GoRoundTheWorld.com - RTW Travel - Before Departure

Passports and Visas

As a general rule, most countries will not let you through immigration if your passport has less than six months validity remaining. That means you may need to have 18 months or more validity remaining on your passport before departing on your trip.

For example, suppose someone is planning to set out on her RTW journey in December 2009, and she plans to travel for a year. Her passport needs to be valid through:

Departure Date - December 2009

Arrive at Final Destination - December 2010

Minimum Passport Validity - June 2011 or later

The passport in the above example needs to be valid until at least June 2011 because that date is six months from when the traveler expects to arrive at her final destination. Upon arrival there, the immigration service will enforce the six-month window.

It is important to note that some countries may have different regulations about passport validity than described in the example above. If any included in your itinerary do, it should become apparent during the research you do for your trip.

Every country has different visa rules for different nationals, and many countries charge different fees depending on one’s nationality for a given type of visa. For example, the Chinese embassy in Bangkok charges Americans $100 for a tourist visa whereas they charge everyone else $50.

Arranging for Visas

Visas are easy enough to arrange on your own. Simply mail your passport with the appropriate forms, photographs, a check, and a return, postage-paid mailer to the appropriate Embassy or Consulate (be sure to use a service which allows you to track your mailings and ensure their delivery). Expedited service is usually available from embassies and consulates if something has come up unexpectedly or if you have waited until the last minute to finalize your visas. Arranging for visas on your own is the least expensive way to obtain your visas because you pay no fees for an expeditor.

A Visa Expeditor will arrange for your visas on your behalf; however you will have to pay a fee for their service, a fee for their couriers, and possibly an additional “rush” fee in addition to any regular embassy processing fees. This can at times more than double the cost of obtaining a particular visa. Nonetheless, particularly in rush situations, expeditors can be a big help. They have ongoing relationships with the staff at the embassies and consulates, so they tend to have more pull when a rush is needed. They will also handle multiple visas for you. If you feel overwhelmed by administrative details as you are planning your trip, it may well be worth handing your passport over to a visa expeditor who will help to determine what visas you need and obtain them for you.

Types of Visas

There are myriad types of visas which can be issued. Some of the types include simple tourist visas (which are usually the easiest to arrange for), residency visas, business visas, study visas, work visas (different than business visas in that you will be authorized to work and reside in the country concerned), diplomatic visas, and others. Most RTW travelers over 30 years of age apply for and are issued tourist visas. For those under 30 years of age, there are often special rules which allow some kind of temporary work or study while in the country concerned.

Transit Visas

Many countries require a transit visa for you to change planes at an airport within their borders, even if you do not plan on leaving the airport and setting foot on proper soil in the country concerned. Obtaining a transit visa typically has different requirements than obtaining a business or tourist visa, and they generally have very specific limitations. You generally cannot leave the airport you arrive at and you are allowed only a certain amount of time until you must have departed on a flight out of that country. For specific information about whether you need transit visas for your itinerary and, if so, how to obtain them, consult your research sources, your government’s travel advisory service, or a visa expeditor website.

Visas on The Go

Due to restrictions enforced by many countries about when you may apply for a visa, you may not be able to get all of the ones you need before your initial departure. Click HERE for advice on how to arrange for visas while you are traveling.

Single-Entry vs. Multiple-Entry Visas

Most visas are good for one official entry into a given country. In other words, after you pass through the immigration service for that country on arrival, you will be allowed to stay for the duration of your visa, but you will not be able to leave the country and come back, even for just a few hours, without getting a new one.

Some countries offer multiple-entry visas, which can be a huge convenience for RTW travelers. These may be good for two entries or even an unlimited number of entries while the corresponding visa is within its validity period. Multiple-entry visas often cost more than a single-entry visa, but less than the cost of two stand-alone visas. In rare cases, they cost the same. If your plans likely will take you to a country where you will need a visa, then out of that country and back in again, be sure to check out any options you have for multiple entries. If the cost of a multiple-entry visa is the same or not much more than a single-entry visa, and you qualify for one, then I have found it is worthwhile to apply. Depending on how much you like to pick up and move about, having a multiple-entry visa can save the processing time, cost, and aggravation of arranging for new, single-entry visas on the go.