Visa & customs: the rules for travellers in 148 countries (2026 list)

🛂 Before you board

• Most countries require a passport valid at least six months beyond your arrival date.
• Airlines refuse boarding without proof of onward travel where the destination requires it.
• Electronic authorisations are not visas and can be refused — apply days ahead, not hours.
• Blank pages matter: some countries need two facing free pages for their stamps.

⚖️ Overstaying

• Overstaying is charged per day in most countries, and can end in a multi-year re-entry ban.
• Working on a tourist visa, including remote work in some countries, is a deportable offence.
• Cash over the declaration threshold must be declared — undeclared cash is confiscated.

Which countries are strict on visa & customs?

10 countries rate visa & customs as banned or a serious risk for travellers: China, DR Congo, Eritrea, Libya, Myanmar, Niger, Russia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan.

Which countries set limits on visa & customs?

39 countries allow it under conditions (age, place, quantity, permit): Algeria, Angola, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Cuba, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, India, Israel, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Kuwait, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania….

How do I check the rules for my destination before I fly?

Open LawsTravels: pick your destination, the topic “Visa & customs” shows the level, the thresholds and the penalties, offline. 3 topics are free on every country.