Immigration hurdles frustrate 43% of air travellers – IATA

Complicated visa and immigration procedures are discouraging international travel, as 43 per cent of air passengers say they have dropped plans to visit some destinations because of stringent entry requirements.

A new survey by the International Air Transport Association, presented to journalists globally on Friday in Macao, China, and monitored virtually by our correspondent, revealed changing passenger preferences and expectations across the global aviation industry.

The figure represents a sharp increase from 33 per cent recorded in 2025, showing the growing frustration among passengers over cumbersome border controls, expensive travel documentation and inconsistent visa processes.

According to the survey, complicated immigration procedures were the biggest stumbling block, accounting for 53 per cent of passengers discouraged from visiting particular destinations.

Also, privacy concerns and the cost of obtaining entry documents were each cited by 17 per cent of respondents.

In contrast, while airlines and airports are investing in technology to make journeys faster, immigration procedures continue to make crossing borders an ordeal for millions of travellers.

Speaking at the conference, IATA’s Senior Vice President, Operations, Safety and Security, Nick Careen, said governments must urgently remove unnecessary barriers and embrace technology to make international travel more convenient without weakening security.

Careen said, “Passengers are embracing technology to make travel easier. AI is becoming a mainstream travel planning tool, while biometrics and digital identity are creating a faster and more seamless airport experience. Yet many travellers continue to face barriers from complex immigration and visa processes.”

He questioned why countries continued to operate fragmented verification systems despite the growing availability of electronic visas.

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“More than 100 countries issue eVisas, yet there is little consistency in how they are checked. The tools to fix that already exist, and governments should adopt them,” he added.

The survey also showed that passengers were increasingly ready to embrace digital immigration solutions.

The IATA survey showed that 86 per cent of travellers said they would willingly submit immigration information electronically before departure to speed up processing, compared with 83 per cent in 2025.

Similarly, 45 per cent preferred completing immigration procedures before arriving at the airport, up from 41 per cent, while 60 per cent favoured online visa applications against 25 per cent who preferred visiting embassies or consulates.

Eighty-four per cent of passengers also expressed interest in using digital passports for online check-in instead of physical documents.

Another 82 per cent wanted to share digital passports with airlines at the booking stage to access personalised services, including visa information. The same proportion welcomed smartphones combining digital passports, wallets and loyalty cards to manage different aspects of their journeys.

Biometric identification is also gaining ground. IATA found that 58 per cent of passengers had experienced biometric identification during their airport journey in the preceding 12 months, compared with 50 per cent in 2025 and 24 percentage points below the 2022 level.

Satisfaction stood at 87 per cent, while 78 per cent said they would provide biometric information if it eliminated repeated passport and boarding-pass checks.