Do you need a Travel Visa for the country you are visiting.
Click the picture below to find out!
(You will be taken to a Wikipedia site not associated with lonestardiver.com)
You’ve got your valid passport in your hand, and you’ve booked your flight for your bucket list, exotic destination, dive trip. The next step is to pack your bag and gear, right? Not quite. You’ve got one more important task to do — check and see if you will need a travel visa for your trip!
What is a Travel Visa?
For the majority of the world’s countries, the only travel document you’ll need for a short visit is your valid US passport. (For many countries, you’ll need to have at least six months of validity left on your passport.) However, some countries require you to have an additional travel document known as a visa.
A visa is a document issued by the government of the destination country to the traveler. The visa serves as a pre-approval for you to enter the country. If you are going to visit a country that requires that US citizens get visas in advance, you won’t be allowed to board your flight unless you have your visa!
Some countries require all US citizens to have visas in order to enter, no matter why you are visiting or how briefly you may stay. However, there are a lot of countries that allow US citizens to visit without a visa if you’re just making a short trip, but you would need a visa if you plan to stay for a long time and study, work, or take up residence.
Tourist Visas
You will need a tourist visa, unless you are going on business, then you will need a business or work visa. Travel visas are short-term travel visas that are issued for — you guessed it! — tourism. They are used for leisure travel, like sightseeing, attending sporting events, or visiting friends.
How Are Travel Visas Issued?
You’ve determined that you need a travel visa for your next trip, but do you know how it will be issued? There are several different ways that countries issue visas. Some countries even offer more than one way for you to get the visa you need!
Consular Visas – Visas in Your Passport
When you think about a visa, you probably imagine a consular visa. These are the visas that are stamped into your passport at an Embassy or Consulate. A few countries still use rubber stamps to issue these visas, but most now have computer systems that print out your visa as a sticker. China, Russia, and Brazil are examples of countries that issue visas to US citizens only as consular visas.
eVisas – Electronic Visas
Electronic visas, often called eVisas, are a modern twist on the visa process. Instead of sending your actual passport book to a Consulate or Embassy, you apply for an eVisa through a government website. You will need to fill out an application online, and pay via credit card. You may also need to upload documents like a scan of your passport and a digital photo. Your visa is then issued to you as an email that you will print out and carry with you on your trip. Australia and Turkey are among the countries that issue eVisas to US citizens.
Visas on Arrival – Visas at the Airport
Some travel visas are not issued in advance of travel. Instead, you will get your visa when you arrive in your destination country. When you land at the airport, you will go through a special immigration line to get your visa on arrival. You will need to pay for your visa (most countries accept cash payment in US dollars). You may also need to fill out an application or supply passport-style photos. Examples of countries that offer visas on arrival to US citizens include Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates.
The image below shows where visas are required and where they aren't and how they can be obtained. To check on a particular country, click on the image. You will be directed to a Wikipedia site where you can find the country you're looking for or you can visit the website for the embassy of the country you are visiting.