Travel visa

"Transit visa" redirects here. For other uses, see Visa (disambiguation).

A United States travel visa specimen

A travel visa (from Latin charta visa 'paper that has been seen'; also known as visa stamp) is a conditional authorization granted by a polity to a foreigner that allows them to enter, remain within, or leave its territory. Visas typically include limits on the duration of the foreigner's stay, areas within the country they may enter, the dates they may enter, the number of permitted visits, or if the individual can work in the country in question. Visas are associated with the request for permission to enter a territory and thus are, in most countries, distinct from actual formal permission for an alien to enter and remain in the country. In each instance, a visa is subject to border control at the time of actual entry and can be revoked at any time. Visa evidence most commonly takes the form of a sticker endorsed in the applicant's passport or other travel document but may also exist electronically. Some countries no longer issue physical visa evidence, instead recording details only in border security databases.

Some countries require that their citizens, and sometimes foreign travelers, obtain an exit visa in order to be allowed to leave the country.

Historically, border security officials were empowered to permit or reject entry of visitors on arrival at the frontiers. If a visitor was permitted entry, the official would issue them a visa, when required, as a stamp in a passport. Today, travellers wishing to enter another country must often apply in advance for what is also called a visa, sometimes in person at a consular office, by post, or over the Internet. The modern visa may be a sticker or a stamp in the passport, an electronic record of the authorization, or a separate document which the applicant can print before entering and produce on entry to the visited polity. Some countries do not require visitors to apply for a visa in advance for short visits.

Visa applications in advance of arrival give countries a chance to consider the applicant's circumstances, such as financial security, reason for travel, and details of previous visits to the country. Visitors may also be required to undergo and pass security or health checks upon arrival at the port of entry.

Uniquely, the Norwegian special territory of Svalbard is an entirely visa-free zone under the terms of the Svalbard Treaty. Some countries—such as those in the Schengen Area—have agreements with other countries allowing each other's citizens to travel between them without visas. In 2015, the World Tourism Organization announced that the number of tourists requiring a visa before travelling was at its lowest level ever.

History

The history of passports dates back several centuries, originating from early travel documents used to ensure safe passage across regions. One of the earliest known references to a passport-like document comes from 445 BCE in Persia, where officials were provided letters by the king for safe travel. Similarly, during the Han Dynasty in China, documents were required at checkpoints to verify travelers' identities. In medieval Europe, rulers issued "safe conduct" letters that protected travelers. In 1414, during the reign of King Henry V of England, passports became more formalized, allowing foreigners and citizens to travel safely within England. The 19th century saw an increase in international travel due to the Industrial Revolution, which led to the widespread adoption of passports, particularly for managing the movement of migrant workers.

In Western Europe in the late 19th century and early 20th century, passports and visas were not generally necessary for moving from one country to another. The relatively high speed and large movements of people travelling by train would have caused bottlenecks if regular passport controls had been used.

After World War I, passports and visas became essential for international travel. The League of Nations convened conferences in the 1920s to standardise passports, setting the foundation for modern versions. The 1920 Paris Conference recommended the adoption of a uniform "international type" ordinary passport to standardize travel documents across countries. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) took over regulation in 1947, leading to machine-readable passports and, eventually, biometric passports in the late 20th century, offering enhanced security and speed in processing travelers.

Issuing authorities

Passport receipt for visa application, Embassy of Myanmar, Bangkok

Some visas can be granted on arrival or by prior application at the country's embassy or consulate, or through a private visa service specialist who is specialized in the issuance of international travel documents. These agencies are authorized by the foreign authority, embassy, or consulate to represent international travellers who are unable or unwilling to travel to the embassy and apply in person. Private visa and passport services collect an additional fee for verifying customer applications, supporting documents, and submitting them to the appropriate authority. If there is no embassy or consulate in one's home country, then one would have to travel to a third country (or apply by post) and try to get a visa issued there. Alternatively, in such cases visas may be pre-arranged for collection on arrival at the border. The need or absence of need of a visa generally depends on the citizenship of the applicant, the intended duration of the stay, and the activities that the applicant may wish to undertake in the country he or she visits; these may delineate different formal categories of visas, with different issue conditions.

The issuing authority, usually a branch of the country's interior ministry or foreign ministry, or a subordinated agency (Population and Immigration Authority in Israel), and typically consular affairs officers, may request appropriate documentation from the applicant. This may include proof that the applicant has enough money to be self-supporting (or to establish themselves, if the visa is for a long stay or permanent residence), proof that the person or hotel hosting the applicant in his or her home really exists and has sufficient room for hosting the applicant, proof that the applicant has obtained health and evacuation insurance, etc. Some countries ask for proof of health status, especially for long-term visas; some countries deny such visas to persons with certain illnesses, such as HIV/AIDS. The exact conditions depend on the country and category of visa. Notable examples of countries requiring HIV tests of long-term residents are Russia and Uzbekistan. In Uzbekistan, however, the HIV test requirement is sometimes not strictly enforced. Other countries require a medical test that includes an HIV test, even for a short-term tourism visa. For example, Cuban citizens and international exchange students require such a test approved by a medical authority to enter Chilean territory.

The issuing authority may also require applicants to attest that they have no criminal convictions, or that they do not participate in certain activities (like prostitution or drug trafficking). Some countries will deny visas if passports show evidence of citizenship of, or travel to, a country that is considered hostile by that country.

Many countries frequently demand strong evidence of intent to return to the home country, if the visa is for a temporary stay, due to potential unwanted illegal immigration. Proof of ties to the visa applicant's country of residence is often demanded to demonstrate a sufficient incentive to return. This can include things such as documented evidence of employment, bank statements, property ownership, and family ties.

Visa politics

The main reasons states impose visa restrictions on foreign nationals are to curb illegal immigration, security concerns, and reciprocity for visa restrictions imposed on their own nationals. Typically, nations impose visa restrictions on citizens of poorer countries, along with politically unstable and undemocratic ones, as it is considered more likely that people from these countries will seek to illegally immigrate. Visa restrictions may also be imposed when nationals of another country are perceived as likelier to be terrorists or criminals, or by autocratic regimes that perceive foreign influence to be a threat to their rule. According to Professor Eric Neumayer of the London School of Economics:

The poorer, the less democratic, and the more exposed to armed political conflict the target country is, the more likely that visa restrictions are in place against its passport holders. The same is true for countries whose nationals have been major perpetrators of terrorist acts in the past.

The public support on immigration ranges between fully open borders and fully closed borders. Countries can restrict travel visas to prevent birth tourism and visa fraud. Work permits can increase the unemployment rate of citizens.

Some countries apply the principle of reciprocity in their visa policy. Visa reciprocity is a principle in international relations where two countries agree to give each other's citizens similar treatment when it comes to visa requirements. For example, visa reciprocity is a central principle of the EU's common visa policy. The EU aims to achieve full visa reciprocity with non-EU countries whose citizens can travel to the EU without a visa. For example, in 2009 Canada reintroduced visa requirements for Czech nationals, arguing it was necessary due to a surge in asylum applications. It raised concerns within the EU about the implications for the common visa policy, the importance of reciprocity in maintaining good relations and ensuring equal treatment for citizens of member states.

Some polities which restrict emigration require individuals to possess an exit visa to leave the polity. These exit visas may be required for citizens, foreigners, or both, depending on the policies of the polity concerned. Unlike ordinary visas, exit visas are often seen as an illegitimate intrusion on individuals' right to freedom of movement. The imposition of an exit visa requirement may be seen to violate customary international law, as the right to leave any country is provided for in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Visa policies

Government authorities usually impose administrative entry restrictions on foreign citizens in three ways – countries whose nationals may enter without a visa, countries whose nationals may obtain a visa on arrival, and countries whose nationals require a visa in advance. Nationals who require a visa in advance are usually advised to obtain them at a diplomatic mission of their destination country. Several countries allow nationals of countries that require a visa to obtain them online.

The following table lists visa policies of all countries by the number of foreign nationalities that may enter that country for tourism without a visa or by obtaining a visa on arrival with normal passport. It also notes countries that issue electronic visas to certain nationalities. Symbol "+" indicates a country that limits the visa-free regime negatively by only listing nationals who require a visa, thus the number represents the number of UN member states reduced by the number of nationals who require a visa and "+" stands for all possible non-UN member state nationals that might also not require a visa. "N/A" indicates countries that have contradictory information on its official websites or information supplied by the government to IATA. Some countries that allow visa on arrival do so only at a limited number of entry points. Some countries such as the European Union member states have a qualitatively different visa regime between each other as it also includes freedom of movement.

The following table is current as of 3 October 2019. Source:

Country	Total (excl. electronic visas)	Visa-free	Visa on arrival	Electronic visas	Notes
Afghanistan	0
Albania	88	88
Algeria	7	7
Angola	71	10	61
Antigua and Barbuda	106	106		All
Argentina	90	89+1
Armenia	129	66	63
Australia	1	1	0	All-1
Azerbaijan	25	11+1	13	95
Bahamas	120	120
Bahrain	73	5	68	120+
Bangladesh	173+	23	All-23-25	33	Limited VOA locations.
Barbados	180	180
Belarus	92	28+64
Belize	107	107
Benin	194+	59		All others
Bhutan	3	3
Bolivia	176+	54	All-54-22
Bosnia and Herzegovina	102	102
Botswana	103	103
Brazil	102	101+1		3
Brunei	63	56	7
Burkina Faso	70	19	51
Burundi	6	6
Cambodia	194+	10	All others	All-10
Cameroon	6	6
Canada	54	54
Cape Verde	194+	61	All others
Central African Republic	17	17
Chad	15	14	1
Chile	92	92
China	21	21
Colombia	99	98+1
Comoros	194+	0	All
Republic of the Congo	15	5	10
Democratic Republic of the Congo	7	4	3
Costa Rica	96	96
Côte d'Ivoire	194+	24		All-24
Cuba	19	19
Djibouti	194+	1		All-1
Dominica	193+	All-2
Dominican Republic	108	108
Ecuador	164+	All-34
Egypt	194+	8	All-81	78
El Salvador	87	87
Equatorial Guinea	10	10
Eritrea	3	1	2
Eswatini	94	94
Ethiopia	94	2	92	All-2	Limited VOA locations.
Fiji	110	110
Gabon	59	11	48	All
Gambia	114	113	1
Georgia	94	94		62
Ghana	58	30	28
Grenada	119	108	11
Guatemala	86	86
Guinea	22	22
Guinea-Bissau	194+	14	All-14	All-14
Guyana	59	57	2
Haiti	188+	All-10
Honduras	85	85
Hong Kong	148	148
India	6	3	3	156	Limited e-Tourist Visa locations.
Indonesia	86	9	77
Iran	183+	16	All-16
Iraq	44	0	7+37
Ireland	89+	89+			+31 EU/EEA/CH citizens.
Israel	101	101
Jamaica	132	101+5	25+1
Japan	68	68
Jordan	139	12	127		Limited VOA locations.
Kazakhstan	76	76
Kenya	43	43	0	All-12
Kiribati	73	73
North Korea	0
South Korea	112	110+2
Kuwait	58	5	53	53
Kyrgyzstan	82	78	4	All
Laos	194+	15	All-32
Lebanon	103	7	80+16
Lesotho	70	70		All
Liberia	14	14
Libya	7	7			2 countries are Conditional visa-free access
Macau	194+	83	All-6
North Macedonia	84	84
Madagascar	194+	0	All	All
Malawi	194+	33	All-33-48
Malaysia	162	162		10
Maldives	194+	3	All-3
Mali	25	25
Marshall Islands	96	32	63+1
Mauritania	194+	8	All-8
Mauritius	194+	114	All-17
Mexico	65	65		3
Micronesia	194+	All
Moldova	104	104
Mongolia	64	27+1	36	36
Montenegro	97	96+1
Morocco	72	72		5
Mozambique	194+	11	All-11		Limited VOA locations.
Myanmar	21	8	13	102
Namibia	98	55	42+1
Nauru	16	0	14+2
Nepal	186+	1	185+		Limited VOA locations.
New Zealand	1	0	0	60
Nicaragua	165	90+1	74
Niger	19	19
Nigeria	18	17	1
Oman	103	102+1		72
Pakistan	5	5		All-4
Palau	194+	36	All-36
Panama	118	118
Papua New Guinea	71	0	71	71+25
Paraguay	67	65	2
Peru	100	100
Philippines	160	160
Qatar	92	89	3	All-3	Limited VOA locations.
Russia	66	63+3
Rwanda	194+	24	All-24	All
Saint Kitts and Nevis	125	125		All
Saint Lucia	160	96+14	50
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	191+	All-9
Samoa	194+	All
São Tomé and Príncipe	59	56	3	All
Saudi Arabia	5	5		52
Schengen area	93	62+31			31 EU/EEA/CH citizens.
Senegal	194+	61	All-4
Serbia	93	93
Seychelles	195+	33	All-33-1
Sierra Leone	137	14	123
Singapore	162+	162+
Solomon Islands	74	32	42
Somalia	194+				Limited VOA locations.
South Africa	83	83		14
South Sudan	4	4
Sri Lanka	194+	0	3	All-3-20
Sudan	8	4+1	3
Suriname	80	24+7	49
Syria	0
Tajikistan	87	62	25	120
Tanzania	169+	46+23	All-69-29
Thailand	83	65	18
Timor-Leste	194+	33	All-33		Limited VOA locations.
Togo	194+	15	All-15
Tonga	69	33	36
Trinidad and Tobago	103	100	3
Tunisia	95	95			+11 for organised groups.
Turkey	91	90+1		29	e-Visas can also be obtained on arrival for a higher cost.
Turkmenistan	0
Tuvalu	194+	31	All-31
Uganda	194+	36	All-36	All
Ukraine	82	82		45
United Arab Emirates	81	81
United Kingdom	89	89		6	+31 EU/EEA/CH citizens.
United States	45	40+5
Uruguay	85	84+1
Uzbekistan	93	93		51
Vanuatu	121	121
Venezuela	70	70
Vietnam	25	25		81
Yemen	12	1	11
Zambia	160+	83+16	61	All
Zimbabwe	149+	41+4	102+2	All

Visa exemption agreements

See also: Migration diplomacy and Free migration

Possession of a valid visa is a condition for entry into most countries. However, bilateral exemption schemes exist that permit free movement between participating states and addition many states permit visa-free entry  – known as a visa waiver – for short-term tourist visits.

Some countries have reciprocal agreements such that a visa is not needed under certain conditions, e.g., when the visit is for tourism and for a relatively short period. Such reciprocal agreements may stem from common membership in international organizations or a shared heritage:

• All citizens of European Union (EU) and EFTA member countries can travel to and stay in all other EU and EFTA countries without a visa. See Four Freedoms (European Union) and Citizenship of the European Union.
• British and Irish citizens are entitled the right to travel to and live in each other's countries without visas or restrictions under the Common Travel Area (CTA). Citizens of territories in the CTA do not need visas to travel to and stay in other countries in the CTA.
• The United States Visa Waiver Program allows citizens of 41 countries to travel to the United States without a visa (although a pre-trip entry permission, ESTA, is needed).
• Citizens of Canada and the United States do not require a visa to travel between the two countries. Historically, verbal declaration of citizenship, or, if requested by an officer, the presentation of one of over 8,000 different types of documents indicating US or Canadian citizenship was sufficient in order to cross the border. Since the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative came into effect in 2009, a passport, border crossing card, or enhanced driver's license is now required in order to enter the US from Canada by land, or a passport by air.
• Any Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) citizen can enter and stay as long as required in any other GCC member state.
• All citizens of members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), excluding those defined by law as undesirable aliens, may enter and stay without a visa in any member state for a maximum period of 90 days. The only requirement is a valid travel document and international vaccination certificates.
• Nationals of the East African Community member states do not need visas for entry into any of the member states.
• Some countries in the Commonwealth do not require tourist visas of citizens of other Commonwealth countries.
• Citizens of member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations do not require tourist visas to visit another member state, with the exception of Malaysia and Myanmar; both countries require citizens of the other country to have an eVisa to visit. Until 2009, Burmese citizens were required to have visas to enter all other ASEAN countries. Following the implementation of visa exemption agreements with the other ASEAN countries, in 2016 Burmese citizens are only required to have visas to enter Malaysia.
• Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) member states mutually allow their citizens to enter visa-free, at least for short stays. There are exceptions between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, and between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
• Nepal and India allow their citizens to enter, live, and work in each other's countries due to the Indo-Nepal friendship treaty of 1951. Indians do not require a visa or passport to travel to Bhutan and are only required to obtain passes at the border checkpoints, whilst Bhutan nationals holding a valid Bhutanese passport are authorized to enter India without a visa.
• Citizens of Mercosur full member and associate countries can enter without a visa in any of the member and associate countries, just needing to present the ID card.

In some cases visa-free entry may be granted to holders of diplomatic passports even as visas are required by normal passport holders (see: Passport).

Other countries may unilaterally grant visa-free entry to nationals of certain countries to facilitate tourism, promote business, or even to cut expenses on maintaining consular posts abroad.

Some of the considerations for a country to grant visa-free entry to another country include (but are not limited to):

• being a low security risk for the country potentially granting visa-free entry
• diplomatic relationship between two countries
• conditions in the visitor's home country as compared to the host country
• having a low risk of overstaying or violating visa terms in the country potentially granting visa-free entry

To have a smaller worldwide diplomatic staff, some countries rely on other country's (or countries') judgments when issuing visas. For example, Mexico allows citizens of all countries to enter without Mexican visas if they possess a valid American visa that has already been used. Costa Rica accepts valid visas of Schengen/EU countries, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and the United States (if valid for at least three months on date of arrival). The ultimate example of such reliance is the microstate of Andorra, which imposes no visa requirements of its own because it has no international airport and is inaccessible by land without passing through the territory of either France or Spain and is thus "protected" by the Schengen visa system.

Visa-free travel between countries also occurs in all cases where passports (or passport-replacing documents such as laissez-passer) are not needed for such travel.

As of 2019, the Henley & Partners passport index ranks the Japanese, Singaporean, and South Korean passports as the ones with the most visa exemptions by other nations, allowing holders of those passports to visit 189 countries without obtaining a visa in advance of arrival.

Common area visas

Normally, visas are valid for entry only into the country that issued the visa. Countries that are members of regional organizations or party to regional agreements may, however, issue visas valid for entry into some or all of the member states of the organization or agreement:

• The Schengen Visa is a visa for the Schengen Area, which consists of most of the European Economic Area, plus several other adjacent countries. The visa allows visitors to stay in the Schengen Area for up to 90 days within a 180-day period. The visa is valid for tourism, family visits, and business.
• The Central American Single Visa (Visa Única Centroamericana) is a visa for Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. It was implemented by the CA-4 agreement. It allows citizens of those four countries free access to other member countries. It also allows visitors to any member country to enter another member country without having to obtain another visa.

Possible common visa schemes

Potentially, there are new common visa schemes:

• An ASEAN common visa scheme has been considered with Thailand and the "CLMV" countries of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam opting in earlier. After talk arose of a CLMV common visa, with Thailand being omitted, Thailand initiated and began implementation of a trial common visa with Cambodia, but cited security risks as the major hurdle. The trial run was delayed, but Thailand implemented a single visa scheme with Cambodia beginning on 27 December 2012 on a trial basis.
• A Gulf Cooperation Council single visa has been recommended as a study submitted to the council.
• The Pacific Alliance, which currently consists of Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru, offer a common visa for tourism purposes only in order to make it easier for nationals from countries outside of the alliance to travel through these countries by not having to apply for multiple visas.
• An East African Single Tourist Visa is under consideration by the relevant sectoral authorities under the East African Community (EAC) integration program. If approved the visa will be valid for all five partner states in the EAC (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi). Under the proposal for the visa, any new East African single visa can be issued by any partner state's embassy. The visa proposal followed an appeal by the tourist boards of the partner states for a common visa to accelerate promotion of the region as a single tourist destination and the EAC Secretariat wants it approved before November's World Travel Fair (or World Travel Market) in London. When approved by the East African council of ministers, tourists could apply for one country's entry visa, which would then be applicable in all regional member states as a single entry requirement initiative. This is considered also by COMESA.
• The SADC UNIVISA (or Univisa) has been in development since Southern African Development Community (SADC) members signed a Protocol on the Development of Tourism in 1998. The Protocol outlined the Univisa as an objective so as to enable the international and regional entry and travel of visitors to occur as smoothly as possible. It was expected to become operational by the end of 2002. Its introduction was delayed and a new implementation date, the end of 2006, was announced. The univisa was originally intended to only be available, initially, to visitors from selected "source markets" including Australia, the Benelux countries, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It is now expected that when the Univisa is implemented, it will apply to non-SADC international (long-haul) tourists travelling to and within the region and that it will encourage multi – destination travel within the region. It is also anticipated that the Univisa will enlarge tourist market for transfrontier parks by lowering the boundaries between neighbouring countries in the parks. The visa is expected to be valid for all the countries with trans frontier parks (Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe) and some other SADC countries (Angola and Swaziland). As of 2017, universal visa is implemented by Zambia and Zimbabwe. Nationals of 65 countries and territories are eligible for visa on arrival that is valid for both countries. This visa is branded KAZA Uni-visa programme after Kavango–Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA). It is expected that other SADC countries will join the program in the future.

Previous common visa schemes

These schemes no longer operate.

• The CARICOM Visa was introduced in late 2006 and allowed visitors to travel between 10 CARICOM member states (Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago). These ten member countries had agreed to form a "Single Domestic Space" in which travellers would only have their passport stamped and have to submit completed, standardized entry and departure forms at the first port and country of entry. The CARICOM Visa was applicable to the nationals of all countries except CARICOM member states (other than Haiti) and associate member states, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and the overseas countries, territories, or departments of these countries. The CARICOM Visa could be obtained from the Embassies/Consulates of Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad & Tobago and in countries that have no CARICOM representatives, the applications forms could be obtained from the embassies and consulates of the United Kingdom. The common visa was only intended for the duration of the 2007 Cricket World Cup and was discontinued on 15 May 2007. Discussions are ongoing into instituting a revised CARICOM visa on a permanent basis in the future.
• A predecessor of the Schengen common visa was the Benelux visa. Visas issued by Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg were valid for all the three countries.

Entry and duration period

Visas can also be single-entry, which means the visa is cancelled as soon as the holder enters the country; double-entry; or multiple-entry, which permits double or multiple entries into the country with the same visa. Countries may also issue re-entry permits that allow temporarily leaving the country without invalidating the visa. Even a business visa will normally not allow the holder to work in the host country without an additional work permit.

Once issued, a visa will typically have to be used within a certain period of time.

In some countries, the validity of a visa is not the same as the authorized period of stay. The visa validity then indicates the time period when the entry is permitted into the country. For example, if a visa has been issued to begin on 1 January and to expire on 30 March, and the typical authorized period of stay in a country is 90 days, then the 90-day authorized stay starts on the day the passenger enters the country (entrance has to be between 1 January and 30 March). Thus, the latest day the traveller could conceivably stay in the issuing country is 1 July (if the traveller entered on 30 March). This interpretation of visas is common in the Americas.

With other countries, a person may not stay beyond the period of validity of their visa, which is usually set within the period of validity of their passport. The visa may also limit the total number of days the visitor may spend in the applicable territory within the period of validity. This interpretation of visa periods is common in Europe.

Once in the country, the validity period of a visa or authorized stay can often be extended for a fee at the discretion of immigration authorities. Overstaying a period of authorized stay given by the immigration officers is considered illegal immigration even if the visa validity period is not over (i.e., for multiple entry visas) and a form of being "out of status" and the offender may be fined, prosecuted, deported, or even blacklisted from entering the country again.

Entering a country without a valid visa or visa exemption may result in detention and removal (deportation or exclusion) from the country. Undertaking activities that are not authorized by the status of entry (for example, working while possessing a non-worker tourist status) can result in the individual being deemed liable for deportation—commonly referred to as an illegal alien. Such violation is not a violation of a visa, despite the common misuse of the phrase, but a violation of status – hence the term "out of status".

Even having a visa does not guarantee entry to the host country. The border crossing authorities make the final determination to allow entry, and may even cancel a visa at the border if the alien cannot demonstrate to their satisfaction that they will abide by the status their visa grants them.

Some countries that do not require visas for short stays may require a long-stay visa for those who intend to apply for a residence permit. For example, the EU does not require a visa of citizens of many countries for stays under 90 days, but its member states require a long-stay visa of such citizens for longer stays.

By method of issue

Normally visa applications are made at and collected from a consulate, embassy, or other diplomatic mission.

On-arrival visas

  Countries that issue visas or permits on arrival as a general rule for all arriving visitors

  Countries that issue visas or permits on arrival to a selected group of nationalities (more than 10)

  Countries that do not routinely issue visas or permits on arrival to foreign visitors

Also known as visas on arrival (VOA), they are granted at a port of entry. This is distinct from visa-free entry, where no visa is required, as the visitor must still obtain the visa on arrival before proceeding to immigration control.

• Almost all countries will consider issuing a visa (or another document to the same effect) on arrival to a visitor arriving in unforeseen exceptional circumstances, for example:
  • Under provisions of article 35 of the Schengen Visa Code, a visa may be issued at a border in situations such as the diversion of a flight causing air passengers in transit to pass through two or more airports instead of one. In 2010, Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano erupted, causing significant disruption of air travel throughout Europe, and the EU responded by announcing that it would issue visas at land borders to stranded travellers.
  • Under section 212(d)(4) of the Immigration and Naturalization Act, visa waivers can be issued to travellers arriving at American ports of entry in emergency situations or under other conditions.
  • Certain international airports in Russia have consuls on-duty, who have the power to issue visas on the spot.
• Some countries issue visas on arrival to special categories of travellers, such as seafarers or aircrew.
• Some countries issue them to regular visitors. There often are restrictions – for example:
  • Belarus issues visas on arrival in Minsk international airport only to nationals of countries where there is no consular representation of Belarus.
  • Thailand only issues visas on arrival at certain border checkpoints. The most notable crossing where visas on arrival are not issued is the Padang Besar checkpoint for passenger trains between Malaysia and Thailand. As of May 2025, individuals applying for a tourist visa to Thailand must provide financial evidence of sufficient resources.

Country	Universal eligibility	Electronic visa alternative	Limited ports of entry	Ref.
Armenia	X	✓	X
Azerbaijan	X	✓	✓
Bahrain	X	✓	X
Bangladesh	✓	✓	✓
Bolivia	X	X	X
Brunei	X	X	X
Burkina Faso	X	X	X
Cambodia	X	✓	X
Cape Verde	✓	X	X
Chad	X	X	X
Comoros	✓	X	X
Congo	X	X	X
DR Congo	X	X	X
Djibouti	✓	✓	X
Egypt	X	✓	✓
Eritrea	X	X	X
Ethiopia	X	✓	✓
Gabon	X	✓	✓
Gambia	X	X	X
Ghana	X	X	X
Grenada	X	X	X
Guinea-Bissau	✓	✓	X
India	X	✓	✓
Indonesia	X	X	✓
Iran	X	✓	✓
Iraq	X	X	✓
Jamaica	X	X	X
Jordan	X	X	X
Kenya	X	✓	X
Kuwait	X	✓	X
Kyrgyzstan	X	X	✓
Laos	X	✓	✓
Lebanon	X	X	X
Macau	X	X	X
Madagascar	✓	✓	X
Malawi	X	X	X
Maldives	✓	X	X
Marshall Islands	X	X	X
Mauritania	✓	X	✓
Mauritius	X	X	X
Mongolia	X	X	✓
Mozambique	✓	X	X
Namibia	X	X	✓
Nauru	X	X	X
Nepal	✓	X	X
Nicaragua	✓	X	X