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See the elections taking place in Latin America this year. This post will be updated with outcomes as the elections are completed.
Visit BAL’s Global Election Hub for more information on 2025 elections around the world.
DATE OF ELECTION February 9. No presidential candidate won a majority of the vote, so a runoff election will now be held on April 13.
TYPE OF ELECTION General election. Ecuador is electing its president, 151 assembly members and five Andean parliamentarians.
Incumbent president Daniel Noboa, a center-right politician of the National Democratic Action (ADN), is running for re-election following his victory in the 2023 special election. Former Assemblywoman Luisa González of the Citizen Revolution Movement (RC) party is Mr. Noboa’s primary challenger. She is a left-leaning candidate handpicked by the powerful self-exiled former president, Rafael Correa, who served from 2007 to 2017. Mr. Noboa defeated Ms. González in the 2023 special election.
The 2025 general election will also elect members of the National Assembly to a full four-year term. The recently expanded 151-seat National Assembly will run concurrently with the first round of the presidential election and all elected officials will begin a four-year term in May 2025.
OUTCOME In the Feb. 9 election, Daniel Noboa narrowly placed ahead of Luisa González in the first round, but no candidate won a majority, and as such, a runoff will now be held on April 13, 2025.
Figures released by Ecuador’s National Electoral Council showed that Noboa received 44.31% of the vote, while González received 43.83% of the vote. To win outright, a candidate needed 50% of the vote or at least 40% with a 10-point lead over the closest challenger.
Mr. Noboa has claimed irregularities in the first round of the election, but both the National Electoral Council and OAS Electoral Observation Mission have not “identified nor received any indication of widespread irregularities that could alter the election results… [and] the results therefore indicate that there will be a second round of voting.”
The election results for the parliamentary races were similarly closely divided with González’s RC party controlling 64 seats to Noboa’s ADN party with 66 seats. 76 votes are required for a majority, so the next legislature will feature important coalitions that will be crucial in either being in favor of or in opposition to either a Noboa or González administration.
RECENT IMMIGRATION NEWS The Ecuadorean government recently announced the launch of a new electronic visa system for tourism, investment or family reunification purposes. Officials said that the portal may also be utilized for individuals who wish to invest in the country or meet with family and to file all in-country initial or renewal visa applications.
Scheduled electric power outages throughout the country last Sept. 2024 have impacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which processes all in country immigration applications and have led to delays or rescheduled appointments.
More detailed information and requirements for visas in Ecuador can be found at Ecuador’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility website and the Embassy of Ecuador website.
DATE OF ELECTION August 17.
TYPE OF ELECTION General election. Bolivia is electing its president, vice president, members of the Chamber of Deputies and members of the Chamber of Senators.
DATE OF ELECTION October 26.
TYPE OF ELECTION Legislative election. This is a midterm election to elect half of the seats in the Chamber of Deputies and a third of the seats in the Senate, as the country faces one of its worst economic declines in recent years.
Argentine President Javier Milei recently launched his own political party, and winning the 2025 elections would give Mr. Milei’s libertarian La Libertad Avanza (Liberty Advances) party power in Congress. The party currently is a minority in both chambers of Congress, hindering its legislative and policy efforts.
DATE OF ELECTION November 16. A second round will take place on December 14 if no first-round candidate wins more than 50% plus one of the vote.
TYPE OF ELECTION General election. The incumbent president, Gabriel Boric, who helms the left-wing Broad Front coalition, is barred from running for a second consecutive term. The ruling coalition is yet to select its presidential candidate.
DATE OF ELECTION November 30.
TYPE OF ELECTION General election. Honduras is electing its president, members of the National Congress and 20 members of the Central American Parliament.
See the elections taking place in Africa this year. This post will be updated with outcomes as the elections are completed.
DATE OF ELECTION October
TYPE OF ELECTION General election. The incumbent president is Samia Suluhu Hassan, who took over after the death of John Magufuli in 2021.
The ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi party faces opposition from the Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema) and ACT-Wazalendo.
DATE OF ELECTION Due by December
TYPE OF ELECTION Parliamentary and Senate elections
See the elections taking place in Asia-Pacific this year. This post will be updated with outcomes as the elections are completed.
DATE OF ELECTION February 5
TYPE OF ELECTION Delhi Legislative Assembly elections. India’s political heart, the National Capital Territory of Delhi, is a city and union territory of India. It contains New Delhi, a municipality and the national capital of India. Delhi is a first-level administrative division and has its own unicameral legislature. This Delhi Legislative Assembly consists of 70 members serving five-year terms.
OUTCOME Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 48 seats and returns to power in Delhi after 27 years. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won 22 seats — down from the 63 seats it won in the 2020 election. The AAP was in power for the previous ten years and several prominent leaders and cabinet ministers lost their seats.
As BAL reported, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared victory in India’s 2024 general elections but lost its parliamentary majority and has had to govern with the support of regional allies. In recent months, the BJP has won state elections — now including Delhi — that will strengthen their political control. Despite BJP’s political rise under Modi since 2014, the center of political power in India had remained out of the reach until now.
RECENT IMMIGRATION NEWS Recently, India has focused on signing mobility agreements with neighboring states, and strengthening people-to-people ties, including with the United Kingdom and Australia.
Indian authorities are updating travel policies to allow eligible individuals to obtain immigration clearances more quickly and efficiently and simplify the process for visitors to boost tourism. The government recently announced the opening of a new Fast Track Immigration — Trusted Traveler Program (FTI-TTP) for Indian nationals and foreign nationals holding Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards.
BAL reports that Indian authorities are currently in the process of trying to get individuals to convert Person of Indian Origin (PIO) cards to OCI cards to facilitate quicker immigration clearance at immigration check posts and qualify more individuals for additional consular services. The government hopes to modernize immigration systems for added convenience and efficiency.
DATE OF ELECTION May 12
TYPE OF ELECTION General election. This is the election for local officials, district representatives to the lower house and 12 senators and is viewed as a referendum on the sitting president.
This election is also important for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. amid a disagreement with Vice President Sara Duterte, the daughter of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
Voters in Australia will have two days in 2025 to vote for their national government.
Half of the 76 seats in Australia’s Senate will be decided by May 17. All 150 seats in the House, which selects the country’s prime minister, will be chosen by Sept. 27.
DATE OF ELECTION May 17 and Sept. 27, 2025
TYPE OF ELECTION Parliamentary election – Senate
DATE OF ELECTION September 27
TYPE OF ELECTION Parliamentary election – House
DATE OF ELECTION July 27
TYPE OF ELECTION General election. The 27th general election will elect half of the 248 members of the House of Councilors, the upper house of the National Diet, for a term of six years.
The October 2024 general election resulted in the loss of majority of the Liberal Democratic Party-Komeito governing coalition in the House of Representatives under Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, with the possibility of the ruling coalition suffering another “major defeat” at the House of Councilors election if opposition parties unite their candidates.
The upcoming upper house election will be critical for Ishiba, who heads the LDP, after the ruling coalition lost its majority in the more powerful House of Representatives in a general election last year
DATE OF ELECTION By November 23
TYPE OF ELECTION General election. General elections are due to be held in Singapore no later than Nov. 23, 2025, to elect the members of the 15th Singaporean Parliament.
This is the 14th election since the country’s independence and the first election since Lee Hsien Loong resigned in November 2024 after 20 years as Prime Minister.
See the elections taking place in North America this year. This post will be updated with outcomes as the elections are completed.
DATE OF ELECTION October 20.
The election may be called earlier if Parliament is dissolved on the recommendation of the prime minister, either for a snap election, after the government loses a vote on a supply bill or a specific motion of no confidence.
TYPE OF ELECTION Parliamentary election.
See the elections taking place in Europe this year. This post will be updated with outcomes as the elections are completed.
DATE OF ELECTION January 12, 2025 TYPE OF ELECTION Presidential election. Croatia’s constitution is structured with the President as a ceremonial role as to not be a party-political figure, but act as a head of state for all citizens.
OUTCOME Croatia’s incumbent President Zoran Milanović was re-elected following a run-off against Dragan Primorac from the ruling conservative party. Mr. Milanovic had won the first round of the presidential elections on December 29, 2024, but missed the required half-way mark by 5,000 votes. Milanovic won almost three-quarters of the votes beating opponent Dragan Primorac of the governing center-right Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party. The HDZ has been the dominant party since Croatia gained independence more than 30 years ago.
RECENT IMMIGRATION NEWS As BAL reported, Croatia joined the Schengen Area, Europe’s free-travel zone, on Jan. 1, 2023. For further details about travel into and within Schengen countries, please see the State Department’s Schengen Fact Sheet.
According to the U.S. Embassy in Croatia, a visa is not required for U.S. passport holders for temporary tourist and business trips up to 90 days (during a six-month period, starting from the day of the first entry). All foreign citizens must register with local police within 48 hours of arrival.
The government also has a Digital nomad visa which serves as a temporary stay visa granted for up to a year (possibly less) but cannot be extended. A new application for regulating the stay of digital nomads can be submitted six months after the expiry of the previously granted temporary stay of digital nomads.
DATE OF ELECTION January 26, 2025
TYPE OF ELECTION Presidential election.
OUTCOME Europe’s longest-serving leader, Alexander Lukashenko, was declared the winner of the presidential election, securing a seventh straight term. According to the country’s electoral body, exit polls showed Lukashenko with 87.6% of vote in the Belarus presidential race. The Belarusian leader first won office in 1994 and returns to power, extending his three decades in power.
The European Parliament denounced the presidential election as a sham and the result has been disputed by various governments and human rights groups citing independent media repression and opposition member suppression concerns. In a joint statement from the Informal Group of Friends of Democratic Belarus within Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) the elections fell short of shared standards and the outcome was pre-determined and not free nor fair.
RECENT IMMIGRATION NEWS On Jan. 11, 2025, a visa-free agreement was made between the Government of the Republic of Belarus and the Government of the Russian Federation on mutual recognition of visas and other issues related to the entry of foreign citizens.
Belarus will soon introduce a 30-day, single-entry e-visa for tourism, business or private purposes to nationals of 67 countries. Effective March 20, 2025, applicants will be able to apply for this visa via the national electronic services portal.
DATE OF ELECTION February 23, 2025
TYPE OF ELECTION Federal election. Germany is electing the 630 members of the Bundestag, the federal legislative body.
OUTCOME Germany is getting a new chancellor, as Friedrich Merz is on course to become Germany’s 10th chancellor. The Christian Democratic Union / Christian Social Union secured 208 seats (28.52%), the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) and Alice Weidel secured 152 seats (20.8%) and incumbent Chancellor Scholz’s Social Democratic Party secured 120 seats (16.41%).Mr. Scholz will continue as a caretaker chancellor until Mr. Merz is sworn in. It should be noted that AfD doubled its vote share from four years ago in the strongest showing for a far-right party since World War II.
Sunday’s election determined who would be elected to parliament. Now, Friedrich Merz must put together a coalition government. Only when a coalition deal has been reached will the 630 lawmakers in the new Bundestag vote to elect the next chancellor, who must secure at least 316 votes. There are no formal deadlines for coalition-building or voting on the new chancellor. Merz has said he wants to begin talks immediately and hopes to form a governing coalition by Easter.
As per their campaign, the new government will attempt to cut bureaucracy and implement tax reforms, while investing in infrastructure and digitalization. Migration policy will be a central focus, as well as managing trade conflicts and securing affordable energy for the country.
For more information, read our deeper analysis of Germany’s federal election, including background on how Germany’s government is structured, why this election was consequential and what happens next.
RECENT IMMIGRATION NEWS The German government passed a new act modernizing German citizenship law last June 2024, reducing the minimum period of residence required for naturalization to five years and loosening restrictions on dual citizenship.
Meanwhile, the government also introduced a new temporary residence permit for skilled workers. It is an important part of the skilled immigration act that allows foreign nationals to obtain employment without having an employment contract before entering Germany.
Finally, the government recently launched an online platform for national visa applications, making its immigration process more modern.
All of these measures support the government’s attempts to digitize the visa process and strengthen Germany as a business location by attracting more highly skilled workers and address skilled labor shortages. Germany needs at least 400,000 skilled workers each year, impacting industries like healthcare and technology. Reforms like these, as well as the Skilled Immigration Act, are designed to make it easier for foreign nationals to bring skills and job experience to work in Germany. The new Mertz coalition government will now be tasked with navigating the need to attract international workers while supporting German citizens against the backdrop of a dire economic situation.
DATE OF ELECTION May 4, 2025. A second round will take place on May 18, 2025 if no first-round candidate wins more than 50% of the vote.
STATUS Constitutional Court annulled the first round of voting due to concerns over foreign interference. Centrist, pro-EU candidate Elena Lasconi and far-right, pro-Russian candidate Călin Georgescu have advanced to the second round in this election.
DATE OF ELECTION May 18, 2025. A second round will take place on June 1 if no candidate receives a majority of the vote in the first round.
This election decides the successor to the current president, Andrzej Duda, who hails from the Law and Justice party (PiS).
The chief candidates in the running are Rafał Trzaskowski, the Mayor of Warsaw, who belongs to the Civic Platform party (PO), and Karol Nawrocki, a historian, who is the candidate for PiS.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk (Civic Platform) has led the country since December 2023.
Although the prime minister oversees regular governance, the president still plays a crucial role, having the power to veto government policies.
DATE OF ELECTION September 26-27, 2025
Europe is focused on economic recovery but faces societal challenges. Conflict in the region and nearby Middle East is driving instability.
BACKGROUND
The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy where the hereditary monarch serves as head of state while the prime minister serves as the elected head of government. Executive power is entrusted to a unitary parliamentary system formed by members of the Parliament, where legislative power is vested in the two parliamentary chambers: the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Elections are held no more than five years apart and are scheduled by the prime minister. U.K. citizens vote for all 650 members of the House of Commons for a term of up to five years, and the party that commands a majority, either alone or in coalition, form the next government. The majority party’s leader becomes the prime minister.
The first national general election in five years was announced by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for July 4. Sunak, a former Treasury chief who had been prime minister since October 2022, hoped to continue the 14-year reign of the Conservative Party (Tories). His primary opponent was Keir Starmer, a former director of public prosecutions in England and leader of the Labour Party since April 2020.
OUTLOOK
The Labour Party won the general election with a total of 412 seats, an increase of 211 seats since the previous general election in 2019. The Conservative Party total of 121 seats represents its worst-ever defeat, with more than 250 seats lost. Starmer has met with King Charles at Buckingham Palace and officially accepted the role of prime minister. The new PM pledged to steer the country toward “calmer waters” in his first address to the nation.
The Labour Party will face many challenges, including a polarized debate on migration. The Conservatives’ signature policy regarding migration was restrictive in nature and focused on measures designed to reduce net migration and prioritize the domestic workforce. Labour Party representatives have described similar priorities to reform the points-based immigration system to reduce migration, boost Britain’s skills to address skills shortages and focus on domestic workers. Labour’s immigration policies will seek to improve wages and conditions for Britain’s workers and continue to focus on compliance with harsher penalties. Employers should be prepared for new rules and requirements when it comes to international recruitment, given the drastic change in government and healthy majority that the Labour Party now possesses for future policy reforms.
RECENT IMMIGRATION NEWS
The U.K. government is prioritizing increasing their domestic workforce through the “Back to Work Plan.” The government recently announced several initiatives to intentionally reduce net migration and make immigration more expensive for both employers and foreign nationals. The Home Office announced a plan to cut net migration to the United Kingdom by 300,000 people by reducing the high number of dependents coming to the U.K. and increasing the minimum salaries required for overseas workers and family visa applications. The statement of changes published by the Home Office confirmed the increases to the minimum general salary threshold and going rates for skilled workers as well as increases to the minimum income threshold for those bringing dependents on family visas.
The Home Office announced increased fines for employers and landlords who employ or rent to illegal migrants. The increased fines represent the largest increase in civil penalties since 2014. The measure is designed to identify and reduce illegal migration and ensure only those eligible are able to work and receive benefits or access public services. Since the start of 2018, almost 5,000 civil penalties have been issued to employers with a total value of £88.4 million.
The U.K. Parliament officially approved a new law increasing immigration health surcharge fees, effective Feb. 6, 2024, as well as announced new fees for legalizing public documents starting Jan. 1, 2024. The 66% increase to the health surcharge is an element of a broader strategy to increase fees to help fund pay raises for certain public sector jobs. As part of that effort, work and visit visa fees increased by 15%, family visas and settlement and citizenship visas by 20% and student visas by 35%.
Most recently, the Home Secretary announced on July 31 that the planned increase to the minimum income threshold for those bringing dependents to the United Kingdom on family visas is on hold. The Home Secretary also stated that the Migration Advisory Committee will review key sectors within international recruitment, including IT and engineering. The ministerial statement demonstrates a continued support for the changes announced earlier this year, including increases to salary thresholds for skilled workers and health and care workers. Other proposed changes include eliminating the ability for health and care worker visa holders filling care worker and senior care worker roles to bring dependents with them and an end to the 20% “going rate” salary discount for shortage occupations. The statement highlights the Labour Party’s new legal migration objectives and reintroduces expected reforms to migration policy. British citizens and those settled in the U.K. who want their family members to join them will not be impacted by the planned hike to the minimum income threshold yet.
Electronic Travel Authorization program
The government is creating an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) program that will require travelers who do not need a visa to apply for authorization to enter the U.K. The ETA will be valid for two years for multiple entries into the country. Individuals who are denied an ETA must apply for a standard visitor visa, temporary work — creative worker visa or transit visa. The program initially launched for nationals of Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and it is expected that by the end of 2024, ETA will be required for all visitors who do not need a visa for short stays, including those visiting from Europe and other countries including Australia and the United States. The Home Office is introducing ETA to increase border security and better monitor travel for those who do not need a visa to enter the country.
In addition, the rules for travel to most European countries are rapidly changing as well. Starting in the first half of 2025, an estimated 1.4 billion people from over 60 visa-exempt countries will be required to have a travel authorization to enter 30 European countries for a short stay. EU Commissioner Ylva Johansson recently announced the official commencement date for the new Entry/Exit System (EES) and the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS).
EES, originally part of a “Smart Borders” initiative, is an automated system for registering non-EU nationals traveling for a short stay — up to 90 days in a 180-day period — that will record each time an individual crosses an external Schengen area border. It will replace passport stamping and require travelers to have biometric data (facial images and fingerprints) recorded upon entry. It was originally expected to take effect during the first half of 2022 but will now launch Nov. 10, 2024.
EES differs from ETIAS, which is an entry requirement for visa-exempt nationals traveling to any of 30 European countries. It is linked to a traveler’s passport and allows individuals to enter for short-term stays up to 90 days in any 180-day period. ETIAS will require travelers from the 63 countries currently approved to travel into the EU visa-free to register for a visa waiver before arriving in the Schengen area and is expected to launch in 2025.
EU authorities have stated that the new systems will provide vital information necessary to identify those who have stayed in the EU longer than allowed, who do not have the right to enter the EU, or those who are involved in criminal or terrorist activity and assess potential security risks. Schengen-participating states may benefit by being able to better manage their external borders and improve internal security. Travelers may also benefit by obtaining earlier indications of their admissibility and making legal travel across Schengen borders easier.
The Fifth Republic, France’s current republican semi-presidential system of government, consists of an executive branch, a legislative branch and a judicial branch. Executive power is exercised by the president of the republic and the government. The government consists of the prime minister and the parliament, made up of the National Assembly (Assemblée nationale) and the Senate (Sénat). The prime minister is appointed by the president, who is the directly elected head of state.
On June 9, current President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the lower house of France’s parliament in a surprise announcement. Legislative elections were held June 30 and July 7 to elect all 577 members of the 17th National Assembly of the Fifth French Republic. The move by Macron came in response to the European Union’s parliamentary election, where France elected 81 members of the European Parliament. Macron himself was not a candidate in the EU elections, and his term as president runs for three more years. The far-right National Rally party, led by Marine Le Pen, made substantial gains in that EU election, however, and Macron’s Besoin d’Europe electoral list lost a significant number of seats.
In the 2022 legislative elections, Macron’s centrist party won the most seats but lost its majority in the National Assembly. Le Pen was the runner-up to Macron in the last two presidential elections and “welcomed” Macron’s move to dissolve the National Assembly and call a snap election. Macron’s decision was a massive political risk that could have drastically impacted the rest of his presidential term, which ends in 2027. In his address, Macron justified his decision by the “historic score of the far-right” that could not be ignored and called the rise of nationalism by agitators a threat to France, Europe and France’s place in the world.
Three alliances emerged on top after the recent election. Each fell short of an outright majority, where a party or coalition needs to secure at least 289 of the National Assembly’s 577 seats. The New Popular Front (NFP), an alliance of leftist and environmental parties, won the largest number of seats with 188. Ensemble, the centrist coalition led by Macron, came in second with 161 seats. Finally, National Rally (RN) and its allies, led by far-right leader Le Pen, won 142 seats. Macron said “no one won” the parliamentary election and called on mainstream parties with “republican values” to form a governing alliance. As a consequence, nobody can propose the name of a prime minister with the assurance that they would get the support of a majority of lawmakers in a vote.
France’s divided National Assembly kept Speaker Yaël Braun-Pivet, a centrist member of Macron’s party and head of the National Assembly since 2022, as speaker after three rounds of votes in the lower house of parliament. Macron accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, and there is no firm timeline for when the president must name a new prime minister as the government continues to operate and work toward a coalition.
As of Aug. 27, Macron continues to maintain the current centrist caretaker government, which has led France since the July 7 vote and through the Paris Olympics. The NFP announced its preferred candidate for prime minister, Lucie Castets, after their bloc won the most seats in parliament during the snap elections. Macron has rejected the nomination and talks are currently underway to nominate a government.
Without a majority in the National Assembly, Macron faces a strong challenge from the far right and is reliant on parties outside the government to get legislation through. His government managed to push through a new comprehensive immigration law with the backing of right-wing Republicans and the far-right RN, and, in order to get the bill through, the government accepted a series of amendments such as limiting family reunifications and reducing access to welfare. Future immigration bills will be impacted by the new coalition government. The priorities of Macon’s administration are combating illegal immigration but also promoting the integration of foreign nationals in France. The challenge of the far right will continue to be a focus point from an immigration policy perspective.
In preparation for Paris hosting the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, French authorities began operating a new Olympic consulate system for processing the anticipated high volume of visa applications entirely online via the government’s France-Visas platform. The Olympic consulate system represents France’s first venture into processing e-visas and a similar digitalized visa process. The French government later launched a new digital tool that will alert foreign nationals when it is time to renew their residence permit. The new digital program is designed to help foreign nationals request renewal of their residence permit in a timely manner and avoid late fees as well as limit the need for issuance of provisional documents.
The government is also undertaking additional efforts to relax rules related to the taxes paid by French companies that hire foreign nationals from outside the European Union/European Economic Area/Switzerland. A recently released policy provided a benefit for employers of French residence permit holders, for whom they no longer need to pay the foreign worker tax. This measure is part of an effort to streamline the immigration process and ease the process for French employers seeking to attract and hire foreign talent.
New immigration law
The French government published a new comprehensive immigration law on Jan. 27 that included provisions for a new residence permit for medical professionals and a residence permit allowing for the regularization of certain undocumented workers. The bill also introduced a French-language proficiency requirement for multiyear residence permit holders while also installing limits on repeated renewals of certain temporary residence permits. The law was originally passed in December 2023, but several provisions were later struck down by the Constitutional Council. After right-wing and far-right pressure, most of the measures rejected by France’s nine-member Constitutional Council were later added back into the controversial bill. Le Pen supported the legislation after it was passed in December and the bill received popular protests. The new law includes important amendments surrounding residency and citizenship intended to combat irregular migration. Permit holders should prepare in advance for when the changes will take effect. The renewal limitation for temporary residence permits took immediate effect, but the higher language proficiency changes are expected to be in force by Jan. 1, 2026.
This analysis has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.
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