The Visa Project

A place for your visa experiences and more

Deb Pati

Brazil Tourist Visa : How to Get it at any Brazilian Embassy

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When I set off on my backpacking trip to South America, Brazil was not really on my list. My reasons hovered around three factors. One – It was just humongous and would need me to backpack for a year or so. Two – It was too expensive and I was a budget traveler. Three – I had learnt a great deal of Spanish and I wanted to continue that.

In any case, when I was in Ecuador, I decided to go for it for a variety of reasons which ranged from having an option for long-term travel since the  Brazil tourist visa was a multiple-entry visa valid for 1 year from the date of issuance, with a 90 days limit. If you ask me to come with a straight answer, Brazil was my fallback plan. A resort if I wouldn’t be able to extend my visa in another country. So I went and got my Brazil tourist visa at the Brazilian embassy in Quito, Ecuador. The process is same for other nationalities although the requirements might vary a little.

At the time of writing the article, Brazil has changed its visa policy very recently and now Indians are visa-exempt, this article can serve other nationalities who need a tourist visa for Brazil.

Are You Visa Exempt for Brazil?

Citizens of all the countries in EU, North & South America, Australia and many other Asian countries can enter Brazil without a visa for 90 days stay. You can check whether you need a visa or you are eligible for a visa waiver on this list.

What do You Need for Brazil Tourist Visa?

For a Brazil tourist visa, you need the following documents.

  1. A complete application form that you need to fill on the Portal of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil.
  2. 2X2 inches photo- For digital upload as well as to paste. You can find the specifications here.
  3. Valid passport with at least 2 contiguous blank pages & 6 months of validity.
  4. Round-trip tickets: You can either get an onward ticket from Brazil to another country or a return ticket to your home country (Safer option). There are many ways to do both for free.

    I booked flight tickets from Quito to Rio de Janeiro & then a return ticket from Rio de Janeiro to New Delhi after 80 days.
  5. Accommodation proof : For this, I made reservations on booking.com for the first month in a couple of cities in Brazil and printed out the tickets in Portuguese to give it a nice touch.
  6. Proof of financial stability : They need bank statements for the last 6 months. They don’t say how much money is good enough. As per my assumption, 3000$ is a good bet. The more, the merrier.

    I showed my bank statements as well as the statements of a couple of credit cards for the last 6 months.

Yellow Fever Vaccination while entering Brazil

Applicants who have visited certain countries and territories within 90 days prior to entering Brazil are recommended to present a Yellow Fever International Certificate of Vaccination (ICV), known as the Yellow Card, upon entering Brazil.

You can find the list of countries here : http://chicago.itamaraty.gov.br/en-us/yellow_fever_certificate.xml

Fill in Brazil Tourist Visa Application Online

So the first thing you gotta do is to complete the application form online on the portal of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil. It’s a simple application and they ask for some personal information.

Brazil visa in Brazil embassy Quito

Tips to fill in the application:

  1. Your date of arrival and the date you would be exiting Brazil should not be more than 90 days apart.
  2. The digital pic and signature need to uploaded in PNG, JPEG, JPG & GIF formats only. Make sure that the size doesn’t exceed 300 KBs. If you have a Macbook, you can open the file in Preview app and go to Tools > Adjust Size and decrease the resolution to make it smaller. There are many online programs to do this as well.
  3. You would need to upload the bio page of your passport as a PDF.

After you complete the application, print the delivery receipt right off and save it as a PDF or at least take note of the application retrieval code. Don’t play around with this one coz’ they don’t send you any email acknowledgements. So if you forget this, you will need to start from square one.

Brazil Visa application receipt
Don’t forget to paste a pic and sign the receipt

Visit the Embassy & Pay the Visa Fees

When you visit the embassy, carry the printouts of all the documents needed( flight ticket etc.) and the Brazil tourist visa application receipt with you. Make sure to paste the same pic that you uploaded in the portal and sign the receipt.

I went to the Brazil embassy in Quito around 9 am or so. It is on Av. Río Amazonas. There is no need to schedule an appointment. Working hours are :

Monday to Thursday – 8.30 am to 12 pm / 2 pm to 4 pm
Friday – 9. 30 am to 2.30 pm
Website : http://quito.itamaraty.gov.br/es-es/visas_-_english.xml

I was a little sceptical about the whole thing since I was in Ecuador as a tourist. Getting a tourist visa for a country when you are not in your home country is always tricky- and it’s common for embassies to ask that you are a resident or have a resident visa.

The officer who received the application was very friendly and she asked me what I had been doing in Ecuador and why I wanted to visit Brazil. They rarely got any Indians wanting Brazil tourist visas in Ecuador, so she was really curious. The whole conversation happened in Spanish and it felt like a chat.

Then she examined my documents. She asked me when I entered Ecuador and verified that I still hadn’t crossed my 90 day stay limit in Ecuador. After this she asked me to make the payment at Banco Produbanco to account number 1001326018, and bring in the original receipt.

There is a branch of Produbanco pretty close to the embassy on Avenida de Los Shyris. I went to the branch and deposited 80$ in the account and came back with the receipt.

Then they asked me to leave the passport and come back after 3 days.

Visa fees

Country Fee (US$)
AngolaUS$ 180,00
AlgeriaUS$ 85,00
ChinaUS$ 115,00
All the other countriesUS$ 80,00

After 3 days, I went to pick up the passport and came back with a shiny new Brazil tourist visa.

Brazil tourist visa for Indians

Some Brazilian embassies like the ones in USA or UK allow you to send in your application through post or through a visa agency. However, in most countries, you need to go in person.

How to Extend Brazil Tourist Visa?

If you fall in love with Brazil and want to stay there for a longer duration, you can extend it by 90 additional days once in any 12-month period at a Federal Police (Polícia Federal) office. The thing to remember here is that you can’t stay for more than 180 days in one Calendar Year.

Vietnam Tourist Visa Guide: How Long Can You Stay in Vietnam as a Tourist?

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Here is the thing about Vietnam tourist visas. They don’t want you figure out what they are up to. That’s why they go the extra mile to shroud it in mystery, so much so that the consulates don’t list the prices for the tourist visas. Seriously, I tried emailing the Vietnamese consulate in Washington D.C. to ask them the price for the visas, and unless I give them a phone number, they will not tell me. I have no idea what they are really trying to protect here.

Except for the e-Visa, the prices for the other tourist visas can change in every country and even in consulates of Vietnam in the same country. Tourist visa extensions are a headache but they have a no-nonsense approach towards overstay.

And don’t get me started on the gazillion amount of travel agencies that look like government sites ready to scam you. Way too many horror stories yet you have to take their help at least for a tourist visa on arrival. I have no idea why it is like this, but apparently it’s how it is.

That’s precisely why I wanted to write a Vietnam tourist visa guide to explain everything to know about tourist visas in Vietnam, and straighten out what works and what doesn’t.

Do You Need Onward Travel Proof?

Do they always ask for onward travel proof in Vietnam? Not really.

Can they ask you? Oh, they can. If not the immigration, the airlines.

So, you should be able show proof of onward travel no matter which visa you have and even if you are visa-exempt. There are many ways to get onward travel. There is no need to spend an arm and leg on a flight ticket.

Visa Exemption

First of all, if you are visa exempt for Vietnam, you are awesome. It means that you can simply smile and nod when everyone else is complaining about the tourist visa prices and the troubles.

Right now, citizens of the following 24 countries can visit Vietnam without a visa. They can just arrive by land, air or sea, and swoop in with their passport. No need to pay a dime or carry any other documents.

  1. 14 days: Brunei, Myanmar
  2. 15 days: Belarus, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Japan, South Korea
  3. 21 days : Philippines
  4. 30 days: Cambodia, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Indonesia, Kyrgyzsthan
  5. 90 days : Chile

Now if you have no idea why Chile got the crown, I don’t either. Let’s move on.

For some reason, lots of times, people think of visa exemption as an actual visa. It’s not. So, no there is no 2 week visa. Vietnam doesn’t give out 2 weeks visa. After the number of days on your visa run out, you have the following options:

  • Doing a visa run: This means getting out of Vietnam and come back as visa exempt again. The catch here is that there is a cooling-off period of 30 days between each visa-exempt entry.
  • Extending your stay inside Vietnam: You can get an extension on your visa-exempt stay for 15 or 30 days. You have to get an agent to do it. It’s quite pricey though ($70 for 30 days) and that too depending on your agent. You need to book a tour package or something, that’s why it’s so expensive. Unless you are in a bind or lazy, it’s not something to look forward to, which brings us to the third and best option for the long run.
  • Leaving Vietnam and come back with a visa: You have a lot of options here like e-Visa, Visa on arrival with a visa approval letter from an agent, and a tourist visa for Vietnam in its consulate in a neighboring country. In this case, there is no need for a cooling-off period although lots of expats advise to wait for 48 hours at least. You can club any visa with your visa-exempt entry.

Vietnam EVisa

If you ask me, the eVisa is great. It’s that one thing that you can get done from your laptop while having a tasteless, expensive mocha from Starbucks. And the best part is that, you choose the date you enter. So it doesn’t really matter if you want to travel after 4 months, you can apply now and get the e-Visa with a travel date after 4 months. The eVisa is emailed to you after 3 days of applying for it.

List of eligible countries for e-Visa

Right now, there are 80 countries that can apply for an e-visa for Vietnam.

Official website for applying Vietnam e-Visa

You can apply for a Vietnam eVisa on the official website of Vietnam. There are like 500 websites masquerading as the official website which use govt.vn extension. Keep an eye on that when applying the visa. If you take the bait, it’s very much possible that you will be denied entry to Vietnam.

Now if I summarize the e-Visa lazily in 5 bullet points, it would go like this:

  • It’s valid for 30 days and single entry, including the day you enter and exit.
  • It works for entry through land, sea and air which is great.
  • It costs 25$ no matter where you are from and where you are applying from.
  • You have to be out of Vietnam to enter with an e-visa, but you can’t get it when you are inside Vietnam. You need to get out and enter with an e-Visa.
  • You carry a printout of the e-Visa and present it at the immigration, and they give you an entry stamp ( not a sticker) with 30 days. You don’t pay anything else to anyone else. No need to carry a passport pic.

When you get the e-Visa, print out at least 2-3 copies and keep one with your passport and have one on you. You may need to show it when exiting the country or when inside.

Vietnam Tourist Visa from a Consulate

This one is my favorite, coz’ none of the other ones come close to this one, especially with the options that this one has. You can get this from a consulate of Vietnam in your home country or in any neighboring countries like Laos, Cambodia, Thailand etc. If you want to learn about that a little more, head over to how to get a Vietnam tourist visa in Cambodia.

Here is everything you want to know about this one.

  1. You can get a visa valid for 1 or 3 months with single or multiple entries. All the Vietnamese consulates give you this option.
  2. US citizens: You can even get a 6-months and 1 year tourist visa through a Vietnamese consulate in USA. And you have the option of getting a loose-leaf visa.
  3. US/UK citizens: You can apply for the tourist through post or email or in person through a consulate of Vietnam in your respective countries.
  4. The visa is valid through land/air/sea port entry.
  5. The prices vary a lot all over the world. It’s normally starts from 60$ for 1 month SETV and goes upward. But if you apply for it in a consulate in a neighboring country, the prices are normally much lower.
Vietnam tourist visa for us citizens
Sample Vietnam visas

Vietnam Tourist visa on arrival

Tourist visa stamp Vietnam

Now, this one is a wild card but it serves well if you know the process. The biggest difference between a tourist visa from a consulate and a tourist visa on arrival is that, in case of a visa on arrival, there are two major differences. To understand the detailed step by step process to get this one, jump to how to apply for a tourist visa on arrival for Vietnam.

  1. For a visa on arrival, you only get a visa approval letter from an agent by submitting your details and paying a small fee which could be 6-20 USDs depending on the agent and the duration of your visa. They all do the same thing, and charge more or less the same.

    The letter itself is approved by the government. But the letter itself is not a visa.

    You present this letter, an entry-exit form, a passport-size pic at the VOA or Landing Visa window at an international airport, pay a visa stamping fee and receive the visa as a sticker in your passport. Then you head to the immigration with the shiny new visa.
  2. The visa on arrival is valid only if you fly to any of the designated, international airports. That means no buses or trains or cruises.

The visa on arrival can be valid for 1 month or 3 months, and it comes with single or multiple entry options. It’s a really good option if you can’t go to a consulate.

Vietnam Tourist Visa Extensions

Simply put, this is a grey area. But after my extensive research and conversations with expats living in Vietnam, I can tell you this with certainty:

  1. Extending visa-exempt entry in Vietnam

    It’s possible but only with the help of an agent. And it’s more expensive than all other options like a visa on arrival or tourist visa or e Visa. So don’t do this unless you are in a bind or lazy.

    Here is what the law says: “Under the 2014 Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam, the 15 day visa may not be extended in Vietnam, so those who arrive in Vietnam and realize they would prefer an extended stay are not permitted to do so. According to the law, foreigners must wait for at least 30 days from the date of exiting Vietnam before they are permitted to re-enter the country under the visa waiver scheme.”
  2. Extending an e-Visa for Vietnam

    Same as extending a visa-exempt entry. You can do it, but only with the help of an agent and it won’t be cheap.
  3. Extending a tourist visa or visa on arrival for Vietnam

    Effectively, once you are inside Vietnam, a visa on arrival or a tourist visa from the consulate are the same. But to extend these, you need to leave the country and come back with an e-Visa or a longer visa from a consulate or VOA. Plainly speaking, you will get a new visa, not an extension of the existing visa.

Overstay

I wouldn’t do it. While some countries might cut you some slack for overstaying, Vietnam will come after you.

  • You will get “OVERSTAY” stamped in your passport, something that always brings a smile to the weary faces of immigration and consular officials. (Pun intended)
  • As per the law, the penalty is 500,000 VND or 22 USD per each day you overstay. Now you might get lucky when leaving and pay a little less, but I doubt that.
  • If you overstay your visa for less than 3 days go to the airport directly and pay for the penalty (about 22 USD per day ~500,000 VND) and get an exit visa to leave the country. The good part about that is you don’t get an OVERSTAY stamp.

How to Get Proof of Onward Travel and Not Get Your Visa Denied (or Kicked Off Your Flight)

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Let’s get this straight : do you need proof on onward travel every time you travel internationally?

Not really.

Should you have it on you every time you travel?

You surely should, if you are entering with a tourist visa or as visa-exempt. Let me tell you my example.


This is what happened.

I am in the Buenos Aires airport, following the immigration agent frantically. Clutching on to my passport, she walks like there is no tomorrow. And I try to keep up.

You see, I am about to catch my flight to Bolivia in 4 hours, and she could make it or break it. As an Indian citizen, I can transit through Argentina. I thought this would be an easy, uneventful affair. Newsflash: it wasn’t.

We finally reach the security. She gives my passport to the guy inside, and asks me: “ok, show me your return ticket from Bolivia.”

I surely didn’t expect to get this question in Argentina. I go through my documents and fish out the flight ticket that says I leave from Bolivia to Ecuador in 2 months.

“Ok, so when do you return to India from Ecuador?” She presses.

Thankfully, I was geared up for this scenario too. As per my flight ticket from Ecuador, I would fly back to India after 5 months, even though I myself didn’t know if that would really happen. I just didn’t have a printout. I could turn on my MacBook, and show it to you, I said.

She probably had better things to do. And I didn’t look like a hippie. So, she gave me the benefit of doubt and handed me my passport back.

What Exactly Is The Proof Of Onward Travel? And why is it such a sore spot?

It’s nothing personal really. Buying a one-way flight ticket can only happen in songs and movies. In real life, every country wants to make sure you are not an illegal immigrant or begpacker. Both these happen, and even though just having an onward ticket doesn’t guarantee the fact that you are not gonna do something like that, it’s their way of telling themselves: “sure thing.”

Airlines take the heat and often don’t let you board

In most cases, rather than taking the responsibility themselves, many countries pass the ball on the airlines. So, the airlines with which you are flying, could turn into the bad guy and not let you board the flight if you don’t meet the requirements. If you are in a pickle, and you have to fly, they could force you to buy a return ticket from them, which could end up making a very big hole in your pocket. The reason is, if the airline doesn’t enforce all this, and actually fly you without the onward ticket, and the immigration hawks pick your ass out, that particular airlines would be the one to fly you to your origin.

The rule sucks because if you are planning to just take buses overland, like I did in South America, you don’t need an onward flight ticket. The rule sucks if you really don’t know when you go back. It sucks when you are on a budget, and you have to buy the onward ticket just so you are allowed inside.

I am visa exempt. Do I still need to show proof of onward travel?

Being visa exempt is a privilege. Arrive, get a stamp for 90 days and enter. Why would they ask you for proof of onward travel?

Well, sorry to be a ball buster, but they are not gonna cut you any slack.
Especially in Asia. And some notorious airlines might not let you board.

Same goes for people who have a tourist visa or are availing a tourist visa on arrival. Although, I must add that you might be a little more vulnerable.

What are the Countries that Need Proof of Onward Travel?

There might be more but some countries that are famous for making more than just a big fuss about it are United States, Brazil, Indonesia, Costa Rica, Peru, Philippines, New Zealand, Thailand, United Kingdom and Panama. Japan and Guatemala are also known to be fussy at times.

Buying a round-trip ticket is simply impossible for everyone. You might be in a bad situation speaking in monetary terms.

What is the Way Around?

If you are you a digital nomad or a long term traveler making a lot of visa runs, there is no way you could go on buying onward flight tickets even if they are refundable. So, I am gonna compile a list of short-cuts I and other long term travellers use, in that order. All these are easy and if I might add, perfectly legal.

As a precaution, I get proof of onward travel before travelling to any country. I would ask you to do the same.

1.Rent a Valid-till-you-fly flight on schengenvisaflightreservation.com

Even though the title might suggest it could be only for Schengen countries, you can actually rent any ticket for any part of the world through this. For 15$, you would receive your ticket in 24 hours. And, this ticket is authentic and, the airlines website would have a real reservation for you. I have personally used this website many times. Here is a screenshot of what it looks like.

Proof of onward travel on schengenvisaflightreservation.com

The advantage you have with this one is, the ticket doesn’t get auto-canceled in a stipulated time period. It’s valid until the date of flight. If you book a multi-country flight and plan it well, you can use parts of the ticket in different countries.

The only issue is they take up to 24 hours to deliver the flight tickets. You can get it in 3 hours as well, but you need to pay up.

2. Rent a 24-72 Hour Valid Ticket from an Online Travel Agent

Here is the thing. When you are traveling, you often haven’t planned every minute detail. You might not have 24 hours to wait for a flight ticket. In that case, here is a list of websites you can use to rent a ticket. You will receive an e-ticket in PDF format containing your name and PNR number and the flight details.

Proof of onward travel on Bestonwardticket
Bestonwardticket
  • Bestonwardticket : Fees- $12. Delivery time- 30 minutes. Ticket validity- 48 hours.
  • Rentonwardticket : Fees- $9. Delivery time- 2 hours. Ticket validity- 72 hours.
  • Onwardflights: Fees- $7. Delivery time- 12 hours. Ticket validity- 24 hours.
  • Onewayfly: Fees- $19. Delivery time- 30 minutes to 12 hours. Ticket validity- 14 days.
  • Ticketonward: Fees- $12.99. Delivery time- 24 hours. Ticket validity- 72 hours.
  • Onwardfly: Fees- $9.99. Delivery time- Lesser than 2 hours. Ticket validity- 48 hours.

3.Book a Refundable Ticket on an Online Booking Website

There are a number of booking platforms like Orbitz, Expedia, Travelocity, Priceline that allow you to book a ticket and cancel it within 24 hours for a full refund. So, if you want to save this 10$, and opt to book a refundable ticket, you would have your onward ticket and you can cancel it once you make it to your destination.

Refundable flight tickets on Expedia to show proof of onward travel

The catch? You need to check which flights are cancellable within 24 hours because not all of them are.

And, sometimes cancellations can be tricky, especially if you don’t have internet when you arrive at your destination. And, sometimes, depending on your booking, you might not even get the option to cancel it online and you have to make international calls and probably spend quite a bit of time canceling the flight. One time, I had a hard time cancelling a 1300$ flight on Expedia. I was completely and totally batshit by the time I could do it.

4. Book a Flight Ticket on an Airline’s Website with a 24-hour Cancellation Window.

Airlines of lots of countries give you a full refund if you cancel it within 24 hours. For example, as per the USDOT regulation every airlines that has a flight coming into or leaving from the USA, has to give the option of 24 hour cancellation. While the interpretation might vary a little airline to airline, the general rules are:

  • The flight originates in or is going to the US on any airline, not just US-based companies.
  • The flight was booked directly with the airline, not on any third party agent.
  • It was booked at least 7 days in advance.

Except for all the airlines flying from or to USA, the following airlines give you a 24 hours cancellation option as well.

5. Use Airlines Miles

If you have piled up a lot of miles, you can use those miles to buy a refundable ticket and cancel it later. Most of the times, you would have the option to find something that’s refundable.

6. Buy a Cheap Throwaway Flight on a Budget Airlines

This is a good option especially in Asia and Latin America. There are lots of budget airlines like EasyJet, AirAsia, Volaris where you can buy a flight ticket for as low as $50 from one major city in one country to a big city in another country.

AIr Asia cheap flight ticket

7. Sign off a Liability waiver with the airlines

Alright, this doesn’t work with every airline. But if an airline acts like a brat and you are not in a situation to buy an onward flight ticket on the spot, reason with them. Show them the proof of your funds and explain them that you will leave the country by land.

Ask the airline if they have a liability waiver you can sign to board the flight even if you don’t have a proof of onward travel. Some airlines have that handy and they might be able to print out a contract for you at the check-in desk that goes like this: we are not liable if the immigration at the destination airport turns you away.

Ok, enough about flight tickets. Let’s jump to buses and trains. This is a good option for land borders especially.

8. Buses in Latin/ Central America

There are international bus services operates in most of the central-american or Latin American countries. You can buy a ticket and use it as the proof of onward travel.

Ticabus

TICA Bus tickets in Central America for proof of onward travel

PeruHop

PERU HOP bus tickets in Bolivia and Peru for proof on onward travel

9. Trains or International Buses in Asia

Again, the trick here is to buy a ticket to a major city although a ticket to a smaller city can work as well. Let’s say you are in Thailand and you need proof of onward travel. In that case, buying a train ticket from Bangkok to Vientiane in Laos can be the proof of onward travel.

10. Carry Cash

This is the last option. And it might cut the deal at land borders. Carry some cash in USDs or Euros or in the local currency with you and explain at the immigration that you have the means to leave the country. If you are lucky, they will let you off the hook.

Why can’t I Come up with a fake ticket?

Now that’s what I call inviting trouble. Airlines can look this up. Sometimes Immigration has the means and willpower to do that as well. In principle, this is immigration fraud and it might get you in trouble. Now, this option may not always have the happy ending. Websites like Returnflights.net or omatic.musicairport.com allow you to book flight tickets that look real. It’s not too hard to edit an old ticket on MS Word or Photoshop as well.

But if it’s not your lucky day, you might get deported for lying to an immigration officer. So don’t do it no matter who told you.

When should you have an onward flight to your home country?

This sounds biased but the truth is if you are not visa exempt for the country you are traveling to, the best way this works for you is to have a return ticket to your home country. Sometimes the immigration agent or airlines agent might have had a bad day and they wouldn’t budge unless you show them a return ticket to your home country.

Last words: Don’t get caught off guard! And dress well.

The fact is if you are a backpacker or a digital nomad, there will be a day when you will be asked for this. Especially if you are in an airport, do yourself a favor and don’t dress like a bum/hippie with no money.

If you think this article is useful, please share it so that others can get the proof for onward travel. Happy traveling.

How to Research for Tourist Visa Requirements : 10 Tips You Haven’t Heard Before

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The truth is that if you don’t hold a fancy, powerful passport, you would be scratching your head while rummaging through tourist visa requirements. There is a lot of information on the internet, but scrubbing through all that could be a lot to take and often, you need to make decisions fast.

After being an expat for 4 years, and travelling and living and working in three different countries, if there is something that I have learned is this: There is no one, absolutely no one who can tell you the whole story.  There are times when even consular officers and diplomats are clueless about the rules.

But that doesn’t mean you are lost. If it’s out there, there is a way to find it. And as per my vows to break down visa facts to simpler, easy-to-read snippets, here it is.

1. First Person on The Visa Project    

Throughout the years of my travelling, I have applied for a lot of visas. So have my friends and people known to me. And we have written our
experiences for everyone to read. The whole reason First Person section exists, is to give everyone a real, human perspective of what happens during a visa process rather than throwing some links or parroting some googled info.

You can get a general idea about the tourist visa requirements such as the eligibility, documentations, processing time and visa fees etc. And more than everything else, you can get a personalized perspective of things that might go wrong and things that make a difference.

2. IATA Travel center

A one-stop shop with no wrong answers (hopefully) when it comes to tourist visa requirements? Well, that’s IATA.

International Air Transport Association or IATA is the trade association of the world’s airlines. Some 290 airlines are part of this association. IATA Travel center provides travelers with accurate and up-to-date international travel restrictions and requirements based on your citizenship and other details. No matter which country you are from, they got the answer.

Here is the result of my search for visa requirements for Indian citizens traveling to Russian Federation.

IATA Travel center

3. Website of the consulate or embassy of the country

Kazakhstan tourist visa

An embassy or a consulate is a diplomatic mission of a country in another country. Depending on the country you are in, another country might or might not have a consulate/ embassy in your country. For example, the embassy of Peru in India is accredited to Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the Maldives.

Find out if there is a consulate of a foreign country in your country’s capital or any other city. Go over the consulate website and see if they have listed down the tourist visa requirements for your country and the procedure to apply for a visa. Sometimes, it might be a little hard to find, but they usually have it. But if it so happens that they don’t, jump to the ‘contact us’ section, and find their email or the phone number. Write to them or give them a call, and ask them about the visa info you are looking for.

4. Consulates of the same country in different cities

Ok, this might sound weird, but in practice, often the consulates of the same foreign country might not be in sync. The reason ranging from the lack of a centralized database to administrative roadblocks.

Let me give you an example. When I was trying to verify whether I could apply for a tourist visa for Peru when I was travelling in Bolivia, I reached out to the consulates of Peru in Santa Cruz and in La Paz. While the Peruvian consulate in Santa Cruz straightaway told me that I could only apply for the visa from India since I was an Indian citizen, the consulate in La Paz told me I could apply for the visa there. I applied for it and got it. Here is the article if you wanna have a look.

5. Wikipedia

Philippines tourist visa policy

While Wikipedia might not be the best or most reliable source of truth when it comes to tourist visa requirements, it often contains up-to-date information about the same. And you can get the general idea of which all countries you could go to without needing a visa or which all countries dish out a visa on arrival or an e-visa to you for that matter.

6. Project Visa

Project visa for embassy information

Project visa is very useful when it comes to information related to visa, embassies and consulates. You can find the addresses and contact details of the embassies and consulates of a country as well as those of other countries in that country.

7. TIMATIC

TIMATIC (Travel Information Manual Automatic) is an
international database containing cross border passenger documentation requirements.

All airlines and travel agents use the database of TIMATIC to verify tourist visa requirements. If they do not (which unfortunately does happen), there will be the devil to pay. The immigration authorities are the ones to call the shots and they don’t take things lightly.

TIMATIC database is managed by International Air Transport Association (IATA). Airlines and travel agents integrate this database with theirs. Here is the TIMATIC interface of United Airlines. You can check the visa requirements here as well.

8. Website of Emirates Airlines

Tourist visa information on Emirates airlines

Emirates often ranks among the best five airlines in the world. There are plenty of reasons behind that. But did you know that you could check about visa requirements on their website as well?

While Emirates is a part of IATA, and the visa information that you could find here is based on information provided by IATA, on the Emirates website, you can search for it faster. And to top it off, it tells you whether you need a transit visa as well. That’s why Emirates has a special mention on this article.

9. Tourism websites of the foreign country

Tourist visa information for Indonesia on Indonesia tourism website

Now a days, pretty much every country serious about tourism has an official tourism website. The catch is to find the official ones. Those websites would usually have a section or article about the visa requirements, and often links to redirect you to the right place where you could apply for the visa.

For example, here is the visa section of Indonesia’s tourism website. 

10. Facebook groups

While the information about tourist visas might be readily available here and there, you often hit a road block when it comes to the other kinds. Wanna get a volunteer visa to volunteer in an NGO in Peru? A work visa to teach English in Japan? How about a retirement visa to live the rest of your life in Thailand? That information is often not so handy.

That’s when Facebook groups come handy. Find out the expat groups in Facebook and ask the right questions. For example, if you want to find out about certain kinds of visas that Colombia gives out to expats, the Colombian expats group will be a good place to start.

Since the tourist visa requirements change frequently, you have to be in the know-how and you have to do your research really well. No one wants to be turned back by an airlines agent or get deported. It’s not just the monetary losses you suffer, but think about the pickle you would find yourself in.

Oh, and do not forget to carry printouts for reference. Remember that airline staff and immigration officials mess things up every now and then, since they are human beings after all. They very well might not be aware that you don’t need a visa to visit a certain country. Carrying evidence from TIMATIC/ IATA will make them take you seriously in a conflicting situation and cross check the information.

Any other reliable source that you know of? Let me know and I will add it to the list.

How to Get a Bolivia Tourist Visa : My Experience

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By the time I applied for a tourist visa for Bolivia, was precisely two weeks after I decided to go there. As a result of a series of events, I made plans to travel in South America and decided to start from Bolivia. At that time, I knew absolutely nothing about the country. The biggest salt desert in the world? Cheap cost of living? Its uniquely indigenous culture? I knew none of it. Yet I had to get there, and I needed a tourist visa for that.

Now the catch with Bolivia is that I could get a visa on arrival. But at that time, I was dipping my toe into this whole backpacking-and-travelling adventure, and I simply didn’t know whether I wanted to take a risk with visa on arrival. Having a stamp on my passport meant was like this security blanket. And it proved to be a really good decision when I arrived at the Santa Cruz airport where everything was in Spanish and I didn’t speak any of it.

So now, as per my vows of making the visa application process smoother for anyone, irrespective of their citizenship, I am going to spell out my experience with tips and steps.

What group does your country belong to?

Ok when you think about the tourist visa for Bolivia, there are 3 groups.

Tourist visa policy map of Bolivia
  1. If your country is in Group 1, you are visa-exempt for Bolivia. You can enter without a visa with an initial entry stamp for 30 days. So you don’t need a visa on arrival. Examples- Australia, Philippines,EU etc.
  2. If you are from a Group 2 country, then you can get a visa on arrival for 30 days. Examples- India, South Korea, China, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Bangladesh.
  3. For those from Group 3 countries, the only option is to apply for a tourist visa for Bolivia in a consulate prior to your travel, with the exception of USA. The application process might take around 1-5 weeks. The visa fee is normally 30$. Examples- USA, Israel, Indonesia, Pakistan.

So now that we have the groups sorted out, let’s move to the actual application process.

Step 1 : Apply less than 30 days before you travel

Ok, is the trip all planned? Apply for the visa when you are sure that you will travel within 30 days. Why? Coz’ the visa will be issued for 30 days, and is valid from the day it’s issued. For example, if your visa was issued on 15 January 2019, you must enter Bolivia by 13 February 2019. Try not to arrive on the last day though.

And once you are sure that your Bolivian adventure is on the cards, find out the nearest consulate of Bolivia. I strongly recommend you to apply the visa at the consulate before you travel even if you qualify for visa on arrival. A good reason for that is depending on where you are from, you might not need to pay any visa fees.

For example, citizens of India, South Africa, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka etc can get the visa free at the consulate. Another good reason is that the Bolivia is known to be notorious with the visa on arrival. So don’t take chances.

The visa application portal for Bolivia is centralized which means no matter which part of the world you are in, you need to fill up the application on the website of Bolivia’s foreign ministry.

The website is in Spanish, but a little google translate will help you out with that. Once you find the visa section, you will be redirected to another website where you could apply for the visa.

Tips:-

  • Choose the type of visa as ” Visa de Turismo, conforme a normativa vigente y reciprocada/ Tourist visas in accordance with current regulations and reciprocity”, and fill in the personal details, and upload your pic.
  • When you go forward, the website will ask you the number of days you want to stay in Bolivia. The maximum number of days allowed when applying for the visa is 30. If you are planning to travel for more than 30 days, the only option is to extend it when you are there.

Step 2: Time to come up with the documentation

Once completed with the application form, you can download it as a PDF. Now you need to get all your documents ready. Here are the requirements for tourist visa for Bolivia. Visit the website of Bolivia’s consulate in your country beforehand to check if there are any additional requirements.

1. Sworn statement for visa application, obtained from http://www.rree.gob.bo/formvisas/.
2. A valid passport with at least 6 months of validity.
3. A certificate of vaccination against Yellow fever.
4. A recent 2″ x 2″ passport type photograph.
5. Travel itinerary and booking accommodation. Letter of invitation if someone is sponsoring you.
6. Proof of financial solvency: Account statements for the last 3 months. 
7. A residence permit or a resident visa for the country you are in, if you are not in your home country.

I got my Yellow fever vaccination done in AIIMS, Bhubaneswar in India. For Indians, it can be done in any of the vaccine centers authorized by government of India. If you are from a different country, find out where you can get the vaccine.

As for the travel itinerary, I bought two refundable tickets on Orbitz.com. One from Delhi to Santa Cruz de la Sierra two months after present day, and the other from La Paz to Delhi with a date of 80 days after the date of arrival in Bolivia.

For the proof regarding booking accommodations, I made a refundable bookings for a hostel in Santa Cruz de la Sierra for a week only.

To show them that I indeed had money, I submitted original account statements for the last 3 months, attested by the bank.

Step 3: Submission of the documents

Now is the time to get printouts of all these documents and go to the consulate. Like most of the consulates, the consulate of Bolivia in Delhi receives visa applications in the first half of the day. I went there the day after I completed my application, and submitted my application form along with the flight itinerary, hostel reservation, the original yellow fever vaccination proof, a recent pic and my passport.

There was no one else in the lobby when I got there. The receptionist in the embassy was really friendly and she asked me to wait while she took the documents inside to be verified.

Step 4: Interview

In my case, the interview happened the same day of submission. The consular officer asked me a few questions.

Q : Why do you want to visit Bolivia?

A : I have heard a lot about Bolivia and about its unique culture. I want to visit the salt desert and other cities like Sucre and La Paz. I am also planning to learn Spanish out there.

Q : How long do you plan to stay there?

A : Almost 3 months as 30 days are not enough for me to travel in Bolivia. I am hoping to extend my visa when I get there.

Q : Do you know anyone in Bolivia? Where will you stay?

A : I don’t know anyone in Bolivia. I will be staying hotels or hostels. I have made a reservation for a hostel for a week for now.

He gave this a little thought and sifted through the pages of my passport. “Ok, you can get the visa this week”, he uttered.

Step 5: Getting the visa stamp

I visited the embassy after three days and received my passport with the visa stamp, and traveled there after 3 weeks.

Tourist visa sticker for Bolivia

Step 6 : Planning the perfect Salar de Uyuni trip

If there is one thing and one thing only that you have to see in Bolivia, that’s the salt desert. At almost 11000 Sq kms, the salt desert of Uyuni is bigger than Singapore, Mauritius, Cyprus, Malta and a bunch of other countries. So, find out the perfect way to visit this amazing place. There is nothing like it. (There is a tiny little salt flat in Utah though).

Visa duration : 30 days
Visa validity : Valid from the day it’s issued. The count for 30 days start from the day you arrive in Bolivia. For example, if your visa was issued on 15 January 2019, you must enter Bolivia by 13 February 2019. Try not to arrive on the last day though.
Maximum days allowed : 90 days regardless of citizenship.
Visa fees : 0-30$ depending on your country. 160$ for USA citizens.

Immigration

If you are flying to Bolivia, it’s much better to fly to La Paz. The immigration there is much more organized than the other airports. Make sure that you receive the Bolivian tourist card with the entry stamp and keep it secure until you leave Bolivia.

F.A.Q.S

When should I apply for the tourist visa for Bolivia?

You should apply for it a week or a couple of weeks before you plan to travel, at max a month. 

Is it extendable?

Yes, you can extend it for 30 or 60 days easily although the process and fees would be different for everyone.

Should I opt for visa on arrival if I am eligible?

In short, please don’t.

In practice if you apply for a visa on arrival at a Bolivian border, they might not be so picky about all the documents needed for tourist visa. Most likely you will only need to show your passport, yellow fever certificate and pay the fee. But you should have everything handy.

There have been cases where citizens of different countries who have tried the visa on arrival option have been turned back even though they fulfilled all the requirements. Depending on your citizenship, you might be subjected to treatments that others are not subjected to. At land borders or airports, they only accept cash. And that too, freshly minted US dollars. And stories from the airport are no better especially if you are not from a first world country.

I highly recommend you not to go for the visa on arrival option. Based on your citizenship, you need to pay a visa fee at the border which normally is about 95$, while you could get it for free in a consulate.

The Visa Project tips: 

1. If you are from USA, your tourist visa from Bolivia is valid for 10 years from the date of issue with an initial stay of 30 days. USA citizens have to pay 160$ for a tourist visa.

2. You need to make sure that you submit the application form and the required documents within 15 days of the application. The application form is valid for 15 days only.

3. Citizens from countries in Group 1 might have to pay an exit fee when they leave. It normally is around 25$ if you are leaving Bolivia and 2$ if you are flying domestic, but this depends on your country again.

Have you tried obtaining a tourist visa for Bolivia? 

If you have tried obtaining a visa for Bolivia, let us know in the comments. The visa process is constantly changing and it will help me updating the article if there is any change. Please feel free to ask any questions you might have.

Peru Visa For Indians & Anyone Else – From India or South America

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If you wanted to visit Peru so much, why couldn’t you get a Peru visa when you were in India?”– Peruvian consulate in Cochabamba, Bolivia.

Off the bat, when a friend (who spoke Spanish) called them to enquire about Peru visa for Indians while in Bolivia, it seemed like she had mistakenly asked them for a kidney. It stung.

Hey you didn’t apply for it in India. Sorry, you missed your chance. Go back.

Even so, I decided to try my luck with the consulate of Peru in La Paz. When my friend called the consulate of Peru in La Paz, Bolivia, they didn’t seem too happy about the fact that I hadn’t applied for it in India either. However they didn’t dismiss me right off. Instead they guided me through the process and the list of documents, and told me that they would consider my case.

What’s your visa status?

1. Are you visa-exempt for Peru?
It means you have an awesome passport. You entered Peru without a visa sticker on your passport, and got an entry stamp with 90 days or less at the border. Examples- USA, UK, EU, Australia. Please head over to how to extend your tourist stay for Peru online or how to extend tourist stay for Peru at an immigration office.

2. Are you from one of the countries marked in grey in the map below?

 That means, you need a tourist visa to enter Peru. Examples- India,China, Nigeria. You kind of guessed it, didn’t ya?

Getting a Peru visa for Indians or citizens of any other country isn’t all that troublesome at all. Here is the whole process.

Step 1: Apply for the Peru Visa at a Consulate

The thing to know here is that there is no online process to apply for a tourist visa for Peru yet, although you can apply for a tourist stay extension for Peru online.

At the consulate, I filled out an application form called DGC-005. It’s a one page form which asks for some basic details. They gave me a printout of the form in the consulate. You can print it from the website of consulate of Peru as well and carry it with you.

Depending on your country, find out if Peru has a consulate there. If not, find out which is the closest one and whether you can apply for a visa there. If you are apply for a Peru visa from India, you can find the details on the Peru visa for Indians section of the consulate of Peru in India.

Step 2 : Bring Along the Documents

You were waiting for this part, weren’t you? Well, with documents, comes the visa (Spiderman fans, anyone?).

Here is the list for the Peru tourist visa.

  • Application form
  • Passport with a minimum validity of six months after expected date of arrival to Peru.
  • Round Trip ticket to Peru (ticket, electronic ticket or reservation).
  • Hotel booking; or tour package booking; or invitation letter legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru (any of these documents);
  • Three passport size color photographs with white background.
  • Recent bank account statement and/or credit card statements/ photocopies.

If you already know how to get all these, that’s awesome. But for the ones who might not, I will go into the details.

1. Fill in the application form

Peru visa for Indians: Tourist visa application form

2. Use Booking.com to make the hotel reservations and print them in Spanish: Booking.com gives you the option of printing out hotel reservation s in Spanish. This makes your life easier when applying for a Peruvian visa.

In total, I booked for 3 weeks in Cuzco and then one more week in Lima.

3. Show ’em da money: This is where you have to be awesome. Show them the bank account statements and credit card statements, and whatever else you can come up with.

Just so you know, depending on the country you are applying from, you could be asked to provided original bank statements attested by the bank. My fellow Indians, I am looking at you.

I simply printed out the statements from HDFC bank in India for the last three months, and these were definitely not original bank statements. I had another bank account in the USA at that time and printed out the statements from that one as well. In all, I showed somewhere close to  $7000 I believe. Add a couple of credit cards to that.

4. Buy refundable roundtrip flights: Use Expedia.com or Orbitz.com to book refundable round trip flights and then cancel them.

I booked a flight from La Paz to Cuzco with a date two weeks after the date of my visa application and a return flight to Delhi from Lima 80 days after that. Both the flights were refundable. I used Orbitz.

5. Detailed itinerary: Yeah, they want to know where you are gonna be but they don’t grill you like the Schengen countries.

I jotted down the 6 different places that I planned to visit for the duration of my trip, the number of days I would stay there and which one comes after which, and printed it out.

After I submitted the documents the next day, I got to know that they would send the documents to the foreign ministry in Peru for review.

Depending on where you are applying from, the documents you need to come up with might differ. For example, if you are applying for a tourist visa for Peru from India, you would need to show a non-objection certificate from your employer if you are employed and IT return if applicable.

6. My trip is sponsored: That’s real good news. Here is what’s needed.

  • Sponsor in Peru/ the country you are applying from has to present a guarantee letter attesting that he or she will be responsible to bear some or all costs of boarding and lodging of the applicant, or repatriation, if needed.
  • Sponsor has to present a valid Id- Peruvian DNI, Passport or any other valid national identification document.
  • Proof of financial solvency of the sponsor- bank statements, fixed deposit.

Step 3 : Interview

My interview was done the same day I submitted the application. The consular official there was really nice, and she spoke in English for a change!

The consular official asked me why I am going to Peru. To travel of course, I said. What places are you planning to visit, she asked next. I told her that I was planning to visit Puno, Arequipa, Cuzco, Lima and Trujillo.

There was a flood situation in Trujillo at the time and it had been raining for days, and she jokingly asked if I would still go there. Although I wasn’t sure if I would really go to Trujillo, I told her that I come from a country which has an official rainy season. She smiled at this and took the papers from me. When I explained that I wanted a 3 months(almost) visa in Peru, she told me I could even get it for 6 months.

Step 4 : Peru Visa Approval and Payment

I received an approval email from the consulate after 3 days. They gave me the account details of the consulate and I paid the 30$ in Banco de Credito and presented the original receipt in the consulate. They asked me to leave the passport and pick it up the next day.

Step 5 : Getting the Visa Stamp

The next day, I went to the consulate at 3 pm to pick up my passport. (They had asked me to come any time in between 2.30-4 pm). I had to sign a couple of forms, and leave my finger print impressions on the same forms (Nothing digital there). And, I was done.

Even though I applied for 80 days, I got it for 183 days. That too a multiple entry visa valid for 1 year. I could very well give a bear hug to the consul officer, but then I just had to limit myself to a big smile and to the words: muchas gracias. Hasta luego. (Thank you very much. Until tomorrow.)

One great thing about Peru visa is that you don’t have to pay the fees before your application is accepted. The last thing you want is to get a NO and also lose your money.

Visa duration: 183 days.
Visa fees: 30$ . It’s the same for every country that needs a visa, although it might go up or down a bit depending on your local currency.
Visa validity: For a year from the day it’s issued.
Processing time: 5-10 business days normally.
No. of entries: Multiple

Step 6 : Time for Fiesta

This is the most important part coz’, every visa calls for a little fiesta. So, get some friends over and have Pisco at your favorite bar, and tell them what they would miss for not accompanying you to Peru. Or if you are an introvert, listen to some Andean music.

Apu Inka, a band from Peru

Immigration

I crossed the land border from Copacabana in Bolivia to Puno in Peru on a bus. You receive an entry/exit card at the immigration (Tarjeta Andina de Migración) with an entry stamp. Make sure to keep it safe and present it when you leave Peru.

The Visa Project quick tip:

If you are from India or China, and have a visa issued by USA, Australia, Canada, UK or Schengen countries with a validity of at least 6 months, then you can visit Peru without a visa . Same goes if you have a residence permit from these countries. The maximum period of stay will be of up to 180 days in a Calendar year from the date of your entry.

Extending your Peru Tourist Visa

You can extend your tourist visa for up to 90 days and up to the maximum allowed 183 days within a 365 days period. You can extend your tourist visa for Peru online . If the online extension doesn’t work, you can extend a Peru tourist visa in an immigration office as well.

F. A. Q. S

Is it possible to apply for a tourist visa for Peru online?

The application process for a tourist visa for Peru involves presenting the physical documents. There is no automated online processing as of now.

Do I have to show a Yellow fever certificate when entering Peru?

No, Peru does not require travellers to hold a valid yellow fever certificate.

I am from Sri Lanka? Can I apply for the tourist visa for Peru in India?

As the embassy of Peru in New Delhi is also affiliated to Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, citizens of those countries can apply for a tourist visa for Peru in the consulate of Peru in India. But they will have to to furnish a police clearance certificate.

How many days will I be granted when entering Peru? I heard people are being granted 90 days?

If you are entering Peru with a visa, it means the number of days mentioned in the visa are what you get. The thing to know here is you can stay at max 183 days out of a Calendar year of 365 days. Often people, who are visa exempt get 90 days or 60 days when entering Peru.

Peru is a traveler’s paradise. It has a lot more to offer than Machu Pichu. And the food is just out of the world. So if you get a chance, do drop by.

Have you tried obtaining a tourist visa for Peru?

If you have tried obtaining a visa for Peru, let us know in the comments. The visa process is constantly changing and it will help me updating the article if there is any change. Please feel free to ask any questions you might have.

How to Extend Peru Tourist Visa for 90 days Online : My Experience

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This article has been written with direct inputs from a traveler and expat Shawn Nay who is an American citizen and extended his Peru tourist visa successfully online.

“Why the hell would you go to Peru? I read they kidnap you and sell your kidneys down there?”–My mother.

Truth be told, when I started backpacking in South America, I had skim-read some blogs about Peru and didn’t know what really to expect. But my mother surely had read a lot more than me and somehow, in all those stories someone died or got kidnapped or got raped.

After four months in Chile and Argentina, Peru was my third country in South America. I got 90 days when I entered Peru. At that time, I was like, give it a month or two and I am out. I spent a month in Amazons and I wanted to just stay there. Trust me, I would have stayed in Peru for longer than 90 days and paid the fine happily had they not extended my stay. However, it turned out that extending my stay was actually pretty easy, although I did run into some road blocks on the way. Man, I hope they fix it.

Here is how I extended the Peru tourist visa online and all other details. If you got any questions, shoot!

What’s your visa status?


1. Are you visa exempt for Peru but not an EU national?

You are at the right place. It means you entered Peru with a “temporary authorization to enter as a tourist” or TAM, and got an entry stamp for 90 days or less at the border Examples- USA, Canada, UK, Australia etc.

2. Are you an EU national?

You are visa exempt but you get 90 days in 180 days, so technically you shouldn’t be able to extend their stay without the cooling-off period of 90 days. However, the reality is that lots of EU nationals have been able to extend their stay for 90 days right off online. So, I guess if you want you could take a shot. If the system doesn’t allow you to extend online, head over to how to extend your tourist visa for Peru at an immigration office.

3. Did you enter Peru with an actual tourist visa?

Sorry to say that this extension is not for you. Please check the process at an the nearest Peruvian immigration office. If you got lesser than 183 days on your visa, you should be able to get an extension. Examples- India, Nigeria, China etc.

Step -1 : Apply for the Extension Early

Don’t be the last minute guy. Once you know you are gonna be in Peru for the long run, apply for the tourist visa extension. And to be on the safe side, do it lesser than 10 days left or a couple of weeks before your current authorization expires. Once you overstay, you can’t extend it.

Alright, the first thing you gotta do is to check your details on TAM Virtual.

The reason I ask you to do this is to save you from a world of head-scratching and anxiety when you apply for the extension on the immigration website. Make sure your details are correct and that there are no typos and all.

Step 2: Pay 11.70 Soles

Paying online on pagalo.pe :-

If you are unable to pay at the bank or simply don’t want go to one ( I mean who wants to wait in a queue), you can pay online on pagalo.pe. That’s what I did.

You will need to register using your passport number, email and phone number on pagalo.pe. Once you do that, log in and choose ‘MIGRACIONES’ from the list of choices under ‘Efectua tus pagos aqui’. Once you do that, you will be forwarded to select the exact reason that you are paying the fees for. Choose the one that starts with 01857.

Peru visa extension payment on pagalo.pe

After that you will need to choose the one that says ‘PRÓRROGA DE PERMANENCIA (PARA PAÍSES DE AMÉRICA DEL SUR, SEGÚN ACUERDOS BILATERALES O MULTILATERALES)’ under ‘Concepto’. Although this means that it applies to South American countries (probably the ones that are part of Mercosur), citizens of other countries have been able to pay using it. After you fill in your passport number, click on ‘AGREGAR A CARRITO DE COMPRAS’.

Peru visa extension payment on pagalo.pe

Next, you will see it in the ‘Carrito de compras’. When you click on ‘PAGAR’, you will be forwarded to choose from the options that go as Master/Visa/American Express credit/debit card.

Make the payment and it’s all gold. Wait for the receipt on your email.

You should pay for it within two days. If you don’t, there is a chance that it will be cancelled and you will have to do it from the start. And, in case it doesn’t go through, you can download the receipt as a PDF, print it out and take it to the bank to make the payment in person as well.

Paying at the bank personally:-

The second option is to pay at the bank. Take your original passport with you and visit any Banco de la Nacion branch.  Let them know that it’s for the Migraciones administrative procedure “F-7 Prórroga de Permanencia” under code 01857.

When you make the payment, make sure that the teller has entered your details correctly and that the receipt has everything right well. If they mess up, you are gonna be in trouble. So double check everything. Save the original receipt.

Step-3 : Apply for the Extension on Immigration Website of Peru

This is my favorite part of the process. But before you do this, consider going to a church/temple/mosque/whatever and making a little prayer. You will understand why a little later. Here is the one I went to in Lima after 15 years.


Ok, now visit the official immigration website and click on “Generar Prorroga”. It will redirect you to the form F-007 directly. After you fill in your details such as your nationality, passport number and as such, click on ‘Continuar’.

Peru visa extension F-007

Tips:

  • Nacionalidad — Select your nationality from the drop-down menu. The country names are in Spanish. For example USA becomes EE.UU.
  • Días Prorroga Solicitados — The amount of additional days you are requesting. This should be up to a maximum of 90, as long as you’re not exceeding the 183-day maximum already. If the system doesn’t accept 90 days, try playing around with the numbers.

On the next page, you will need to enter some details from the receipt like the receipt number or “número” and the verification code or “Código de verificación” and the date.

If you paid it in the bank, then you can find the required information in your receipt as well.

Peru visa extension payment receipt

4. Pray Again

You will get a confirmation email with an administration procedure number (tramite no.) and date of application.

But if there is one thing you shouldn’t do in in Peru, that’s trusting the system. So when you are done for good and a message pops up on your screen that your application was accepted, take a quick screenshot, and save it or email it yourself for future reference. And go to an immigration office to sort it out just in case.

5. Have Some Ceviche While Talking about How Awesome You are

Now that you have been able to get an extension online, go to your favorite Cevichería and celebrate it with your friends who have done the same.

6. All Hell Breaks Loose. Troubleshoot.

Although in my case everything worked out without a hitch, I have heard and read people losing their mind over errors. Common ones that people seem to face are these two:

AVISO: NO EXISTE INFORMACIÓN CON LOS DATOS INGRESADOS

ERROR: NO SE PUEDE CONCLUIR CON EL TRÁMITE DEBIDO A QUE NO TIENE UN INGRESO REGULAR AL PAÍS

NO SE PUEDE ASIGNAR PRORROGA. LOS DIAS TOMADOS DEL PERIODO SOBREPASA LOS DÍAS DE PERMISO DEL PERIODO.

The reason you are getting these errors or any other errors could be because of, but not limited to:

  1. Something that’s very common is that the system doesn’t always accept 90 days even though it should. Bring it down to 89 or 88 or 59, and try your luck.
  2. You made a typo in entering your details. If you are sure you didn’t, double check your details on TAM virtual. This is where your details are entered by the immigration officer when you set foot in Peru. Maybe they made a typo with your first name or last name or something else. You can fix it by making the same typo on the F-007. I wouldn’t recommend it but I know people who got away doing just that and it’s not your fault that your details are not correct.
  3. If the system can’t find the information regarding your payment, go for a walk and try it again. The banking and immigration system are still out of sync it seems, and sometimes the system doesn’t have your data updated.
  4. If you are not able to access TAM virtual, it’s not good news. This means the immigration officer messed up your details big time. It could be your nationality or your passport number. And maybe you have done everything right and the system has got everything about you right, but you still have hit a wall.

The people at the Migraciones Facebook are pretty helpful as well. And if nothing works, jump to how to extend your stay in Peru in an immigration office in person.

F.A.Q.S

How much does it cost?

It costs 11.70 soles now.

How long do I get the extension for?

The temporary authorization can only be extended for at most 90 days at one go, and up to a maximum of 183 days in 365 days. So it doesn’t matter whether you got 30 days or 60 days or 90 days when you entered. You can extend it for a maximum of 90 days.  However, you can get a clearance from Interpol to extend the visa after the first extension while making sure the number of days of your whole stay don’t go beyond 183.

Have you tried extending a tourist visa for Peru online?

The immigration system in Peru is constantly changing. Lots of things are still new. If you have faced any issues other than described above, please let us know in the comments.

How to Get a Tourist Visa on Arrival for Thailand : My Experience

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This article has been written with direct inputs from my friend Sweety Jatyan, an Indian citizen, who travelled to Thailand with her husband and got visa on arrival successfully.

No matter how touristed Thailand is, if you are thinking of places to go for your honeymoon, there is no way you can ignore it. And especially if you are from a country that’s a few hours away. And that’s precisely why when I got married, I decided upon going to Thailand for my marriage.

And for me and my husband, both Indian citizens, it was amazing that Thailand gave out a visa on arrival. On our flight, the anxious me was already playing up what-if scenarios. What if they deny my visa on arrival? What if they deport me? What if they ask for some document that I didn’t have?

But, in reality, getting the visa on arrival in Thailand was easy and quick, and I would recommend it to anyone.

What’s your visa status?

1.If you are a citizen from 18 countries such as India, China, Mexico, Romania etc., then you are at the right place. You can check if your country is one of the countries eligible for VoA on the website of Thailand’s foreign ministry. It’s for 15 days only.

2. If you are visa exempt for Thailand, then that’s awesome. This means you receive an entry stamp when you enter Thailand. You don’t need a visa on arrival. Examples- USA, UK, Australia, Vietnam etc.

3. And if you are a citizen of a country who have to apply for a tourist visa in a Thai consulate prior to their journey, then I am sorry. The visa on arrival is not for you. Examples- Colombia, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh.

Alright, let me tell you about how I got it and how you can get it. The process remains same for the citizens of any country that’s eligible for Visa on arrival.

Step 1 : Get Ready with the Formalities

Here are the requirements to get a tourist visa on arrival for Thailand. They are pretty straightforward so don’t mess up.

  1. Color photograph (4×6 cm) – It’s different from your normal passport pics. Very important that you take 2 pics at least.
  2. Passport with at least 6 months of validity. 
  3. Confirmed return ticket within 15 days.
  4. Financial solvency-  At least 10,000 Baht per person or 20,000 Baht per family. Best to have in THBs.
  5. Proof of accommodation in Thailand.
  6. Thailand arrival card that you get on the flight to Thailand- Filled up and signed.

As my trip was planned, I had bought round-trip flight tickets from Delhi to Bangkok and from Bangkok to Delhi 10 days after the day of arrival. I had booked hotels in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, and had the printouts with me. To demonstrate that I was not broke, I had the statements from my bank account in India, a couple of credit cards and 500 USDs in cash on me.

Step 2 : Getting the Visa Stamped at the Airport

Getting the visa stamped is actually pretty straight forward.

If you follow the signage at the airport, it will lead you to the counter for Visa on Arrival. The blue gate clearly marks Visa on Arrival and the countries that are applicable. The TM 88 or visa on arrival forms are kept on counters next to the visa on arrival queue.  You need to fill it out such with personal information such as name, address, flight number etc.

The Visa Project quick tip:

1. You can also download the TM 88 application form on the immigration website of Thailand and carry it with you.

2. You can fill the TM 88 or visa on arrival on Immigration Bureau Thailand online as well, and carry the printout with you which would contain your details.
It might save you some time but it wouldn’t make a big difference. You still have to queue up.


Visa on arrival form for Thailand

In my case, they did not really ask for proof of funds but they did ask a few others in the queue. And they did check all the documents I had on me. So, I guess it’s not just for formality.

The whole thing took an hour for me as the queue was too long.

Visa on arrival Thailand

Step 3 : Do a Little Dance

Now that you got the visa, it’s time to show your moves and bring a little sunshine to the gloomy immigration counters.

I am kidding. Seriously, don’t do it.

Visa duration: 15 days, including the day of arrival and the day of departure.
Visa fees: 2000 THBs. It’s the same for every country that needs a visa on arrival.
Visa validity: From the day it’s issued.
No. of entries: Single

F.A.Q.S

What if my photo is not as per specifications or I forgot to bring one?

It’s possible to have your photo taken at a photo booth at the airport in Bangkok. However they can charge up to 700 TB. And it’s possible that all airports don’t have such photo booths. So it’s better to bring photos with the specifications mentioned.

Do I need to have a certificate of yellow fever vaccination to enter Thailand?

If you are from a country whose citizens need a certificate of vaccination against Yellow fever, based on the list on the foreign ministry of Thailand, then you need to have one. It includes most of the countries from South America and Africa.

Will I need to show a return or onward ticket when opting for visa on arrival?

You have to have a confirmed return ticket to show that they are flying out of Thailand within 15 days of entry. Apparently, open tickets don’t work. The immigration officials often don’t accept train tickets or bus tickets as proof in case you are planning to travel to Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar etc. overland.

Is the tourist visa on arrival for Thailand free?

Right now it is for some countries like India and China. However it’s subject to change without notice. So better to carry 2000 THBs with you in cash. It must be paid in cash and Thai currency only.

How long would the visa on arrival take?

If you are in the regular visa on arrival queue, it might take 1 hour or more, depending on what time your flight gets there and if the queue is toot long.

There is an Express counter for VoA where you can pay 200 Baht and get your visa faster.You can fast Track Visa on Arrival there. It takes 10-15 minutes normally. If you need to change cash for paying your Thailand Visa on Arrival fees, change only the amount needed for paying the fee at currency exchange booths in the hall before Visa on Arrival counters.

Can I extend my tourist visa on arrival for Thailand?

It’s possible to extend visa on arrival by 7 days only in case you are ill and unable to travel. You can do it only once. If you want to travel for more than 15 days, it’s much better to get a tourist visa at a consulate of Thailand in your country.

Can I get a tourist visa for Thailand in the embassy, rather than opting for visa on arrival?

Totally. Check if there is an embassy of Thailand in your country and ask for the requirements. If you opt for this option, you can get it a single entry tourist visa with a period of stay of up to 60 days or a multiple entry tourist visa.

The Visa Project quick tip :

1. If possible, carry a glue stick to stick the photo on the application form so you don’t have to look around for one. Sometimes, it’s not handy.

2. As per proof of fund, you need to show it in cash. It’s best to have it in THBs. But they do accept USDs, Euros and other currencies.

Have you tried obtaining a tourist visa on arrival for Thailand?

If you have tried obtaining a tourist visa on arrival for Thailand, let us know in the comments. The visa process is constantly changing and it will help me updating the article if there is any change. Please feel free to ask any questions you might have.

How to Get a Colombia Tourist Visa with Multiple Entries : My experience

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Since arriving in Ecuador, I had been dreading whether to extend my tourist stay in Ecuador for 90 days or get a tourist visa for Colombia and leave Ecuador. I taught English in a public school in Quito, thanks to a program called Time to Teach Ecuador. I stayed with a local family and learnt Spanish. Things were good. And if it was up to me, this life would have gone on for long. However the program was an administrative mess and most volunteer teachers like me took the heat. So once I was sure that my days in Ecuador were numbered, I decided to get a tourist visa for Colombia since I was so close to it.

What’s your visa status?

1. Are you from a country that’s not visa-exempt for Colombia? Then you are at the right place. You need to apply for a tourist visa prior to your entry. Examples- India, China, Nigeria, South Africa.

2. Are you from a visa-exempt country? It means enter without any tourist visa and receive an entry stamp with the number of days you can stay at the immigration. Usually 90 days. Examples- USA, Canada, Philippines,EU.

Do you have a USA or Schengen visa?

And if you are from the following countries, you will be able to enter Colombia with a USA visa or Schengen visa valid for at least 180 days from the day of your arrival in Colombia.

  1. India
  2. China
  3. Thailand
  4. Vietnam
  5. Myanmar
  6. Cambodia
  7. Macau

Ok, now let me tell you how to get the tourist visa for Colombia starting form the application process. Do note that the tourist visa was of type TP-11 when I got it, but is known as Visitor(V) as of now. The process is all the same.

Step 1: Apply online

Colombia has a centralized website(SITAC) where you can apply for any kind of visa online. Find out whether the country where you are applying for a visitor visa for Colombia has a consulate or embassy of Colombia. If you go the visa section of the website of the embassy, you will be forwarded to the website below where you would need to fill out your details. The portal would be the same no matter which country you are applying from.

Colombia Tourist Visa application portal

Step 2 : Upload the documents

You know what they don’t tell you when applying for the visitor visa for Colombia? That you should get the documentation ready before you start the application process on the portal. Unless you upload all the documents once you start the application process, you wouldn’t be able to complete the process and submit it. 

Here are the list of requirements for a visitor visa for Colombia from the official website.

Colombia Tourist Visa requirements

As usual, I booked my refundable flight tickets on Orbitz.com. The onward flight from Quito to Bogota a couple months from the date of application of visa, where as the return flight from Bogota to Delhi with a date 5 months after the date of my arrival.

I used booking.com to make refundable reservations in different hostels starting from Bogota to Santa Marta, Cartagena and a few other places, with my stay ranging from a week to 3 weeks at each hostel. To keep things simple, I saved the reservations in Spanish.

Booking.com allows you to save the application in Spanish and it’s quite useful if you are applying for a visa for any Latin American country.

And to show ’em da money, I downloaded the statements from my HDFC bank account in India for the last 6 months. I had a balance of more than 6000 USD at that time. On top of it, I decided to scan a couple of my Credit cards and save them in PDF format.

Although they don’t mention the flight tickets and hotel reservations, you would need to upload them in the ‘additional documents’ section.

Along with all this, I also uploaded the pages of my passport that with the entry stamp from Ecuador. As an Indian citizen, I had 90 day limit in Ecuador and by that time, I had consumed 3 weeks out of it.

Step 3 : Time to pay the visa study fees

Ok, this might sound super weird, but to get a visa for Colombia, you always have to pay up first for them to go through your documents. That’s how it is.

After saving the application, you need to choose the nearest consulate and the medium of pay. It’s different for every consulate. I chose Quito and then visited the consulate of Colombia in Quito with my application number. They asked me to visit the nearest Banco de Pichincha branch with the bank account number of the embassy. I paid 52$ and went back to the consulate with the receipt.

I submitted a printout of my application along with all the documents that I had submitted online, and the original receipt.  It’s not necessary to submit the physical documents but I decided to just do it anyways.

I received automated emails every time the status of your application is changed. You can check the status of your application on the website of Ministry of Foreign affairs as well. 

Step 4 : Interview and payment of visa processing fees

Once the status of your visa application moves to APPROVED or to the Interview stage (REQUIRED, for: ENTREVISTA EN OFICINA), you would receive an emails stating the same. The email would always contain the text in Spanish and then in English. The English sometimes would contain traces of Spanish but you can make sense of it.

Colombia Tourist Visa approval email

After a week, I received an email that my visa has been approved. Although technically there was no need for an interview in my case, I still had a short, informal one at the consulate. The interview happened in Spanish as my Spanish had improved a lot by then.

The consular officer was real nice and quite surprised with my Spanish. He asked me some generic questions like 1) Why do I want to visit Colombia? 2) What all places do I want to visit there? 3) Do I know anyone in Colombia?

I answered accordingly. Then I was asked to pay the visa processing fees (82$) in the same bank with the same account number and bring them the original receipt. I did that and then they asked me to leave my original passport there.

Step 5: Visa stamping 

After a couple of days, I received an email from the embassy that my passport was ready with the visa stamp. I received an Electronic visa in my email as well.

Colombia Tourist Visa sticker

Step 5 : Celebrate with some Aguardiente. Or Canelazo.

Colombia is often ranked as the happiest country in the world. So, now that this happiness is gonna be a part of you, it’s time to listen to some Latin music and have some Aguardiente, the national drink of Colombia.

Understanding the Electronic visa

When your visa is issued, you get an email containing the visa in Electronic format. You can use this as a backup in case you are unable to make a visit to the consulate for the visa sticker. You can enter Colombia with an electronic visa in your email without the visa sticker on your passport. Make sure to carry a print out.

If your visa has been issued for less than three (3) months, you can enter, stay and leave the country showing your electronic visa, without printing it over the passport. But if it’s for more than 3 months, you need to get it printed in Bogotá VISAS office. And you should do that within 2 months from the date the visa is issued.

If you ask me, it’s much better to get it printed at the consulate to avoid any future mishaps. So if you got time, just do it.

Visa fees: – 134$ in total ( 52$ for study + 82$ for processing)

Visa duration :- Even though I had applied the visa for 4 months, I got it for 5 months in total. You can get it for 180 days maximum.

Visa validity :- The visa was valid from the day it was issued.  

No. of entries :- Multiple

F.A.Q.S

Do I need to apostile or translate any documents for a tourist visa for Colombia?

As the official language of Colombia is Spanish, you might need to get some documents translated and apostiled to apply for the visa. You need to check with the particular consulate about the same. Although, lots of times documents in English just work fine.

A friend in Colombia invited to me to come to Colombia. What all documents do I need for this?

If you are visiting Colombia through a tourism agency or a friend, you can get a letter of invitation from them and upload it in the documentation section. You also might need to upload a copy of their national identity card or Cedula.

How can I apply for a tourist visa for Colombia is there is no embassy or consulate of Colombia in my country?

If Colombia doesn’t have an embassy or consulate in your country, check out the nearest consulate and ask them how to pay the fee. If you can pay it online, well and good. If not, you should make the arrangements first and then apply for the visa.

Is there a tourist visa for a longer duration?

You can get a Visitor(V) visa for Colombia for up to 180 days. However, it’s possible to get a tourist visa for up to 2 years as well. But, you shouldn’t try it the first time you visit Colombia. They would normally deny it.

The Visa Project quick tip:

Once you apply online, the application is valid for 30 Calendar days. If for some reason, your case takes longer than that, you go back to square one and start out with a new application and upload all the documents and pay the visa fees to study it one more time. So make sure you can get it done in 30 days.

Have you applied for a tourist visa for Colombia?

If you applied for a tourist visa for Colombia, was the whole process smooth? Please let us know in the comments. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.