر / هجرة
Japan splits tourism, work and PR: a temporary visitor cannot switch to work in-country, but Highly Skilled Professional points can cut PR from ten years to one–three.
كوريا الجنوبية
KR · #60 · سفر / هجرة
Korea uses K-ETA for visa-free visitors and points plus D-class visas for people who stay. F-5 PR and nationality are a separate bar.
فرنسا
FR · #101 · سفر / هجرة
France layers Schengen tourism, the VLS-TS long-stay visa and the Talent Passport. PR and nationality follow years and assimilation — not a passport-for-investment product.
إقامة دائمة · 12
البرتغال
PT · #116 · إقامة دائمة
Portugal is one of the most-searched EU PR/citizenship destinations in Chinese: D7, D8 and the tightened golden visa are three different residences.
إسبانيا
ES · #99 · سفر / إقامة دائمة
Spain is a southern Schengen gateway and a frequent search for digital-nomad visas and faster Latin-American naturalisation. Golden-visa routes have tightened.
كندا
CA · #161 · هجرة / إقامة دائمة
Canada is the textbook points destination in this atlas: temporary and permanent residence are separate filings, and Express Entry CRS cut-offs move every year.
أستراليا
AU · #163 · سفر / هجرة / إقامة دائمة
Australia is a travel, skilled-migration and PR hotspot here: ETA / eVisitor for short stays, 189 / 190 / 491 for invitations, then PR and citizenship as separate steps.
نيوزيلندا
NZ · #157 · سفر / هجرة / إقامة دائمة
New Zealand uses NZeTA for visa-free visitors, a skills-shortage list and Accredited Employer work visas for jobs, then a resident visa and a permanent travel condition as two steps.
ألمانيا
DE · #96 · هجرة / إقامة دائمة
Germany is the EU Blue Card and Opportunity Card hub: Schengen for short stays, Blue Card or §18 residence for work, and settlement faster than the usual EU five years.
سنغافورة
SG · #32 · سفر / هجرة / إقامة دائمة
Singapore splits tourism, work passes and PR. An Employment Pass or S Pass does not guarantee PR, and PR is not citizenship.
الإمارات العربية المتحدة
AE · #88 · سفر / إقامة دائمة
The UAE uses visa-free or on-arrival entry for visits, and Golden Visas plus remote-work permits for long stays. Citizenship is largely closed.
هونغ كونغ
HK · #39 · سفر / إقامة دائمة
Hong Kong is a separate immigration system: short visa-free stays, the Top Talent Pass, Quality Migrant admission and seven-year ordinary residence are different tracks.
البرازيل
BR · #72 · سفر / إقامة دائمة
Brazil is visa-free or eVisa for many passports, with a fast Mercosur residence track. Chinese passports must check whether eVisa has been reinstated.
أيرلندا
IE · #140 · هجرة / إقامة دائمة
Ireland is EU but not Schengen: an Irish visitor visa is not a UK ETA. Work is Critical Skills; settlement is Stamp 4.
هولندا
NL · #113 · هجرة / إقامة دائمة
The Netherlands uses the highly skilled migrant scheme and the 30% ruling for salary-qualified hires, and DAFT as a US founder exception. Short stays remain Schengen.
أدلة الوجهات الشائعة
اليابان
JP · #144 · سفر / هجرة
Japan splits tourism, work and PR: a temporary visitor cannot switch to work in-country, but Highly Skilled Professional points can cut PR from ten years to one–three.
كوريا الجنوبية
KR · #60 · سفر / هجرة
Korea uses K-ETA for visa-free visitors and points plus D-class visas for people who stay. F-5 PR and nationality are a separate bar.
سنغافورة
SG · #32 · سفر / هجرة / إقامة دائمة
Singapore splits tourism, work passes and PR. An Employment Pass or S Pass does not guarantee PR, and PR is not citizenship.
هونغ كونغ
HK · #39 · سفر / إقامة دائمة
Hong Kong is a separate immigration system: short visa-free stays, the Top Talent Pass, Quality Migrant admission and seven-year ordinary residence are different tracks.
تايوان
TW · #145 · سفر / هجرة
Taiwan uses visitor visas or visa-free entry for trips, and work permits, the Employment Gold Card and an ARC to stay. Mainland Chinese residents use a different document set.
الصين
CN · #136 · سفر
China has widened transit without visa and some unilateral visa-free lists, but work, residence and the Chinese green card remain a strict, separate system.
تايلاند
TH · #59 · سفر
Thailand is one of the most-searched travel handbooks here: visa exemption has lengthened, while long stays run through Elite, LTR and DTV rather than a classic skilled-migration grid.
ماليزيا
MY · #31 · سفر / إقامة دائمة
Malaysia is easy to visit. Long stays sit on products such as MM2H and DE Rantau — it is not a points-based skilled-migration state.
الإمارات العربية المتحدة
AE · #88 · سفر / إقامة دائمة
The UAE uses visa-free or on-arrival entry for visits, and Golden Visas plus remote-work permits for long stays. Citizenship is largely closed.
الولايات المتحدة
US · #162 · سفر / هجرة
The United States splits ESTA visa-waiver travel, non-immigrant B / H / L / F status and immigrant green cards. Overstaying a visit can poison later immigrant filings.
كندا
CA · #161 · هجرة / إقامة دائمة
Canada is the textbook points destination in this atlas: temporary and permanent residence are separate filings, and Express Entry CRS cut-offs move every year.
المملكة المتحدة
GB · #131 · سفر / هجرة
Post-Brexit Britain uses ETA for visa-free visitors, a points-based work route for jobs, and ILR for settlement. A six-month visit cannot be switched to work.
ألمانيا
DE · #96 · هجرة / إقامة دائمة
Germany is the EU Blue Card and Opportunity Card hub: Schengen for short stays, Blue Card or §18 residence for work, and settlement faster than the usual EU five years.
فرنسا
FR · #101 · سفر / هجرة
France layers Schengen tourism, the VLS-TS long-stay visa and the Talent Passport. PR and nationality follow years and assimilation — not a passport-for-investment product.
إسبانيا
ES · #99 · سفر / إقامة دائمة
Spain is a southern Schengen gateway and a frequent search for digital-nomad visas and faster Latin-American naturalisation. Golden-visa routes have tightened.
البرتغال
PT · #116 · إقامة دائمة
Portugal is one of the most-searched EU PR/citizenship destinations in Chinese: D7, D8 and the tightened golden visa are three different residences.
هولندا
NL · #113 · هجرة / إقامة دائمة
The Netherlands uses the highly skilled migrant scheme and the 30% ruling for salary-qualified hires, and DAFT as a US founder exception. Short stays remain Schengen.
إيطاليا
IT · #106 · سفر
Italy is searched more for travel than immigration: decreto flussi work quotas are tight, while elective residence and the digital-nomad visa serve a smaller long-stay set.
أستراليا
AU · #163 · سفر / هجرة / إقامة دائمة
Australia is a travel, skilled-migration and PR hotspot here: ETA / eVisitor for short stays, 189 / 190 / 491 for invitations, then PR and citizenship as separate steps.
نيوزيلندا
NZ · #157 · سفر / هجرة / إقامة دائمة
New Zealand uses NZeTA for visa-free visitors, a skills-shortage list and Accredited Employer work visas for jobs, then a resident visa and a permanent travel condition as two steps.
سويسرا
CH · #92 · سفر / هجرة
Switzerland is Schengen but not EU: 90/180 for short stays, cantonal-quota B permits to live, and C settlement whose years depend on nationality.
أيرلندا
IE · #140 · هجرة / إقامة دائمة
Ireland is EU but not Schengen: an Irish visitor visa is not a UK ETA. Work is Critical Skills; settlement is Stamp 4.
البرازيل
BR · #72 · سفر / إقامة دائمة
Brazil is visa-free or eVisa for many passports, with a fast Mercosur residence track. Chinese passports must check whether eVisa has been reinstated.
Policy pulse
Visas, borders and immigration law
Live feeds
Briefing · 4
Euronews
BriefingEU prepares tighter migration rules after Ceuta arrivals
Commission options include faster returns and, in extreme surges, a temporary pause on asylum processing.
2026-09-14Open article
Biometric Update
BriefingEU lets nine Schengen countries delay full EES biometric checks
France, Germany, Italy and others retain flexibility after the September deadline as kiosks and ferry ports keep failing under load.
2026-09-14Open article
European Commission
BriefingFifth Schengen cycle (2026–27) puts visa strategy and screening first
The EU Visa Strategy (Jan 2026) and the new external-border screening procedure from June 2026 shape this cycle.
2026-03-01Open article
Handbooks summarise public sources so you can cross-check the visa matrix and policy playbooks. They are not legal advice. Quotas, stay lengths and visa-free lists move — confirm with the destination government and its missions before you travel or file.