International Visas: What You Need to Know

Oh, the visa process. It can be painless or a nightmare, but it’s usually just a slight inconvenience for travelers. Tons of us go through it, and so can you! Still, you need to be sure you check off every one of the requirements when you apply for an international travel visa. Does that sound overwhelming?

There are two kinds of stamp collectors...

To clarify, we’re talking to Americans in this particular piece because of our largely American audience, but if you’re…

Feel free to keep reading, non-Americans, because the points below can still apply to just about any visa process. But this article is keeping our American audience in mind! Read on for nine points to keep you on the right track as you apply and attempt to fulfill travel visa requirements.

Why all this international travel visa talk is important

Well, if you don’t have a visa when you need one that’s a problem. You’ll be turned away at the border. You’ll miss all the wonderful sights. The trip will be ruined. A plague of locust will descend upon the earth. Ok not that last one, but that was for emphasis—you need a visa!

Don’t travel illegally and don’t end up stranded in an airport a la The Terminal. Yes, you might consider yourself a “citizen of the world” but explaining that to the border agents probably won’t work in your favor. Do your homework and get a visa.

What you need to know

Here are 10 points necessary for anyone considering traveling and in need of an international travel visa. 

 1. International Visas 101: You need a passport

This seems obvious but we all have blind spots sometimes. Go get your passport. Open it. Tell me—when does it expire? If the answer is “less than six months” than go get it renewed now. You can’t get a visa with an expiring passport! Having a valid passport is your first step to getting an international travel visa.

Don’t have a passport? Start at the Department of State website. It can take a while, so make sure to get started early (that’s a theme you’ll notice with anything international visa related). Fill out your form, gather your documents, take photos (professionally is sometimes better), figure out how your fees (it can be a little pricey) and send all that in! You’ll feel really cool with a brand new shiny passport. Think of all the stamps and memories that will fill it soon!

Before you hop that plane...

2. It all depends on the country

The travel visa requirements completely depends on the country. The American passport is pretty powerful—Americans can travel as tourists to 174 countries visa free!

But that leaves roughly 21 countries that Americans need visas to visit (and there are territories and regions where you might need special permission...it gets complicated.) While the visas often need similar items (such as your passport), you still have to be careful to follow their specific rules.

Go to the website of that specific country, and check out blogs of American travelers who have been before. Make sure the information is recent though, as visa laws can, and often do, change.

While you’re at it, check out the State Department travel warnings, just in case there is unrest in the country you will be visiting. Don’t play the hero (unless you are actually a humanitarian worker or something). Heed the warnings and stay safe.

3. There are different types of visas 

Are you a tourist? A student? Coming for work? You’ll need different visas for different activities and length of stay. Be sure to figure out what is best for your trip! The different visas can impact what you are and are not allowed to do in-country.

• Tourist Visa. Americans don’t need tourist visas for many countries, and for some of the places where you do need it you can buy them at the border or the airport. They are usually good for anywhere between 30 days to 3 months and you are not allowed to work when on a tourist visa. The requirements vary, but are more lax than if you were going for a longer stay. 
• Student Visa. The travel visa requirements for a student are more stringent. You will need some sort of documentation from the study program or university where you are studying, and usually proof of financial means, maybe a background check, and more. Your program or university should have tips for international students. If not, ask!
• Work/Working Holiday Visa. For working visas you often have to be sponsored by a company. For the working holiday visas there is usually an age restriction (under 30 is common). Again, the application process is more extensive for these visas and usually includes background checks and proof of insurance. Without a working visa, you’re probably not allowed to do anything that would earn you money, although a student visa can allow you to work a certain amount of hours. And some countries don’t mind if you are earning a “living stipend” and not on a working visa. If you’re going with a program they can help direct you to the right visa! (If they can’t, maybe rethink that program, honestly).

Or get on that train...

4. Your health matters

For many countries, you have to have proof of health insurance and proof of vaccinations. For some visas you could also need some sort of note or documentation showing you are in overall good health.

Don’t skimp on this—even if you hear they don’t check these proofs, not only do you want to follow the law, you want to protect your health! It would be horrible to find yourself without access to healthcare, or sick because you didn’t make sure to get the right vaccinations.

Buy some travel insurance and make sure it covers the different sort of activities you plan to do - there is usually separate insurance for adventure travel. And visit your doctor or a travel clinic for vaccines and a check up! While you’re at it, go for a jog and eat some vegetables. Can’t hurt.

5. Your history also matters—both travel and criminal

Did you visit Israel? Then sorry, you can’t come into Saudi Arabia. Where your passport has been stamped matters for where you want to go next. Make sure to plan you trip accordingly if you are hitting a number of countries.

Even if there isn’t a law barring certain passport stamps from entering the country, border agents are allowed to turn away anyone suspicious, and that can include anyone traveling to countries their homeland doesn’t particularly like.

It can also matter if you have any prior criminal convictions. If you made mistakes and turned your life around and want to volunteer abroad now—whelp, it might be hard in some countries to get a visa with any criminal record.

You’ve gotta sort out your visa info with the Embassy/Border Control.

6. You often need proof of finances 

Show that cash money! Or a bank statement, let’s not get wild. For some visas you have to prove you can support yourself while in their country, or prove that you have enough funds to leave the country. Some need you to already have booked a ticket home.

While backpacking on a dime can be an exciting and idealized challenge, the border agents might not think so. Rather than showing them how far you can stretch a dollar, show them that you have access to dollars and can feed and house yourself for the duration of your stay, at least.

7. Processing times vary

Do NOT do not do NOT procrastinate on that visa. You don’t want an entire trip derailed because it shows up the day after you were supposed to go to the airport. Yes, some visas can be bought at the airport, but certainly not all.

Get started early researching what you’ll need and gathering your documents, making appointments for vaccinations, and so forth. International travel visas aren’t your final school projects - no amount of all nighters will help you when you’re desperately waiting for your paperwork to be returned. 

8. It'll cost you

Depending on the visa, it could be $50 or hundreds of dollars (especially to apply for a student visa). Make sure you budget for that! For student and work visas there’s often an application fee which you do not get back if your application is rejected.

Not to mention the cost of getting photos done or applying to or renewing your passport if you need that. Just another reason to give yourself the time to have all your ducks and documents in a row. And another cost is….

Then it’s all clear skies and smooth sailing.

9. You have to show up

At the consulate that is. Sometimes you have to physically go to a consulate or an embassy to get an international travel visa, especially if it’s a work or student visa. Your consulate might not be right down the road, so keep in mind the cost of flying to another city or state to get your international visa! You can find embassy/consulate resources you need here. Yes, it’s inconvenient. But hey, you wanted to travel right? Now you get a bit of domestic travel in there with your international travel.

10. Have a home base address handy

Where will you be staying while abroad? This information is often a travel visa requirement—it could be your hostel, your new dorm, your cousin’s friend’s uncle’s house where they are kindly hosting you.

Either way, you need an address to prove you have a place to go, one that can be verified. No, “wherever the wind takes me” is not an address, that’s an instagram profile quote. You need a real address.

11. There are resources to make your life a LOT easier

Sure, (hopefully) all of this is good and fine and makes total sense. However, there's still the matter of figuring out which visa you need (if at all) and just how you're going to get it. Don't worry—we have good news! There's now a tool that will save you hours of research online. iVisa.com makes figuring out which visa you need as easy as filling out where you're from and where you're going. You can even apply at the same time! Can we get a slow clap?

Now go forth and travel! (... legally)

Don’t be overwhelmed by all of the travel visa requirements! International visas can be complicated, but there are tons of resources out there to help you, from official government websites to blogs by travelers who have done it before. Check your sources, write a check list (some of them have handy ones to print!), and get to it.

Get 5 FREE international travel program recommendations

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qLvAm6momZRjsLC5jpqpraGTobK0e8inq56qnpbBqrvNmqNmrKKWw6a4jK%2BgrJk%3D