The meetings industry is busy preparing for several major passport and visa changes in 2025.
Communication is key: Planners organizing national and international conferences need to proactively inform attendees of these changes as early as possible to avoid last-minute hiccups.
What has changed?
true identity
Effective May 7, 2025, all domestic air passengers traveling to the United States will be required to possess A driver’s license that matches your true identity or other acceptable form of identification, such as a passport, for boarding the aircraft.
REAL ID costs $50 and requires a Social Security number and two forms of proof of primary residence address. Each state’s driver licensing agency website lists information on the exact documents required; some states may have additional requirements.
Online passport renewal
In September, the State Department made its new online passport renewal system fully available to the public. Users can now renew their passports through a secure process, saving time and effort without having to print a paper application and mail it with a check.
Applicants must meet certain requirements listed here.
Digital identity integration
Major airlines and border agencies are transforming digital travel voucherenabling passengers to use mobile-based ID for check-in and security checks. While faster processing is promised, the adoption curve is likely to vary by region, creating a fragmented system for travelers.
electronic travel authorization Travel to the UK
Non-Europeans can now apply for an ETA in advance and will need to apply for an ETA from 8 January 2025 to travel to the UK. Digital travel permission.
The ETA costs £10, allows multiple travel and is valid for 2 years or until the holder’s passport expires (whichever is earlier). Once approved, the ETA is digitally linked to the traveler’s passport and allows for stays of up to six months at a time – including short trips and longer stays.
Visa-free zone and extension
measures such as Digital Nomad Visa Program It is expanding in some areas. Meanwhile, new visa-free agreements between countries may reduce barriers for business travelers, but will require careful updates to visa policies.
Aetias
this European Travel Information and Authorization System (Aetias) is an electronic authorization system planned by the European Union for visa-free visitors to the Schengen Area and Cyprus from 60 countries (including the United States). ETIAS will require travelers to complete an online application, share personal details, pay a €7 fee and check their application against an EU security database.
This change is expected to occur in 2025; as of press time, a start date had not been announced.
What can a planner do?
The key to avoiding last-minute crises is early planning and communication.
Planners should make attendees aware of changes that will affect their travel in advance and set early deadlines for confirming attendee documents. Some organizations are implementing internal travel readiness audits to ensure compliance.
Many of these plans incur additional fees, and the fees for passport renewals and visa applications are rising, with some areas reporting increases of 15-20%. Planners should communicate these costs to attendees, and for organizations that will incur increased travel costs, these costs will need to be factored into the budget process.
Digital ID and biometric systems present cyber security risks, so it is important to educate attendees on how their personal data will be handled.
