Planning
e-Visa or visa on arrival: how they differ and which suits you
Two ways in without going to a consulate, with different risks. Which to pick when a country offers both, and what to have ready.
Tomás Berruezo 6 min Photo by allPhoto Bangkok on Unsplash Plenty of countries offer both and they aren't equivalent: one is settled from home, the other in the queue at the airport, after a long flight and with the clock against you.
The two, side by side
| e-Visa | Visa on arrival | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it's done | Online, before flying | At the arrival airport |
| When you know you have it | Before boarding | On landing |
| Queue | None | Whatever there is, and it can be long |
| Payment | By card | Sometimes cash only, in a specific currency |
| Risk | Errors in your details | The desk being closed or forms missing |
The payment row causes the most grief: there are borders where the visa on arrival is paid in cash, in a specific currency and with the exact amount, and there's no cash machine past the control.
Which to pick
If the country offers an e-Visa, that almost always wins: you arrive with the paperwork settled and you know before boarding that you can get in. The visa on arrival makes sense when the e-Visa needs too much notice or when the trip is decided at very short notice.
What to carry either way
- The authorisation printed as well as on your phone.
- Recent passport photos, which several countries ask for at the desk.
- Onward ticket and accommodation booking to hand.
- Cash in the currency they ask for, in the exact amount.
- A pen, which sounds like a joke and is the most-shared object in those queues.
The wrong-website mistake
e-Visas are the favourite ground of middleman sites, which copy the official design and charge several times the price. You go in through the country's own government site and distrust any sponsored result.
The rest of the electronic schemes and their names are in ESTA, eTA, ETA and the rest.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between an e-Visa and a visa on arrival?
The e-Visa is applied for online before flying and you know before boarding; the one on arrival is done at the destination airport, with a queue and sometimes cash payment.
Which is better?
If the country offers an e-Visa, usually that one: it avoids queues and surprises. The one on arrival helps when the trip is decided at very short notice.
Do I need to carry passport photos?
In several countries yes, they're asked for at the desk. Carrying two recent ones costs little and saves a problem.
Can I pay for a visa on arrival by card?
Not always: some borders take cash only, in a specific currency and with the exact amount.
