Do You Need a Travel Visa? How To Check for Your Destination

“Have you gotten your visa for China yet?”

“Yeah, I figured I’d just use my Chase Sapphire Preferred.”

That’s when my mom gave me a look that was 100% organic oh, honey. 

She then explained that a Visa isn’t the same as a visa. The former may be a credit card, but the latter is a ticket you need to enter a foreign country, issued by the country itself. Most countries require U.S. citizens to get them, and some are easier to get than others. 

What Are “Travel Visas”? 

A travel visa, or visa for short, is an official government document that grants you entry into a foreign country. 

Unlike your passport, which is issued by your home country, a visa is issued by the country you’re trying to visit. It says, “Hey, we heard you’re coming and we approve.” 

In other words, if visiting a foreign country is like attending a music festival, your passport would be your ID, and your visa would be your ticket. One simply states who you are. The other actually gets you inside. 

Out of 193 countries in the world, roughly 110 of them require U.S. citizens to obtain visas before they can visit. That means most countries require you to get a “ticket” to enter. 

But why? 

Why do most foreign countries require visas? 

Imagine, for a second, that you’re the king or queen of a small European country. If you start requiring all foreign visitors to obtain a “ticket” to enter your queendom, it can provide you and your subjects with numerous benefits. 

• Revenue: Some countries, like China, charge foreigners up to $140+ for a visa. And considering the country welcomes around 35 million visitors per year, the visa fees alone can add up to billions. 

• Security: Having visa requirements allows you to thoroughly vet anyone trying to enter your country — and quietly reject unsavory characters. 

• Tourism control: Many countries have a finite number of visas they issue each year (and yes, the U.S. is one of them). This helps to control the influx of tourists during the busy season, ensuring the local infrastructure isn’t overwhelmed. 

• Cultural preservation: Some countries, like Turkmenistan and Bhutan, have highly selective screening criteria and only accept visitors they think will be respectful of the local culture. Specifically, Bhutan requires all visa applicants to “Sign our Pledge of Friendship, thus committing to protecting, preserving and positively contributing to our kingdom.” 

• Politics: Finally, sometimes leaders might cancel visas from select countries to make a political statement. The U.S. and Turkey famously had a “tit-for-tat” moment in 2017 when they briefly canceled visas both ways as relations between the two countries eroded. I was actually one of the last U.S. citizens to get a Turkish visa before the spat, and the good folks at Turkish Airlines check-in were shocked to see me. 

Any PoliSci major could probably give us 15 more reasons why visas exist, but hopefully these basic five help to illustrate the concept (and value) of visa requirements. 

Of course, requiring visitors to buy “tickets” to visit your country is a double-edged sword. If tourists have to fill out forms, pay fees, and in some cases even visit your embassy to get a visa, they just won’t come in the first place. In fact, a 2017 study found that visa restrictions deter tourism by 20%. 

Anyways, before we cover the cost of a visa and how to get one, you should know that there are numerous types of visas out there — and knowing precisely which one you need is essential.

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Different Types of Travel Visas

If someone says you need a visa to enter a certain country, the next question should be “what type?” 

In most cases, they’ll be referring to a vanilla tourist/visitor visa, but there are also business visas, transit visas, e-visas, and more that you might need. 

• Tourist/visitor visas allow you to enter a country for non-business reasons like sightseeing and visiting family. 

• Business visas allow you to enter for work-related reasons, such as attending conferences, negotiating, and short-term contracts. Business visas typically last longer than tourist visas but also cost more. 

• Transit visas, aka C-1 visas, allow you to pass through a country without staying there. The U.S. requires C-1 visas for all outside visitors unless you’re from a Visa Waiver Program country (42 total, listed here). 

• E-visas allow you to apply entirely online, which is way better than taking paperwork to an embassy. 

• Electronic travel authorizations (ETAs or eTAs) are like “lite visas” that are completed online and are way faster, easier, and cheaper to get.

• Visa waivers and visa-free arrangements are networks of countries that allow visa-free travel between them. The aforementioned Visa Waiver Program between the U.S. and 42 other countries is a prime example. 

• Visas on arrival are, as the name implies, visas you can get after you land or reach the border. Visas on arrival are great because they save you the time and hassle of getting one in advance. Just be sure you have your required paperwork (and cash) handy. 

• Intra-country agreements are networks of connected countries that may require a visa to get in, but once you’re in, you can travel freely between them. The Schengen Area is the most famous of these “free travel” areas, comprising 29 European nations. 

• Work visas allow you to travel and work in a certain country for a specific period. 

How Much Do Visas Cost?

Non-work visas can cost anywhere from $27 to $233. The average is around $110. 

The U.S. and China are on the more expensive side ($185 each), whereas Egypt has the cheapest visa I could find at just $27. 

Keep in mind that these figures are for U.S. citizens with a passport. Your costs and visa requirements may vary depending on your home country. 

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How to Find Out If You Need a Travel Visa

If you’re a U.S. citizen, you can use the State Department’s handy Learn About Your Destination tool to learn all about the boxes you’ll need to check before visiting other countries. 

To illustrate, here’s what the State Department has to say about India: 

In addition to visa requirements, you can see travel advisories, alerts, vaccinations required, the number of blank passport pages you’ll need, and more. 

Basically, Learn About Your Destination offers a treasure trove of info that can save you tons of time and stress at the airport. 

Even still, it’s best to cross-check everything you learn from the U.S. State Department with the destination country itself. 

So, as a next step, try doing a search for “[country] visa requirements for U.S. citizens.” Then, look for a .gov page run by the foreign nation. This is an important step, because non-government sites related to visas could be scams: 

Once you’ve cross-checked the information from Learn About Your Destination and the host country’s own website, you should have a good idea of what type of visa you’ll need to visit. 

How To Apply for a Visa

Applying for a visa can be like applying for a job. Sometimes you can do it entirely online in a few clicks. Other times, you have to go in-person multiple times, take interviews, pass tests, and more. 

Since the process can vary so heavily between countries, here’s the best way to approach it in general. 

1. Start the process early (2+ months before departure, ideally)

In general, it’s best to check all of your destination country’s travel requirements several months before departure. Some countries may let you waltz right in, while others may require multiple vaccines, a complex visa process, and even an official letter of invitation. 

To find out, visit the U.S. State Department’s official Learn About Your Destination tool to confirm what you need to do before catching your flight. The earlier, the better. 

2. Find your destination country’s official visa page

Once you’ve visited the State Department’s page for a general overview, you should be able to find the official visa page of your destination country through a quick Google search. 

For example, I typed “Indonesian visa” and the first search result was the official Indonesian visa application page. Indonesia offers e-visas, so you can visit that page and apply entirely online. 

3. Gather the necessary paperwork 

To apply for a visa online or in person, you typically need to provide: 

• A completed visa application form
• Your passport
• Passport photocopy
• Dates of travel
• Purpose of travel
• Hotel arrangements
• 1 or 2 recent photographs
• Fees (some visas-on-arrival require cash)

Some countries may also require: 

• A sponsorship letter from a citizen
• A nomination or letter of invitation from a government official
• A booking number with a government-approved tour (I had to do this with Bhutan)

4. If necessary, plan a visit to your nearest consulate or embassy

If you’re visiting a country that doesn’t allow e-visas (e.g., China), you may have to visit a local consulate to apply in person. 

In China’s case, there are only five consulates in the U.S. where you can do this (Chicago, LA, New York, San Francisco, and Washington D.C.), so you may need to plan ahead or book a courier to remotely handle your paperwork. 

4. Copy and store your documents safely

E-visas are easy enough to reprint if necessary, but some countries will mail you a single copy of your visa — you don’t want to lose it!

That’s why I store mine in my passport, which I then store in a fire-retardant bag in a closet where it never, ever moves. That way, I never have to go frantically searching the house for it when I’d rather be planning my itinerary!

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FAQs

TL;DR: Do You Need a Travel Visa?

Travel visas are like “tickets” that grant you access to visit other countries. Most countries require U.S. citizens to get them, but thankfully, many are easy to get. 

Some countries, like India and Vietnam, let you get your visas entirely online, while others, like Samoa and Nepal, let you get one at the airport once you arrive. 

On the flip side, some countries make it extremely tedious, difficult, and/or expensive to get a visa. China requires you to visit a consulate multiple times in person. 

That’s why it’s best to research a country’s visa requirements ASAP so you can plan and budget accordingly.