Countries that you’ll need a visa
World travel isn’t always easy. And even the process of being allowed to travel to certain countries is, at times, complicated. However, one shouldn’t use the need to get a tourist visa to a specific country as a reason not to go. In fact, in most cases getting a visa to some of the more popular tourism destinations is much easier than you might expect. I’ve picked 5 countries that citizens of most countries need a tourist visa to visit, and outlined the process of how to obtain a permit to travel there.
For citizens of almost all developed countries, the process of getting a visa to visit Australia is actually quite easy. Instead of a traditional visa, most tourists simply need what’s known as an ETA. This visa is available online via the government website. You fill out the application, make the payment online, receive confirmation via email, and then have the ability to travel to Australia. It really is an easy process.
China is one of the more complicated visas to obtain, but it’s definitely not overly difficult either. You really have two options in obtaining a visa for China. The first way is by using a visa service. There are dozens of them online, and they’re all fairly good. The beauty of these services is they take away all the research and work for you. All you have to do is follow their checklist, then submit the necessary files and information to the service. They take it from there. Yes, it’s slightly more expensive than doing it on your own, but it’s also much more hassle-free.
The second option is to visit the Chinese embassy website of your country and find out the process of filing for a visa in your country. Usually, this process involves putting together a couple of documents, as well as printing out and completing a few forms. You then mail the documents, along with your passport, to the embassy or consulate. If accepted, they will then send your passport back, along with the visa in a couple of days.
People talk a lot about the challenges they expect when applying for a tourism visa to India. However, the truth is that the process is actually incredibly easy and quick. In fact, you can complete the entire visa process online for India. On the government website for visa applications, you’ll only have to upload a photo of yourself, pay the fee, digitally fill out the requested forms, and then wait for the visa to be approved. It really is easy.
The process for visa application in Vietnam is borderline strange. In fact, it’s so informal that many wonder why it even exists in the first place. The truth is, however, that it’s a bureaucratic roadblock still in place from the Communist era. What you need is an “invitation letter” to get your visa. Of course, it’s much simpler than actually knowing someone in Vietnam. There are a couple dozen websites that now provide you with the necessary document via email. You simply provide your passport information, pay a small fee, and they send you the letter. Then, upon arrival at a border or airport in Vietnam, the officials take the letter and give you a visa. The process is silly, sure, but it’s also completely easy and fairly pain-free.
Visiting Russia is a bit of a hassle as well. Getting your visa usually means you have to organize it from your home country. And, like Vietnam, you need to get a letter of invitation. Like Vietnam, you can also hire tourist services to provide you with a relevant letter of invitation. Beyond the letter, to get a tourist visa for Russia you’ll also need to provide a number of details regarding your stay. This includes things such as your full itinerary, including names of hotels and exact dates of travel. Russia doesn’t make it easy, but again, if you follow the rules and instructions of applying for a visa to Russia, it doesn’t have to be all that difficult either.
Conclusions
No matter where you want to travel there are challenges. However, with a little bit of research and planning, these obstacles don’t need to be headaches. Getting visas to destinations like those above might be a bit of worry to potential tourists, but the reality is, the concern is far greater than the actual challenge of obtaining the visas themselves.