Travel the World Visa
Urban myth exposed: sorry Virginia, there ain't a "travel the world visa"
One of my clients asked me the other day about visa requirements for a number of countries. He was under the impression that he could buy what he called a "travel the world visa" that would enable him to enter any country around the world at will. Sort of like a Euro Rail pass, but for visas.
It hurt to burst his bubble, but I had to. Sadly, there is no such thing. You must handle your visa with each country as you go. You can't even book all your visas at home, because they will all be out of date by the time you get there. Your best bet is to either purchase your visa upon arrival (which most, but not all countries allow) or buy your travel visa one country in advance at a time.
There are a few notable exceptions. Vietnam, for example, requires you to purchase your visa before arrival, and will quickly deport anyone who shows up empty handed. Be sure to check with the state department and the Embassy before flying out on your trip.
Even the price of travel visa varies around the world. For example, a 90 day visa purchased in Turkey is $20, while a 30 day visa in Thailand is $50. There is no real logic to this, as any traveler will confirm that Thailand is a lot cheaper to travel around than Turkey.
If you are planning an extended trip and don't want to deal with the hassle, contact a visa processing company, such as Visa Network, who will handle all the paperwork for you, including showing up, in person, at the visa department.
A word to the wise: if you do intend to handle your visa arrangements yourself, take two passport sized photos of yourself for every country you intend to visit before leaving your home country. Trust me, it gets to be a real hassle running around unfamiliar cities in an attempt to have your picture taken. You are much, much better off having plenty to spare, and they're pretty cheap in the US: about $7 a pair (well worth it, in my opinion).
As you travel the world, visa requirements tend to get easier. You learn how to be efficient in your applications, and you'll learn to develop Zen-like patience when it comes to those long lines for applications. As for my client: Sorry buddy, wish it were true.
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