Dear ladies and gentlemen,
We would like to inform you that the Saudi consular provider has repeatedly experienced technical problems with the fingerprinting process in recent days. In some cases, travelers therefore had to travel to Vienna a second time.
According to the Saudi embassy in Vienna, these are unfortunately not isolated cases, but a global problem that is being actively worked on to find a solution.Please note that ÖVKG has no influence on these technical disruptions. However, we will endeavor to inform our customers as quickly as possible.
We recommend that you allow extra preparation time in case passengers need to travel to Vienna again.
Thank you for your understanding.
Your ÖVKG team
Dear ladies and gentlemen,
We would like to inform you that China will introduce an e-Arrival Card on 20.11.2025.
Entry information and personal details are to be filled in on the website of the National Immigration Administration (NIA)
The aim of the Arrival Card is to facilitate faster entry.
The ÖVKG team will be happy to apply for the e-Arrival Card for you, for a fee.
Best regards
Your ÖVKG team
The Chinese authorities have announced that the unilateral visa exemption for 45 countries (including Austria) will be extended until December 31, 2026. Holders of ordinary passports from these countries can enter China without a visa for business and tourism trips, academic and cultural exchanges as well as for visits and transit and stay for a maximum of 30 days.
For all others who do not meet the above-mentioned requirements, the visa requirement for entry into China remains in place.
From November 20, 2025, a digital entry card is also to be introduced to replace the current paper form. This is intended to speed up processing at airports and border stations.
From October 15, travelers will NO longer be able to apply for a "Visa on Arrival" at the airport.
Instead, an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) must be issued in advance.
The ÖVKG team will be happy to assist you with this.Your ÖVKG team
Source:https://www.bmeia.gv.at/reise-services/reiseinformation/land/sri-lanka
Dear ladies and gentlemen,
From October 12, 2025, Member States will start the phased introduction of the Entry/Exit System (EES) over a period of 6 months. During this phase, border authorities will gradually record the data of entering and exiting third-country nationals in the EES.
At the end of the 6 months, from April 10, 2026, the EES will be fully applied at all border crossings at the Schengen external border. The gradual introduction is intended to support border authorities, carriers and travelers in the transition to the new border control processes.
The EES is an IT system that digitally records the entry and exit of non-EU citizens traveling to one of the 29 participating European countries for a short-term stay.
In the beginning, the introduction is planned at Düsseldorf, Frankfurt am Main and Munich airports and will be continuously expanded.Further information can be found at:
https://www.bmi.gv.at/202/Fremdenpolizei_und_Grenzkontrolle/Entry_Exit_System/
https://travel-europe.europa.eu/de/ees/what-is-the-ees##
https://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/pressemitteilungen/DE/2025/09/entry-exit-system.html
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Best regards
Your ÖVKG team
