Hey, it's Ernest from Trip Astute. In this video we're going to review the
process of applying for a travel visa in case your next trip takes you abroad.
(light chiming music)
Applying for a travel visa is one of those things that can seem pretty
confusing, especially since it seems like every country has a different
requirement. For a lot of travelers here in the US, we're used to traveling to
most of Europe without having to apply for a travel visa. But did you know that
if you plan to travel to a country like Australia, you would need a visa? I didn't
until I looked up the rules, so it's important thing to check before any trip.
So in this video, I want to review the process of getting a visa and also share
some tips that I've learned along the way. If you're not familiar with visas,
let's review what they are. Travel visas are documents that allow you to enter a
specific country for a certain period of time in order to study, work, or just tour
the country. It's a way for the government to verify who is visiting the
country and for what purpose. Think of it as a way for you to ask for permission
to enter a country and have that decision documented so that you can show
proof when entering. So suppose you're planning an international trip, what's
your first step? If you're in the US, you may want to start with the US State
Department website and search for your destination. For example, if we look up
Vietnam, you'll see that US citizens need a visa to enter. The next step would be
to look at your destination country's embassy or consulate website. If we look
at the Vietnamese embassy website in the US, you'll see that they outline all the
different ways that you can apply for visa. In each of these cases, you would
need to get your passport to the embassy either in person or through the mail
after filling out the visa application forms online. Once your visa application
is processed, the consulate or embassy will send you a visa that's attached to
your passport. The process can take anywhere from a week to two months to
complete. The cost can also range from $50 to $200, with some even offering
expedited services for a fee. To make things even
more confusing, Vietnam also offers certain travelers and e-visa or a "visa
on arrival" option, though it's not listed as options on the main embassy page. Both an
e-visa and a "visa on arrival" allow you to apply online before your trip and
without having to send in your passport. This is usually the easiest and fastest
way to go. Determining which one to get can be confusing. It usually depends on
your port of entry and whether you plan to enter the country multiple times or
just one single time. Though make sure you do a full Google search on the visa
options for your destination country as their official web sites are often not
up to date. That's basically the process, though as always, I do want to share some
tips to keep in mind. Number 1: Use expedited shipping and
tracking when sending your passport. If you do have to send in your passport to
the embassy or consulate, make sure you use Priority or Express mail with
tracking options. Even if you're not worried about the time frame to get your
visa or passport back, it's still much safer to send it via one of the premium
shipping options at the post office. Number 2: Take screenshots of your
confirmation pages. If you're filling out any documents online, I would recommend
taking screenshots of the pages as you go. I've ran into a couple of situations
where the submit button seemed to crash the page, so it's good having a record of
what you've completed. Also, I've had situations where I haven't received the
confirmation from the embassy, so it's just good practice to capture the
screenshots and any reference information. Number 3: Avoid getting
your visa revoked. Keep in mind that even though you may be granted access to the
country through your visa, it can easily be revoked especially if you break any
laws while traveling in the country. Be especially cautious of the local laws.
For example, I've heard of people getting in trouble in Thailand because they
disrespected the Royal family by playing around or defacing notes. Even stepping
on money in Thailand is considered an offense, so be careful
and always look up the local laws and customs ahead of time. Number 4: Show
proof of onward travel. Even if you get a visa, you'll often have to show proof
that you'll be leaving the country. If you need more information on how you can
show proof of onward travel, check out our video on the topic. Number 5: Check
the passport requirements. It's easy to get focused on the visa and forget that
there may be special passport requirements. It's common for countries
to require one to two pages free in your passport, and also that your passport
isn't expiring within three to six months of your trip. In addition, it's
good practice to carry spare passport photos with you when traveling and also
just having them available since you will need them when applying for a visa.
For more information on doing your own passport photos, check out our video on
it. Number 6: Be cautious of your entry and
departure dates. When you apply for a visa, you'll need to set the start date
of the visa. If you happen to be backpacking or traveling with an open
itinerary, you may want to be especially careful with the entry and departure
dates. I would suggest airing on the side of caution and putting the earliest date
that you may be entering the country. The last thing you want is to arrive a day
or two before your visa is valid and be denied entry into the country. Number
7: Be cautious of your port of entry. This is especially the case if entering
a country via a land border. Most e-visas require that you enter via an
airport, so make sure you have the correct visa for your travel plans. For
example, when I travel to Vietnam, I had to get the traditional visa through the
mail instead of an e-visa since I was planning to cross into the country from
Cambodia. And along the same note, number 8: Watch out for fake visa officials
at border crossings. A lot of times you'll see scammers waiting along the
border to help expedite your visa for a fee. Be very careful of this situation.
Not only will they ask to take your passport, but they can sometimes issue
you a fake visa which could get you in a lot of
trouble. Even if the line is long, just go with the official process to be safe.
Number 9: Be prepared to pay with cash. If you're
paying for a "visa on arrival", you'll likely have to pay with cash.
Fiona experienced this when she traveled to Turkey, though she said that there was an
ATM at the airport so she didn't have to have cash in advance. Though it doesn't
hurt to carry a debit card that waives ATM fees when traveling. For more
information, check out our video on the Charles Schwab debit card and High-Yield
Checking account, which allows you to get cash from any ATM while reimbursing you
for any fees. And finally, number 10: Be careful of visa agencies. There is a
whole industry of visa agencies that will process and expedite your visa for
a fee. Not all of these businesses are a scam and some can actually help you get
a visa pretty quickly, especially when dealing with inefficient governments.
The key is to do your research before using them though. A quick Google search
can often reveal where the other travelers have had a positive experience
with the agency. Have you had to apply for a visa when traveling? Did you run
into any issues or learn things that you wish you had known before? If so, please
share them below in the comment section. If you enjoyed this video or found it
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