Entry paperwork is the single most common cause of a client being stopped before a trip starts, and across Explera's four destinations there is no shared system, no shared vocabulary and no shared lead time. A multi-country Asia programme therefore carries four separate compliance problems, not one, and they split by passport rather than by booking. This guide sets out the shape of each and the two operating rules that hold everywhere.
As of 20 September 2026. Entry rules move faster than anything else in this business, so this is dated on purpose and should be reconfirmed against each country's official portal at the time of booking rather than relied on months later — including this guide.
Les deux règles valables partout
Paperwork splits by passport, not by booking. A group is rarely one nationality, and every system in the region keys off the passport. Collect the nationality list at deposit stage rather than with final documentation, so the split is known while there is still time to act on it.
Nobody at the airport can fix a missing authorisation quickly. In all four markets this is a pre-departure problem in every case. That makes the joining instructions more operationally important than the airport meet, which is the opposite of how most files are resourced.
Le système réellement en vigueur dans chaque pays
Corée has the most confusing arrangement and the one most worth understanding, because it is counterintuitive. K-ETA is the electronic authorisation for visa-free nationals, but a temporary exemption covering a long list of countries means most Western and Gulf clients do not currently apply for it — and those exempt clients must instead file the e-Arrival Card, within a 72-hour window before arrival. The two are alternatives, not a sequence: holding a valid K-ETA removes the card requirement. The exemption is temporary and currently runs only to the end of 2026, which matters now because Q1 2027 departures are being quoted today. Our Korea entry rules guide sets it out in full.
Japon remains straightforward for most source markets — visa-free entry for a large list of nationalities, with the Visit Japan Web pre-registration smoothing immigration and customs. A pre-screening system for visa-exempt travellers has been legislated but is not in force for current travel, and should not be described to clients as a present requirement.
Thaïlande operates a digital arrival card and has changed its visa-exemption terms more than once in recent years, including a narrowing that took effect in September 2026. It is the market where a guide written last season is most likely to be wrong.
Indonésie runs visa-on-arrival and e-VOA for most leisure source markets alongside an electronic customs declaration, with additional local levies applying in parts of the country.
Comment briefer un groupe multipays
- Brief in segments, not in one email. Different nationalities and different countries need different instructions, and a combined message produces a group where nobody is certain what applies to them.
- Mind the short windows. Several of these systems open only a few days before arrival. That means a scheduled reminder three to four days out, not a single instruction sent with final documents.
- Keep the confirmations retrievable. Clients lose QR codes. A tour leader holding copies, and a ground handler with the same file, turns a counter hold-up into a non-event.
- Save them offline. The airport is precisely where a client will not yet have data.
- Never promise a future position. On a 2027 quote the honest line is that requirements are under review and will be confirmed nearer travel.
Ce que doit faire un réceptif
Briefing entry requirements against the group's actual passport mix rather than a generic list; scheduling reminders inside each system's window; holding copies of every confirmation; and telling the agent when a rule moves rather than leaving them to discover it. All four systems are free and none requires an intermediary — worth telling clients who find paid look-alike sites first.
Explera watches these four portals as a matter of routine and tells partner agents when something changes. Full ground capability is in our services overview.
Questions fréquentes
Do clients need K-ETA for Korea? It depends on nationality. A temporary exemption covers a long list of countries, and exempt travellers file the e-Arrival Card instead, within 72 hours of arrival. The two are alternatives — a valid K-ETA removes the card requirement.
Is there one entry system for a multi-country Asia trip? No. Japan, Korea, Thailand and Indonesia each run their own, with different lead times and different eligibility. A four-country itinerary carries four separate compliance tasks.
When should an agent collect passport details? At deposit stage. The paperwork splits by passport rather than by booking, and knowing the split early is what leaves time to act on it.
Can missing paperwork be fixed at the airport? Effectively never, in any of the four markets. It is a pre-departure problem in every case, which is why the joining instructions matter more than the meet.
How far ahead can these be filed? It varies and several have short windows opening only days before arrival — which means a scheduled reminder rather than a single instruction with final documents.
Entry-requirement briefings per group, multi-country compliance and reminder scheduling across Japan, Korea, Thailand and Indonesia: write to b2b@expleradmc.com or message the trade desk on WhatsApp at +66 93 656 8090. Explera DMC is IATA TIDS-registered (96215733) and an ASTA member (900408341).
