Obtaining visas is the SOLE responsibility of the traveller. Hence, a strategic visa gathering plan involving: timelines, the Royal Mail or Visa go-between agencies and possibly Project Management software must be drawn up, and drawn up early in the planning process.
Visa requirements vary depending on destination and nationality, and sometimes on whether you arrive by air or overland. A useful starting point is Tucan Travel Visa Information. Visa gathering for those who reside outside of London looks to be an interesting challenge in itself. Prior to applying for some visas, travellers may be required to show proof of exit from the country in question and proof of accommodation. To further complicate this process, some visas commence when you enter the country, some from when you are granted the visa. Some countries require invitation letters such as Russia, sometimes you may need a multi-entry or transit visa. Other countries require payment from those arriving by air, such as Australians flying into Peru. Some visas can be obtained on arrival.
The number one rule seems to be that you have to have a minimum of six months left on your passport to go anywhere, ever. From previous encounters with stamp happy customs and immigration officials we can also give this warning: have plenty of blank pages in your passport. It seems that each country likes to take up its own page, you have been warned.
If you are the holder of the much coveted EU passport, it will come as a shock to you that when entering countries outside of the inclusion zone i.e. the EU, you will actually have to get your passport out of its cover and hand it over for scrutiny and stamping!
The following table gives real time experience of teh visa gathering process in the UK.
We take no responsibility for the veracity of information on third party websites referred to herein.
| Visa Schedule (UK & Australian Passport Holders) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country | Visa Cost | Date Sent | Date Returned | How Applied For |
| India | £39.04 | 29th July 2008 | 2nd July 2008 | Completed and paid on internet with VFS Global, printed form and posted via Royal Mail Special Delivery, including return SAE. |
| Nepal | £15 | 4th August 2008 | 8th August 2008 | Printed visa form from internet, Nepal Embassy, posted via Royal Mail Special Delivery, including return SAE. |
| China | £50 | 9th Sept 2008 | 20th Sept 2008 | The Chinese Visa Application Service Centre is responsible for all Chinese Visa applications. Proof of a ticket out and some accommodation is required upon application, as is an online appointment with the embassy. We found that in this instance it is cheaper to use an agency, we chose 5 Star Chinese Visa Service. The fee we paid includes return post; we had to make the Online Appointment with the Embassy ourselves, a 2 minute job, it costs an extra £40 if they make the appointment. I noticed that most of August online appointments were booked out, so don't leave this to the last minute. |
| Chile | — | — | — | Australian passport. Requires fee on entry by air. No application necessary. |
| Brazil | £36 | — | — | *Required for Australian passports, visa is valid for 90 days from issue, so will have to get this one in South America. |
*I ended up applying for my Brazilian visa (Australian passport holder) in Lima, Peru. Aside from my passport, I had to present copies of my ticket out of Brazil and proof that I could afford to go to Brazil (they accepted a photocopy of a Credit Card). I was informed I no longer had to show proof of Yellow Fever vaccination. They keep your passport for 3 working days.
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