Current news

Effective October 1, 2026, travel insurance will be mandatory not only for Zanzibar but also for travel to mainland Tanzania. This mandatory travel insurance can only be purchased through an application platform provided by the authorities in mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar. 

The ÖVKG can arrange the mandatory travel insurance for you as part of the visa application process.

Your ÖVKG Team

Dear Sir or Madam,

From October 1 through October 7, 2026, China will observe its national holidays. The consular service provider CITS in Vienna will therefore be closed on October 1, October 2, and October 5.

Please note that processing times may be longer during this period.

Best regards

Your ÖVKG Team

The Thai Consulate has announced that, effective immediately, applicants for electronic visas must submit a registration confirmation that is NO OLDER THAN 30 DAYS.

In addition, the Consulate recommends applying for electronic visas at least 1 month before entry, as processing takes 30 business days. The Consulate operates on a “first-come, first-served” basis, meaning that applications are processed in the order they are received, not based on urgency. If the Consulate requests additional documents, this may delay processing by an additional 15 business days. 

Please take these changes into account and apply for your Thailand visa in a timely manner.

Your ÖVKG Team

Effective immediately, electronic visas for India that are still valid can be transferred to a new passport. Therefore, if you still have a valid electronic visa for India and have received a new passport, you must have the existing valid electronic visa transferred to the new passport. If any other details have changed, please submit a new visa application.

For more than 60 nationalities, the maximum length of stay for business and tourist travel in Thailand has been reduced from 60 to a maximum of 30 days.

Conditions for Visa Exemption

• The passport or travel document must be valid for at least 6 months as of the date of entry into Thailand.
• Entry into the Kingdom via land or sea border checkpoints under the visa exemption program for tourists is permitted only twice per calendar year, with the exception of nationals of Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, and Singapore, who may enter Thailand via such checkpoints more than twice per calendar year.
• Travelers entering Thailand under the tourist visa exemption program must have sufficient cash funds in the amount of 20,000 baht per person (€520) or 40,000 baht per family (€1,040) or an equivalent amount (e.g., credit card)

Your ÖVKG Team