visaA document, usually pasted onpassportIn the visa page, this type of document allows the holder to arrive at the port of entry and exit of the destination country and undergo border immigration inspection or be able to enter directly. A few countries with more restrictions on foreigners not only require tourists to obtain entry visas, but also require exit permits. Some countries with developed tourism industries allow tourists to enter visa-free and make short-term stays or allow tourists to apply for visas on arrival at ports.
This article mainly introduces the visas that need to be paid for before departure. Please be sure to understand the visa policy of your destination before departure.
Generally speaking, tourists should holdThe remaining valid period is more than 6 months, and there is at least one blank visa pagePassport to apply for a visa. Otherwise, before obtaining a new passport, visitors may beRefusal of visa(Hereinafter referred to as refusal) orRefused entry. In addition, some countries will refuse the entry of tourists with visas or entry records from certain countries in the passport. In this regard, if the passport issuing authority agrees, it is recommended that tourists apply for multiple passports in advance. In addition, sometimes the "6 months validity" refers to the situation of the passport when the passenger enters the country instead of when applying for a visa.
Do I need a visa?
The visa system is largely based on national management, social security and economic considerations. It is necessary to confirm visa requirements from reliable channels such as embassies. Visa requirements will vary according to the passenger's own circumstances, such as nationality, length of stay, destination, port of entry and exit, etc. However, please note that almost all countries require long-term entry foreigners to apply for visas or residence permits.
Your currentPlace of residenceUsually it has little to do with whether you need to apply for a visa. YourNationality and passport issuing countryIt is the main factor that affects these. If you are in a foreign country and want to visit a neighboring country or some other country, pleasedo not wantFollow the visa advice provided by locals blindly. Locals may not need a visa to go there, but you do, and vice versa. In addition, you also need to ensure that you can return to your country of residence after the trip.
Citizens of most countries can access information or visits issued by the government of the country of nationality or destinationInternational Air Transport Association websiteTo check the relevant visa requirements.
How about applying for visa on arrival?
Many countries with a prosperous tourism industry allow short-term visitors to apply for visas on arrival. In some countries, visas on arrival are free, but not in all countries. In addition, many countries require tourists to apply for a visa before departure.
Visas on arrival can sometimes only be processed at certain ports of entry. For example, some countries open visa applications on arrival at international airports, but land ports do not accept such applications. Therefore, tourists who want to enter from land ports need to apply for visas before departure.
Visa fee
The amount of visa fee depends on the applicant's nationality, visa validity period, length of stay, number of entries and application method and other factors. It may be cheaper to apply for a visa on arrival at the port than at the embassy or consulate in advance.
The amount of the visa fee may also be determined based on the principle of reciprocity. If your country of nationality charges a higher visa fee to the citizens of the country you intend to go to, the fee you will be charged when applying for a visa may also be higher. For example, since the US visa application fee is US$160, the Chinese government charges US citizens applying for a Chinese visa a visa fee of US$140 based on the principle of reciprocity, while the visa fee charged to applicants from other countries is much cheaper.
If you just go to the border areas of other countries, you can sometimes reduce the visa fee through reasonable planning of your itinerary, and you may not need to pay the visa fee if you stay within one day.
The embassy or consulate will put forward some requirements for the payment method of the visa fee, such as cash only, cheques are not accepted, and so on. When applying for a visa via the Internet, bank cards are generally used to pay online. Finally, please note that if the applicant is denied a visa, the application fee paid will usually not be refunded.
Type of Visa
There are many types of visas, so applicants need to figure out what kind of visas they need to apply for according to their travel purposes. Holding a visa inconsistent with the purpose of travel may be refused entry, repatriation or even re-entry. Different countries have different visa systems. The following are some common visa types:
- Tourist VISAIt is used to issue to tourists who come for travel, vacation or sightseeing. Some tourist visas are valid for a single time, with a validity period of no more than 6 months, while others are valid for multiple times, with a validity period of up to 10 years. Of course, the prices of these two types of visas may be different. Some countries require certain tourists to obtain a tourist visa before departure. If you meet the conditions for visa exemption or visa on arrival, but want to stay longer, you also need to apply for a tourist visa in advance. To obtain a tourist visa, you must prove that you have no tendency to immigrate and are able to leave the country on time. Except for working holiday and other types of visas, ordinary tourist visas generally do not allow applicants to work locally.
- Working Holiday VisaPermit holders to engage in activities outside of local tourismshort termWork. This type of visa is only provided by some countries based on relevant bilateral treaties.
- Business visaThe holders of the certificate will engage in trade activities, sign commercial treaties, participate in conferences or trainings in the local area. The certificate holder cannot have an employment relationship with a local individual or organization.
- transit visaIssued to passengers traveling through their home country to a third country, generally staying for 1 to 10 days. Please note that not all countries have a visa-free policy for passengers who do not leave the international airport transfer area for international flight transfers (Like the United States）。
- student visaIssued to students who are currently studying. Applicants who want to apply for this type of visa usually need to provide the local school's admission letter, language test scores and proof of funds (tuition and living expenses). Some countries allow international students to engage in some jobs.
- working visaAllow the holder to work locally for a period of time. This type of visa is not easy to apply unless the holder has a high degree of education or is in short supply of talents, or the country of nationality has a bilateral agreement with the government of the local country. Because the government of each country gives priority to the employment of its citizens. If the holder does not have local permanent residency, the holder can often only engage in specific types of work or be hired by specific employers.
- Pension visaPermit the holder to stay in the local area for a long time but not to work.
- Religious Ceremony VisaAllow the holder to enter the country to participate in religious ceremonies, such asMeccaHajj activities.
- Immigrant visaorPermanent residence visaAllow the holder to immigrate to the local area. This type of visa is the most difficult to apply for, and there are also harsh conditions such as making a huge investment in the local area, continuous long-term residence, having held a working visa for a period of time, or marrying a local person. In addition, many countries also require applicants not to have arrears or criminal records.
Conditions for successful visa application
Some countries require your passportAt least 6 months of validity remaining. Please note that the term "6 months" sometimes refers to the remaining validity period when entering the country rather than when applying for a visa.
Applicants with criminal records may be refused visas, or visa preferential policies (such as visa exemption or visa on arrival) may no longer apply to them. This situation may even occur at land ports in countries that are exempt from each other (such as the US-Canada border). ). In order to avoid disappointment after being refused entry, please consult the embassy or consulate of the destination country. Although relevant information may be posted on the website of the embassy or consulate, it is better to consult in person for more complicated legal situations, not to mention that different countries have different definitions of crime. All in all, if you have a criminal record, it is best to apply for a visa in advance. Being denied entry can be more troublesome than being denied a visa. If you truthfully state your criminal record when applying for a visa and successfully obtain a visa, it is unlikely that you will be denied entry at the port.
In addition, please also pay attention to whether you have ever violated relevant visa policies, such as overstaying even one day or working with a tourist visa. It is very difficult to apply for a visa if you have done these things.
Proof of income and property is very helpful for applying for a visa, because these materials can show that you will not violate the visa policy such as overstaying or illegal work after entering the country. Therefore, please prepare the deposit certificate issued by the bank, the employment certificate provided by the employer and other materials for the visa officer to check. If you are applying for a work or immigrant visa, these materials are also very important.
During the visa application process, you generally need to provide materials to prove the following points:
- Your reason for entry matches the type of visa
- You can afford to travel
- You have a right of residence in your current place of residence that you have no reason to give up, so you will return to your country on schedule
Apply for a visa through an intermediary agency
When you apply for a visa, some intermediaries will claim that they can help the applicant to obtain a visa faster and provide less materials. This sounds good, but it may be a scam. As an applicant, you will pay for the scams of the intermediary and the problems they may have during the visa application process. If you or the intermediary agency you commission is suspected of visa fraud (for example, providing false documents), you will face the following possible consequences:
- Is permanently prohibited from applying for a visa here
- Encountered criminal proceedings or even imprisonment after entering the destination country
- Loss of visa fees and agency fees
If you really cannot provide the specified materials, please truthfully explain to the visa officer the reasons why you cannot provide them, instead of trying to lie or falsify. Visa fraud by most agencies mainly involves work visas and immigrant visas. Visa frauds for tourist visas, student visas and business visas also occur from time to time.
Of course, there are also formal visa intermediaries that help applicants who do not have an embassy or consulate nearby, have complicated background experience, have no experience in applying for visas, or have a busy life to submit visa applications. As an applicant, before choosing a visa intermediary, you must understand whether they have the appropriate qualifications.
Visa-free entry
Some countries allow foreigners of certain nationalities to enter visa-free under certain conditions. For example, EU member states generally allow citizens of other countries that are also EU members to travel freely without restriction. Most of the ASEAN member states allow citizens of other ASEAN members to enter visa-free for tourism and business purposes. The US Visa Waiver Program allows citizens of certain countries to enter visa-free for tourism and business purposes after applying online, which eliminates the need for travelers to apply for visas at their embassies or consulates.
Some countries do not require visas for transit passengers, for exampleSaudi Arabia(Stay up to 18 hours without leaving the airport), China (visa-free for passengers staying within 72 hours of a specific nationality) and the United Kingdom (a specific third country visa is required).
If the country you intend to travel to allows other travelers of the same nationality as you to enter visa-free, please do not assume that you can also be like them, especially when you need to extend your stay (such as work, study or even immigration). If the purpose of your trip is not "tourism", but hope to get married, engage in activities such as speeches (even if you are not paid), interviews, etc., then it is best to check the relevant policies. In these cases, it may be necessary to apply for a visa in advance, or to show proof materials when entering the country. For example, Canada will require travelers who wish to enter the country without a visa but whose purpose of travel is not tourism to present invitation letters and other materials. In addition, if you wish to travel to sensitive areas of some countries, you also need to obtain permission in advance.
Apply for a visa in advance
To apply for a visa, please visit the website of the immigration department, diplomatic department or embassy of the country you want to visit. Where will tell you which materials you need to provide and which procedures to follow. They will also tell you what to do if they do not have a representative office in the country where you live.
When applying for a short-term stay visa, you will generally be required to provide the following materials (the actual situation may vary):
- Passport (including the original and personal information page and a copy of previous visas and entry and exit records)
- Proof of property (such as deposit certificates, income certificates, and tax bills)
- Employment certificate or enrollment certificate issued by employer or school
- Travel details (e.g. itinerary, air tickets or hotel reservation records)
- birth certificate
After you have gathered all the necessary materials, you can fill in the visa application form. Some countries allow applicants to fill in the form online and submit it, but in most cases it is still necessary to fill in or print it out manually. After completing all the forms, you can make a visa application appointment with the visa issuing authority. They will also tell you how to pay the visa fee. Some embassies or consulates will entrust a third-party business organization to process the applicant's visa application, but it is still the visa officer of the embassy or consulate that determines whether you can obtain a visa. Under certain circumstances, the visa officer will ask you to provide additional documents, call your employer or family members to verify information (commonly known as ESC), or ask you to go for an interview.
When applying for a visa, you have to deal with the embassy or consulate of the destination country. Embassies are generally located in the capital of a country. The consulate is a branch of the embassy and is usually located in a city far away from the embassy. For example, Shanghai and Guangzhou, thousands of miles away from Beijing, have consulates in many countries. Some countries do not need to set up consulates because of their small land area, unless some neighboring countries with frequent exchanges set up consulates in order to reduce the work pressure of the embassy and facilitate the entry and exit of their citizens.
The embassies of some countries divide consular districts for their consulate officers and require you to go to the consulate in the consular district of your place of residence to apply for a visa. For example, if you are a resident of Shenzhen but temporarily go to Shanghai, you may not be able to apply for a visa at the consulates of certain countries in Shanghai, and you must go to the consulates of those countries closer to your usual residence in Guangzhou to submit your application. This situation may also happen to people visiting other countries. For example, many countries have embassies in Singapore. Although Johor Bahru in Malaysia is very close to Singapore, they may not accept visa applications from residents of Johor Bahru. For those who have already traveled to other countries, if they still want to travel to a third country that requires a visa, they can contact the nearest embassy or consulate. Although success is not guaranteed, it is possible that they will agree to issue a visa for you.
If you have some documents that need to be notarized, the visa application will become a lot more complicated (this is not the case for ordinary tourist visas, unless you want to marry a local). For example, if you provide certification materials from other countries (such as birth certificates), these materials may be sent to those countries for verification.
Under normal circumstances, it is recommended that applicants start the visa application four weeks before departure to ensure that you can complete all the application procedures before departure and get the visa as you wish. Some countries are more efficient in processing visa applications, but please do not submit the application before departure, otherwise you will face high ticket prices or even miss your flight. If you cannot go to the embassy or consulate in person, you may also be able to mail your visa application to the visa officer through the postal system. If the embassy or consulate does not allow you to do this, they may designate some intermediary agencies to accept the application. All in all, please start your visa application as early as possible. It may take several weeks to process your visa application, but in some cases there may be expedited services to choose from.
Transit
Transit refers to the act of entering a country for a short period of time for the purpose of going to another country. The policies of various countries for transit are more complicated than those for tourism. The conditions that lead to different results can include the number of days of stay, whether to leave the airport transit area, and so on. Some countries that require visas in advance may allow passengers to transit visa-free under certain circumstances, and those who cannot meet the relevant conditions can only apply for transit visas.
If the condition for visa-free transit is that you cannot leave the airport transfer area, then you have to consider your luggage. Some low-cost airlines and regular airlines that have no agreement with each other will not help you consign your luggage from the transit point to the final destination. (This service is called direct baggage check). In this regard, you may need to apply for a tourist visa or transit visa for the country of your transit place in advance before you can leave the transit area and go to the airline counter to recheck your baggage. Please also note that applying for a transit visa is also subject to a visa fee.
If you buy tickets in segments instead of connecting tickets, some airlines will not provide direct luggage check-in services. Of course, if you book through a travel agency or there is code sharing between the flights you take, then you may still be able to enjoy the convenience of direct luggage checking.
After obtaining the visa
After receiving the passport with the visa attached from the visa office, please check the information on the visa item by item. The following information is usually printed on the visa:
- Name
- date of birth
- Country of Citizenship
- Passport number
- Valid period#
- Number of Entries#
- Type of Visa
#-Sometimes, even if you stated in the application form that you are applying for a long-term multiple visa or even paid the visa fee according to this standard, the visa officer may issue you a short-term single visa based on your actual situation. This situation often occurs in applicants who have no previous international travel experience and hold a passport without any visa and entry and exit records (referred to as a white passport).
Holding a valid visa from a certain country does not mean that you can enter that country smoothly. When you arrive at the port of entry, the border inspection officer will check whether your purpose of entry is consistent with the visa. Therefore, if you have a tourist or business visa, please prepare your departure ticket and relevant information about the hotel or inviter. For other types of visas, please also prepare the corresponding supporting materials, and do not show some strange materials that are inconsistent with the purpose of travel recorded on your visa. If you cannot prove that you can meet the relevant requirements, you will be refused entry and your visa may be cancelled.
From the time the visa is issued until you leave the country where the visa was issued, you need to make sure that you can meet all visa-related requirements and conditions. If you hold a multiple visa, it will be cancelled even if your visa has not expired after the following situations occur:
- Overstay
- Engage in activities prohibited by this visa type (for example, working with a tourist visa or working overtime with a student visa)
- The reason for applying for a visa no longer exists
Validity period and duration of stay
The visa of some countries does not specify the number of days of stay. When the passenger is entering the country, the border inspection officer will mark the period of stay on the entry and exit records. Different countries have different definitions of the validity period.
Take the United States as an example. The validity period on a US visa means that you can enter the country before this date, and how long you can stay after entering has nothing to do with this date. You can enter the U.S. one day before the expiration of your U.S. visa, and the immigration inspection officer at the port of entry will mark how long you can stay in your passport. Please be sure to leave the country before the expiration of your stay.
In the UK and most Schengen countries, tourists need to leave the country before the visa expires, and the duration of stay will also be marked on the visa. As for the actual stay of the tourists, it depends on the shorter of the two. In this case, if you enter the country the day before your visa expires, you can only leave the country on the same day.
Extension and change of status
If you want to extend your stay or change your status at the time of entry, please apply to the immigration section of your country. However, due to the policies of different countries and your own actual situation, such applications may not always pass. For example, tourists entering the United States through the visa-free plan cannot extend their stay or change their status. If the policy does not allow it, then you need to leave the country first and re-apply for the corresponding visa after returning home (note that you must leave the country on time, otherwise the difficulty of applying for a new visa will increase sharply). In addition to checking your previous entry and exit records and whether you meet the visa application requirements, applying for a new different type of visa has little to do with the old visa you have applied for.
Many people who work abroad but have difficulty in renewing their visas may go to a third country to renew their visas. For example, according to Mozambique’s regulations, foreigners working locally can stay for one month but cannot apply for extension locally. May go to Mozambique’s embassy or consulate in a neighboring country to apply for a new visa, and then return to Mozambique to continue working.
Overstay
If your visa or entry permit expires before your departure, it constitutes an overstay, and it is strongly recommended that you do not do this. For overstaying, different countries have different penalties. Although a few countries only need to bribe border officials to be released, most of the time they still have to pay a fine or even go to jail. The consequences of being overstayed when leaving the country are less severe than when being found in other places (such as city streets). However, if you are overstaying, you may be barred from entering the country in the future. As to whether you can legally extend your stay, please contact the immigration department of your country to inquire about relevant laws and policies.
In order to avoid overstaying, when you apply for a visa or entry permit and fill in the number of days of stay, you can write slightly more than the number of days you plan to stay, but if doing so will increase the visa fee or make the processing process more complicated, then this is not necessarily the case It's necessary.
Departure Permit
In addition to the need for a visa when entering the country,Russia, Schengen countries andSaudi ArabiaOther countries also have a departure permit system, which is the same as the one that some CIS countries require their citizens to obtain before leaving the country.Exit Permitdifferent. Departure permits are not as scary as it sounds. This requirement only applies to people holding certain types of visas. People holding tourist visas or business visas usually do not need to apply for this permit. If your country requires a departure permit before leaving the country, please do so as soon as possible. In extreme cases, it may take several weeks to obtain a departure permit.
Saudi Arabia requires foreigners to obtain a departure permit before leaving the country. For those holding work visas, they must obtain the permission of their employers. Some foreign teachers working in schools need to obtain signatures from many departments of the school before leaving the country. In order to prove that there is no outstanding payment or not borrowed books from the library and so on, this step is more cumbersome. In addition, some unscrupulous employers will use this system to control their foreign employees.
When leaving the country, immigration officials of most countries will check your travel documents. Some countries will give you some cards (such as arrival cards) when you enter the country, and you need to return them when you leave the country. If you have lost your passport in the country, Then you need to accept additional review.
Alien registration
The alien registration system and the visa system are not the same. In some countries, you need to report to the relevant department and register your address and other information after you arrive. The steps include filling out the form and accepting the local police inquiries. In countries with such systems, the hotel will usually help you complete the relevant registration. Please make sure to clarify the relevant policies before departure.
After the registration is completed, the relevant department may stamp your passport or issue you a card. Failure to present these certificates when leaving the country may cause unnecessary trouble for you, such as accepting additional inspections by the immigration department and So missed the flight.