Every country decides what each passport needs. These are the six things you’ll see on this site, from easiest to hardest.
You arrive with your passport and get a stamp, or your fingerprints are scanned. The officer can still ask for your return ticket, where you’re staying and how you’ll pay for your trip, so carry them. Count your days: overstaying brings fines.
Some visa-free countries ask you to fill in a free online arrival card a few days before you land, such as Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and the Maldives. It isn’t a visa. Use only the official site: copycat sites charge for it.
You get the visa when you land. Bring the fee (often in clean US dollar notes), your return ticket and your hotel booking. Some countries let you buy the same visa online first, which skips the queue.
You apply on a government website, upload a passport scan and photo, and pay by card. Approval takes from a day to a week or more. Print it: airlines check it before you board.
An ETA or eTA is lighter than a visa: a short online form, usually approved within days. You still need it before you fly, and airlines check it.
You apply through the embassy or its visa centre (VFS Global, BLS, TLScontact or Capago). Expect a form, a fee, photos, bank statements, bookings, insurance, an employer letter, fingerprints and sometimes an interview. Allow 4 to 8 weeks, and book only refundable travel until the visa is in your passport.
See the full glossary for more.
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