How do travel agents check entry requirements before an international trip?

On October 30, IATA asked governments for a fairer split of the cost when a passenger is refused entry on arrival. Most airlines it surveyed said documentation and processing errors cause 20 to 30 percent of those cases. Many of those errors can be caught at the agency, days before the trip. Here's how to build that check into your week.

Why does an entry check matter now?

Because the rules have moved fast, and travelers feel it. In IATA's 2026 Global Passenger Survey, 43 percent of passengers said immigration requirements had put them off a destination, up from 33 percent in 2025. Among them, 53 percent named the complexity of the process.

The cost of a miss falls on the trip. IATA's survey of 49 airlines found that every one reported delays linked to passengers refused entry. For your traveler, a refused entry means a flight home and a lost trip. For your agency, it means a difficult call with a client.

Which entry rules changed in 2026?

Two that affect US travelers on the busiest routes, with a third due:

• The UK ETA. US visitors usually need an electronic travel authorisation for the UK. Since February 25, 2026, carriers check for it against Home Office records before boarding. Each traveler needs their own, infants included, and a connection through UK passport control needs one too.
• The EU Entry/Exit System. Non-EU visitors on short stays in 29 European countries now register fingerprints and a facial image at the border. It replaced passport stamps on April 10, 2026. Brief travelers to allow extra time on their first entry.
• ETIAS, coming next. The EU says its travel authorization for visa-exempt visitors, including Americans, will start in the last quarter of 2026. The EU will announce the exact date several months ahead.

What should an agency check before each trip?

The same five things, every international booking:

1. The passport. Its expiry date against the destination's validity rule, and the name exactly as booked.
2. The visa or travel authorization. Whether the destination needs one for this traveler's nationality and purpose, and whether it's approved.
3. Every connection. Transit points have their own rules, as the UK ETA shows.
4. The return or onward ticket. Have it ready in the traveler's documents if the destination asks for proof.
5. The record. Note the source and the date of your check in the booking.

Where do agents find the current rules?

Start with Timatic, IATA's database of document rules. Travel agents use it alongside airlines. IATA says it checks more than 700 million passengers' documents a year and makes about 70 updates a day.

Then confirm on the government's own site for the country. For the UK, that's GOV.UK. For the EU, official sites use the europa.eu domain, and the EU says there is one official ETIAS website. Point travelers there, since look-alike sites charge more.

When should you run the check?

Twice. Once at booking, so the traveler has time to apply, and again a couple of days before departure, since rules change. The UK ETA is a good example: most applicants get a decision within minutes, according to Gherson, a UK immigration firm, and it recommends applying at least three working days ahead.

For corporate clients, put the check into the pre-trip email your team already sends. A line asking for the approved ETA or visa catches most gaps early.

What is still changing?

ETIAS is the big one. The EU has set the last quarter of 2026 as the start and has yet to name a date, so keep an eye on the EU's own site for the announcement.

IATA also wants governments to make more use of interactive Advance Passenger Information and to verify documents digitally before travel. If that happens, more of the document check moves before the airport, and agencies that already check each trip will be ready for it.

Common questions