Planning
How to find out whether you need a visa (and why not to trust the first result)
It depends on your passport, on the purpose of the trip and on the date, and it changes. Where you actually check and what to ask yourself first.
Tomás Berruezo 6 min Photo by Ozodbek Erkinov on Unsplash This is the most searched question of any trip and the one the internet answers worst, because the answer depends on four variables and hardly any page takes all of them into account.
The four variables
- Your nationality, meaning that of the passport you travel on and not the country you live in.
- The purpose of the trip: tourism, work, study and volunteering are not the same thing, and many tourist permits expressly forbid the rest.
- The length of stay and the number of entries.
- The date, because requirements change and what was true last year may not be true today.
The second causes the most trouble: entering as a tourist to do volunteer work or remote work is not always allowed, even if nobody asks at the border.
Where to check
- The official website of the destination country's foreign or immigration ministry, which is the source that counts.
- Your own country's foreign ministry travel advice, country by country.
- The destination's embassy or consulate where you are, for cases that do not fit the general rule.
- And the airline, because it is the one that lets you board or not, and it checks its own databases.
The border does not argue with a screenshot from a blog. It argues with the official requirement on the day you arrive.
The search engine traps
Searching for the name of a permit brings up dozens of pages that process it for you and charge several times the official price. They are legal and add nothing, and some mimic the look of a government site.
The rule is simple: go in through the country's official site, never through an advert, and distrust anyone promising guaranteed approval.
What each electronic permit is and how they differ is in ESTA, eTA, ETA and the rest.
What else they can ask for at the border
Even with no visa required, it is common to be asked for an onward ticket, an accommodation booking, sufficient funds or insurance. Having it downloaded on your phone and printed as well turns an awkward question into thirty seconds.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know whether I need a visa?
By checking the destination country's official immigration site with your nationality, the purpose of the trip and its length. Then cross-check it against your own foreign ministry's advice.
Is a tourist visa enough for volunteering?
Often not: tourist permits usually exclude work, study and volunteering. Check beforehand, even if nobody asks at the border.
Can I apply through any website?
You can, but many are intermediaries charging several times the official price. Always go in through the country's government site.
What else can they ask for at the border?
An onward ticket, an accommodation booking, sufficient funds or insurance. Carry it downloaded and on paper too.
