One of the first things I do when I’m planning a trip is to research the entry requirements for the destination. The procedure to obtain an entry visa can factor into my decision so I want to know what’s involved before I book the trip. For Canadians, the first place to go would be the government Travel Advice and Advisories and then to the website for the destination’s embassy in Canada.
Some visas can be acquired at the airport/border on arrival while others have to be acquired before you leave. I have selected a few countries to use as examples of different procedures that you might face when applying for a visa.
Some procedures may have changed in the meantime but can still apply to other nations and are meant as a guide only. Always double check the destination’s embassy website for the complete procedure, and most importantly, read all the requirements from top to bottom. Missing small details in your application can have it rejected.
Obtaining a Visa on Arrival
Egypt (1994 and 2017) – Easy
I’ve been to Egypt twice and getting the visa on arrival was very easy. In fact, when I first went to Egypt in 1994, I didn’t even know I was paying for a visa. All I remember was being directed to a kiosk and handing over a few USD for a stamp in the passport.
On my second visit in 2017, I knew what was coming and it was just as easy. As I approached the passport control area, there were several windows off to the side where I purchased the visa using USD. It only took a couple of minutes and then I joined the passport control line.
Egypt now has an e-visa application for some countries that should eliminate the need to buy the visa on arrival.
Israel (2009) – Fairly easy
The setup in Israel was very similar to Egypt though it took a little longer. There was, however, another consideration at the time. If one was planning a visit to a country that didn’t have good relations with Israel, they risked being denied entry if immigration officials saw an Israeli visa/stamp in your passport.
When I went to Israel in 2009, you could ask the clerk to give you the stamp on a separate sheet of paper so that you could discard it after the visit and have no evidence of your time in Israel. However, in 2013, it appears that Israel now provides all visitors with the stamp on a separate piece of paper. Just be sure to discard it or leave it home if you plan to visit one of the countries that may have an issue with an Israeli stamp.
At this time, Canadians do not require a visa to visit Israel as a tourist for up to ninety days.
Cambodia (2015) – Moderately easy
Cambodia is joining a long list of countries using e-visa applications. The process may have changed slightly since I visited, but the Cambodian visa website shows a procedure where you can apply online prior to departure and complete the process on arrival. As with all applications, you should read the information carefully, especially if you have to provide specific information/photos on arrival. You don’t want to find yourself being denied entry at the border because you didn’t bring a specific document or photo with you.
When I arrived in Siem Reap, the visa processing desk was a line of clerks at a desk, each one doing a different job. I handed my passport, a passport photo and documentation to the first clerk who handed it down to the line. The process took about twenty-minutes.
Nepal (2017) – Difficult
The process for obtaining the visa on arrival in Kathmandu can only be described with one word – chaotic. I walked into the airport to find the floor full of discarded paper all around a line of self-serve kiosks. There was no direction as to what to do and some people joined the long line for the visa clerk only to be turned around and told to use the kiosk to apply for their visa.
Some people had spent an hour in that line-up when they were turned away.
Luckily, another tourist pointed me in the right direction before I joined the visa line. It took me about fifteen minutes to navigate through the application on the kiosk and it wasn’t always clear. I was trying to get a multi-entry visa for 30 days but it handed me a 15-day single entry. I couldn’t change it at the machine, so I joined the line for the visa clerk.
One note about waiting in lines in this part of Asia – always stand your ground. People will skip ahead of you if there is an opening.
It took me about an hour to get to the very pleasant clerk. I told him I wanted the 30-day multi-entry visa and he changed it up no problem. I paid and then joined a shorter passport control line. In all, the process took well over an hour and a half. After a long flight, it was exhausting.
Since the visa was a multi-entry visa, I used it when I returned from Bhutan a couple weeks later. I was able to skip the kiosks and visa desk and walk directly to passport control. I handed them the passport and was through in less than five minutes.
The Nepal visa page notes that you can avoid the kiosk by filling out the form ahead of time. At the very least, I highly recommend this.
However, if I return to Nepal in the future, I would prefer to obtain the visa prior to departure (see Tanzania/China below for that procedure).
It takes a bit of Googling to find out if obtaining a visa on arrival for your destination is as difficult as this one. As I learned with Nepal, if you find a lot of people recommending that you obtain the visa prior to arrival, I would seriously consider it.
Obtaining a Visa Prior to Departure
Australia (2015) – Easy Peasy
Australia is a prime example as to why you should check every country you plan to visit. I was surprised to learn that, as a Canadian, I needed a visa to visit Australia. The visa is called an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) and can be completed online. Once completed and paid, your information will be in their database and cross referenced on arrival.
When I went through passport control in Sydney, I was able to use the self-serve kiosk and was through with no issues.
One note about Australia: be sure to declare any food. The fines can be stiff if they find a banana or orange etc in your bag.
Vietnam (2015) – Fairly Easy
Applying for a visa for Vietnam is almost as easy as Australia. I completed the whole process online and sent the documents electronically to the embassy. This included a scan of my passport bio page and a photo. The embassy processed the application and forwarded the visa on a sheet which I stapled inside my passport.
As with most visas, if you live near an embassy or consulate that is authorized to issue visas, you can do it in person.
Kenya (2018) – Moderately Easy
Like Australia, Kenya has an e-visa application process that can be completed online. This process is one that illustrates the need to read the requirements closely. As I filled out the application online, any box that needed clarification had an information bubble next to it.
The application required information such as the hotel names and addresses as well as a phone number and email in the country. I had that information from my tour company and used my guide’s phone and email.The application also required that I attach my itinerary, a scanned or photographed copy of my passport photo and passport bio page.
Then it asked for a copy of a passport type photo that was taken in the last six months. The issue here was that it could not be the same as the photo in your passport. I was about to submit a scan of another passport photo when I read one tiny detail – if you wear glasses, a wig, hearing aids or any other item that you wear normally, that had to be included.
Regular passport photos do not permit glasses, so none of my photos would have been accepted. I had to drop everything, go to Staples and get a passport photo taken with my glasses on.
Tanzania (2018) and China (2010) – Moderate
Both nations had similar procedures for a visa, though China has since introduced an e-visa option processed through the Chinese Visa Application Service.
Like the Chinese visa that I applied for in 2010, the Tanzania application required that I forward it to the nearest embassy/consulate with my passport. In the case of Tanzania, a visa could be acquired on arrival but since our tour was crossing the border by land, the process was too long to wait for the visas to be processed and the tour company requested we apply prior to departure.
For Tanzania, I completed a simple application which included a copy of my itinerary and the address of at least one hotel. I forwarded the documentation along with a passport photo and my passport to the embassy in Ottawa.
I know there are people who flat out refuse to part with their passport but the process is safe when done properly. I took the documentation to the post office and bought two Xpresspost envelopes – one letter size and one half-letter size.
The larger one was addressed to the embassy and contained all the documentation as well as the smaller envelope. The smaller envelope was addressed to my home address with the embassy as the return address. Since it was prepaid, the embassy only had to put my passport in the envelope and mail it out.
Both envelopes had tracking numbers which I wrote down. This way I could not only track the envelope going to the embassy, but the one being returned to me.
One thing to note about these types of applications – check to make sure the postal union is not voting to strike as you drop the application in the mail. The day after I sent the Tanzanian application off, I found out there was a strike possible the same week I expected to get the visa back.
If I had known, I would have used a courier instead. I emailed the embassy to ask them if they could get the visa to me a few days earlier and they were able to do that.
The strike never did materialize. 🙂
Brazil (2016) – Difficult but now easier
This is an example of a destination in which the visa application affected my decision to visit. At the time, it was an reciprocal visa that mimicked the application Canada used for Brazilian visitors and was unnecessarily long and complicated. My research also found that the embassy in Canada could take months to process visas, so I didn’t even try.
However, in 2016, Brazil hosted the summer Olympics and I learned that they were waiving the visa requirements for certain countries including Canada. I jumped at the chance to visit the month before the Olympics. My guide in Brazil agreed that the process was ridiculously complicated and was only hurting Brazil. He also noted that he believed the process was going to change after the Olympics.
The visa website for Brazil now offers a simplified e-visa application.
Russia (2010) – They wanted your first born in 2010
It appears the Russian visa application has been simplified, but in 2010, it was a nightmare. This visa was a lesson on ensuring that every detail of the application was completed properly and all documentation included. At the time, an invitation letter was required and this was provided by the tour company.
As it turned out, the dates of my tour were changed and I had to apply a second time with only a few weeks left before departure. In cases like this, the embassy will usually offer a rush service for a fee.
The rush service is also helpful if you’re nervous about sending out your passport to an embassy as it can get your passport back to you quickly.
Visa Obtained by your Tour Company
One last type of visa that I have come across is the one that is obtained by your tour company either prior to departure or just prior to entry. Bhutan and Tibet are prime examples. Bhutan limits the number of people who can visit the country in order to limit the environmental impact. When I visited in 2017, the visa could only be obtained by the tour company and was done prior to departure.
For Tibet, a visa has to be obtained by the tour operator a couple days prior to entry. My tour of Tibet in 2017 was cancelled, but the itinerary had noted that we needed two days in Kathmandu in order for the visas to be processed.
In these cases, the tour company had my information and told us if we needed to bring any documentation or photos with us.
When to Apply for a Visa
One thing to remember when you need a visa is the timing. The application process will state how long a visa is valid for and/or how long before departure that you can apply. In the case of Tanzania, for example, the visa was valid for only three months so I wasn’t able to apply until three months prior to the last day I expected to be in Tanzania. For Russia, I could apply up to six months prior to departure but the visa only covered the precise dates that I would be in Russia.
Visa Services
When researching information on visas, I often come across companies that offer to process the visa application for you. I have yet to use one and depend on the information from the embassy’s website on how to apply. Some countries may require that you use a third-party to apply, but it will still be spelled out by the embassy. Using a third-party company usually will cost you more than getting the visa directly from the embassy.
As well, when you Google for a visa application, I find it’s better to Google the embassy’s website rather than search for the visa. The third-party sites generally show up first in the results and can cause confusion.
