IATA will integrate visa applications into its solutions for airlines
IATA will integrate OneVasco's services into its Timatic platform to streamline visa procedures prior to international travel. The new feature will allow users to move from checking entry requirements to receiving assistance with the visa application within the same digital environment, although its implementation will depend on each airline.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has reached an agreement with OneVasco to integrate its visa application assistance services into Timatic Solutions, the platform used by airlines to check and verify documentation requirements for international passengers.
The integration will allow travelers to move from checking the entry requirements for their destination to directly accessing the visa application service, with the goal of simplifying one of the procedures required before international travel.
The OneVasco service will include eligibility checks, document verification, assistance during the application process, secure payments, and application status tracking. It will be available for both electronic visas and those that require physical affixing to the passport.
An additional option for airlines
The new service will be offered to airlines as a complementary feature within Timatic Web and Timatic Widget, so the airlines themselves will decide whether to incorporate it into their channels.
The agreement also covers the reverse process: Timatic?s information on travel requirements will be integrated into the OneVasco platform, linking document verification with assistance services to obtain them.
Timatic provides up-to-date information on documentation requirements for international air travel. According to IATA, the tool verifies the requirements for more than 1.3 billion passengers each year.
The complexity of visas: a barrier to travel
IATA believes that simplifying these procedures can help improve the passenger experience. Its 2025 Global Passenger Survey revealed that 33% of travelers had canceled a trip due to the complexity of visa and immigration requirements?three percentage points more than the previous year.
Among those who cited these documentation requirements as an obstacle, 53% identified the complexity of the process as the main cause.
Frederic Leger, IATA?s senior vice president of Products and Services, believes that the collaboration will help passengers both understand the documentation required for travel and complete the necessary procedures.
More digital services before arriving at the airport
The initiative is part of the digitization of pre-travel procedures being driven by the airline industry. IATA advocates that an increasing portion of document verification be carried out before the passenger arrives at the airport.
The association maintains that digital processes can reduce complexity for travelers and make it easier for airlines to verify entry requirements, especially given the expansion of electronic visas and digital travel authorizations.
The integration of OneVasco thus expands Timatic?s functionality: in addition to providing information on the documentation required for each destination, airlines that adopt the new service will be able to offer their customers access to visa application assistance within the same platform.