Visas
A visa is an official stamp in your passport allowing you temporary permission from a foreign country to enter that country. Countries that require a pre arranged visa (before you arrive at the airport) will typically require you to provide a few passport sized photos, the fee and for you to meet any other requirements of entry. This can be done through the countires embassy in Australia or aborad, through travel agents or by using a commercial company of the net. In all instances you will be without your passport for varying lengths of time while the embassy isses the visa.
Depending on how well our government gets on with the government of your destination you might not need a visa at all, or you might have to endure considerable hassle to get the stamp you need.
In the early stages of planning you trip it is really important to check which countries require a visa and what is required for entry. The Australian government site (http://www.smarttraveller.gov.au/) is the best resource for checking these requirements. Also check out Project Visa (http://www.projectvisa.com/) which links up with the visa pages on most embassy websites worldwide.
How to get one
Visa Link is a commercial site that can help you with arrangements in applying for certain visa’s online. You will still have to send your passport away for each visa.
If you are using a travel agent they should also be able to help with arranging your visas (usually with hefty fees to courier your passport). Always double check visa information; people make mistakes and a new agent might simply not realise you need a visa. This is bad.
Always review visa information just before you travel as things can change quickly. Apart from the costs involved in getting different visas, some consulates can be slow in issuing visas and you need to factor this into your planning. You can only apply for one visa at a time as you have to send your passport away for each.
Different types of visas
There are five basic types of visas; tourist, transit, business student and working holiday.
- Tourist visas typically last from 30 – 90 days and will not allow you to work in that country. This is the most common visa.
- The working holiday visa is a way to mix sightseeing with work. See the working overseas section for a great resource on countries in which Aussies can get working holiday visas and how.
- A transit visa is for very brief stays in a country when you’re heading somewhere else within the next few days. They are strictly for passing through; any plans to stay longer than a day or two and you will need a different visa.
- A student visa is needed if you plan to study while overseas. Check local embassy websites for information.
- Business visas are for working in a country where you will require sponsorship from your employer. You won’t be able to work for anybody else and these visas can be highly difficult to arrange.
Single or multiple entry?
Typically a tourist visa will be either single or multiple entry. Single entry just means that you can enter and leave the country once, while multiple entry means you can come and go during the validity of the visa.
Multiple entry visas will usually cost more, but if you plan to use a country as a base they can be worth the extra expense.
It’s important to remember having a valid visa, or that entitlement for visa free entry, does not guarantee entry to the country in question. A range of reasons can be given for the denial of entry.
The United Kingdom is one example; often you will have to prove you have sufficient funds to support your stay, contact details of somebody within the UK and onward tickets – this can be the case even for just a short stay in which Aussies typically will not need a pre arranged visa. It pays to have this information at the ready.
It’s a good idea if you are on an extended trip to take plenty of passport sized photos with you; they will save time if you lose your passport, need a police report or for any other paperwork. They are cheap and much easier to get here than in the middle of nowhere.
Visa hassles
At the time of writing some destinations to keep a particular watch on visa wise are Cuba, Israel and Russia and the USA.
The United States has a new visa requirement for Australian and other nationals. You need to go to the US government site (https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/) and fill in an authorisation form at least 48 hours before you leave Australia. If you don’t have a criminal conviction its an easy enough process and currently lasts for two years. Without this you may be refused entry. Googling ESTA will bring up the government site as well as some commercial sites; don’t pay for this visa! its 100% free and takes 5 minutes to do yourself. Other sites are ripping you off.
You still can’t fly direct from the USA to Cuba; common routes from Australia are via Mexico or Canada.
Israel’s immigration officers will usually be happy to stamp a piece of paper rather than your passport. The unfortunate reason for this is that an Israeli stamp in your passport might see you deigned entry to some other countries in the Middle East. Lebanon and Syria are particularly tough with this, while Jordan and Egypt should be o.k. This quirk is a major hassle if you plan to travel in the region.
For Russian entry you will need a letter of invitation from within Russia as part of the visa process. They can also be notoriously slow issuing the visa; leave plenty of time before you leave Australia.
Dual Nationality
Many Aussies may have dual Nationality (Australian and another country). There can be different ways this can occur, such as by marriage or birth. Different countries will have different methods for determining your status upon entry. If you think this might apply to you it is worth checking on http://www.dfat.gov.au/ for the diplomatic list of embassies you can contact for information on your possible status before you travel.
Back to travel advice
