Today we’re talking practicality again. V is for Visas! There are many countries that you can’t just turn up to, you need to get a visa. There are also many countries where you’ll need a visa but you get it on arrival. And of course, we’ve “taken back control” and we’ve now got blue passports so it’s all been worthwhile that you’ll now have to consider the ETIAS as well.
This post is about tourist visas, by the way, which are the simplest. If you’re after something relating to work or diplomacy, this may broadly cover that (probably pick “work” or “diplomat” instead of “tourist” on the drop down) but you’ll definitely want to check with someone who knows better.
How do I know if I need a visa?
For us UK-types, it’s very easy. The government has a Foreign Travel Advice portal and it tells you everything you need to know before you go abroad. Find your country and take a look at the Entry Requirements section. I’m going to Cyprus in January. The website says I don’t need a visa for up to 90 days. It doesn’t mention that I’ll need an ETIAS because that scheme doesn’t start up until next year. But I also looked at Benin – no plans, probably never – and not only does it say that I need a visa, it directs me to the correct place to apply.
If you’re coming from anywhere else – by which I mean the US, really. I can’t cover every country in the world and these two are my biggest readers – I can’t find anything similar but you do have a Department of State Travel site which may contain what you need to know if you dig deep enough. Otherwise, the embassy or consulate of your destination should have that information.
How do I apply for a visa?
Most visas are online now. Generally, you fill in a form and photos and whatever else it requests and send the appropriate money and you’ll get your visa back within a certain period of time. But sometimes you have to go in person to an embassy, consulate or similar. I wrote a post about the process of getting a Russian visa in 2019 – not that I think most of you will be doing that for the foreseeable future. I needed a voucher of invitation, I needed to fill in a form, including my parents’ passport numbers, my travel history for the last ten years, to bring some passport photos and attend the Russian embassy in London in person. Then I paid extra to have my passport posted to me instead of going back to London to pick it up – but if you live nearby, that was an option.
In my previous job, as the admin person, I filled in various African visa applications for the sales staff. Mostly it’s not very difficult. They want your personal details, including your passport details. Sometimes they want to know your recent travel history in case you’ve been someone on their bad list. They always want passport photos and of course, you have to send your passport to have the visa stuck in. Make sure you have at least two blank pages. You’ll want one for the visa itself and another in case they want to add anything.
How do I get a visa on arrival?
I’ve never done this myself but I get the impression it’s not too difficult. You’ll have your passport with you and that contains most of the information they’ll want on the spot. Make sure you have a good collection of passport photos – as a rule of thumb, at least two for every on-arrival visa you’ll need and I’d have a few spares too in case any want more. You’ll also, of course, need to pay for it there and then.
If you’re needing to get a visa on arrival, make sure you allow extra time. You’re not going to be getting off the plane, out of the airport and into your taxi or bus in twenty minutes if you’ve got to stop for international legal admin.
What if I overstay my visa?
Don’t. Just don’t.
In some countries, you can renew or extend or get a second visa. It’ll take a few hours out of your day as you go off to the right embassy or consulate to deal with the paperwork but in some places, it can be done. Christianne of Backpacking Bananas has a video about extending her Thai tourist visa a couple of years ago. Bear in mind there may be limits to how long you can spend in a country, visa or no visa but if your time limit and the logistics allow for it, then this is an option.
But in some countries it’s not. Don’t miss that flight. Don’t cut it too fine. I had a bit of a panic in Russia. Do you remember the idiots flying drones over Gatwick and Heathrow in the summer of 2019? I do! I was worried my flight was going to get cancelled and if it did, my best option was to sit tight in the departures area of the airport, beyond the reach of visa requirements, until there was an available flight, which I would have to be on, no matter the cost. I spent the last week of that trip researching options in advance – priority being to get out of Russia and deal with getting home once I didn’t have to panic about overstaying that precious visa. In that case, I was looking at running to visa-free Riga and figuring out a flight home from there. In the end, the flight went ahead, no difficulty but it worried me for a few days, not least because the Riga flight would have been from a different airport. If the flight gets cancelled once I’m at the airport, I’m scuppered.
And my grandmother said “But if she did overstay her visa, that wouldn’t be a problem, because it’s not her fault”. Sorry, that’s not how border police look at these things. No visa, no right to be there, repercussions, repercussions. You may be fined, you may be blacklisted from that country, you may even end up under arrest. It’s really not something you want to be messing around with.
If you can, try to get your visa for a little longer than you’re actually going to be in that place to allow for problems beyond your control. I know if I’d had another week on my Russian visa, I wouldn’t have had to worry so much about a cancelled flight. But I also know I’d have been inclined to go “Oh, I’ve got another week, that’s enough time to go to Arkhangelsk.” No. That extra time is to allow for contingencies.
What about ETIAS?
ETIAS is the European Travel Information and Authorisation System. It was “implemented into legislation” in 2018 and pre-screens travellers from “third countries”. It’s not a visa but a visa waiver but it’s coming under here because it’s a bit of legal paperwork you have to do to gain entry to other countries, so it counts under visas. Once it’s introduced, travellers entering the EU visa-free will require an ETIAS – that means UK passport holders, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand etc. Take a look at the ever-changing map to find out if it means you.
Yes, UK, now that we’ve taken back control, we’ll need to pay for a bit of paper that says we can go to France. Or Spain. Or Germany. Or Finland. Or any of the others. They’re valid for three years or until your passport expires and they cost €7 for anyone between 18 and 70. If you’re under 18 or over 70, you’ll still need your ETIAS but there will be no fee.
I gather despite claiming it’s coming in from 2024, it’s not actually being introduced until the middle of 2025. “Some parts of the system will be operational in late 2024” but apparently people have been talking about it for years and no one’s actually done anything about it. For the purposes of this post, bear in mind your ETIAS and put checking it on your travel to-do list but don’t expect it to be anything except “check it isn’t happening yet” for at least another 18 months.
And ESTA?
ESTA is to the US what ETIAS is the EU, as far as I understand. If you’re coming visa-free to the USA, you need an ESTA. You apply online, pay your $21 and then it’s valid for two years or until your passport expires, depending on which comes first, no matter how many times you use it in that time. The website says the application process takes about 23 minutes to complete but it’s a bit vague about how long it takes to be approved or send to you or whatever comes next. I think “a determination will usually be available within 72 hours” means you should expect it within three days but I’m generally of the opinion that you should do this sort of thing as early as you can in case it takes longer than expected.
Is there anything else I need to say about visas? Find out if you need one, get one, stick to it. Any questions?