Blog · 2024-10-05

Relocation news digest - October 5, 2024

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe: authorities relaunch the e-visa programme

Zimbabwe has reinstated its electronic visa programme for travellers entering the country for business and tourism.

Eligible travellers can apply for and pay for an e-visa online no later than 72 hours before their trip to Zimbabwe.

🇳🇴 Norway: authorities weigh building a fence along the Russian border

The fence could run along the entire border or cover only part of it.

The border between Norway and Russia stretches for 198 kilometres in total.

🇷🇺 Russia: Binance still serves some Russian users

"We continue to serve a limited number of existing Russian users to ensure the safety and security of their digital assets," a Binance representative said.

The world's largest crypto exchange announced its exit from Russia late last September.

🇷🇺 Russia: OTP Bank begins rejecting euro payments to the EU

OTP Bank has started returning some euro payments sent by Russian clients to the European Union.

The transfers are being declined by the parent bank in Hungary, which acts as the correspondent bank for euro payments.

🇺🇸 United States: registration for the FY2026 visa lottery opens on 2 October

From Wednesday, 2 October 2024 through Tuesday, 5 November 2024, applicants can register for the diversity visa lottery on the official State Department website.

🇹🇷 Turkey: a new tech-visa programme to attract talented professionals worldwide

Great news for Turkey enthusiasts. The country has launched the Türkiye Tech Visa programme, designed to attract professionals with critical technological skills and experience in innovative business models, in order to further strengthen the country's tech ecosystem.

The Türkiye Tech Visa grants participants a three-year work permit, allowing them to live and work in Turkey with minimal administrative hurdles.

Minister Kacir stressed that the Türkiye Tech Visa is another step in the country's drive to establish itself as a leader in global technology.

Murblz assists clients in obtaining the Türkiye Tech Visa.

🇨🇳 China: banks scale back work with sellers on Russian marketplaces

China's share of settlements for sellers on Russian marketplaces has fallen to 51.1%. The reason is that Chinese banks have lengthened their review times for payments from Russia, wary of secondary sanctions.

Cross-border settlements for buying everyday goods in China - clothing and food - have recently become difficult to process.

🇦🇪 UAE: online services of the pension authority temporarily suspended

The online system of the General Pension and Social Security Authority (GPSSA) will be temporarily suspended from 15 October 2024 until further notice, as part of the transition to a new online platform called Ma'ashi.

The new Ma'ashi platform will streamline employer access to GPSSA services, provide regular notifications and updates, offer a centralised FAQ page, and allow real-time tracking of GPSSA service and support requests.

🇷🇴 Romania: visa-free travel to the US for its citizens

An announcement on visa-free travel to the United States for Romanian citizens is expected on 15 October.

Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced that Romania's US visa refusal rate has dropped to 3%.

🇹🇭 Thailand: new rules for obtaining work permits

The Board of Investment (BOI) now exempts foreign nationals holding the positions of president, chief executive officer, chairman of the board or managing director from the age and work-experience requirements previously imposed for work permits at BOI-approved companies.

In addition, new requirements have been introduced for engineers and digital-technology specialists, including higher minimum salary thresholds and stricter education and experience requirements.

🇫🇮 Finland: authorities tighten citizenship rules

Obtaining Finnish citizenship now requires eight years of residence in the country, up from the previous five. The aim of the change is to underline the importance of successful integration into society.

The old law still applies to those who managed to submit their application before 1 October 2024.

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia: changes to business registration rules

Under new rules to be introduced in the coming months, companies in Saudi Arabia will be able to register their branches under a single registration, doing away with the current practice of separate registration by city and region.

Companies will also be required to confirm their registration details electronically each year.

🇲🇽 Mexico: authorities restrict short-term rentals for tourists

In Mexico City, authorities are restricting property rentals through online platforms such as Airbnb in an effort to curb rising housing prices.

The new reform will prohibit landlords from renting out their property for more than 50% of the days in a year.

🇦🇪 UAE: higher fines for circumventing Emiratisation requirements

The fine has risen to 8,000 dirhams per month and will increase by 1,000 dirhams each year.

FAQ

How do you enter the green card lottery?

You register only on the official US State Department site during the entry window, which usually opens in autumn and runs for a few weeks. You need a recent photo that meets strict specifications, passport details, and proof of either secondary education or qualifying work experience; one entry per person, and duplicates get you disqualified. The list of eligible countries and the exact dates are announced fresh each year, so follow the rules of the current draw rather than last year's.

How much does the green card lottery cost?

Registration itself is free - you only pay after being selected, for the consular fee, medical exam, translations and documents. Sites that charge to submit your entry are middlemen at best and often outright scams, so apply only through the official government domain. Save your confirmation number: it is the only way to check results, and the organisers never email winners.

Can you send euros from Russia to Europe?

Some Russian banks and their foreign parent groups return or block euro payments because of compliance pressure and European regulator requirements, and these channels close without warning. A route that works today can fail tomorrow at the correspondent bank. It is safer to hold an account with a bank in your country of residence, avoid relying on a single channel, and confirm the route with your bank before any large transfer.

Do crypto exchanges still work for Russians?

Major platforms announced their exit from the Russian market, yet in practice some kept serving a limited set of users so they could withdraw their assets. Conditions shifted in jumps: deposit and withdrawal limits, repeat verification, euro and dollar operations switched off, customer bases handed to other services. Keeping significant sums where your access depends on a platform's sanctions policy is risky, and the rules are worth rechecking before every large transaction.

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