Whether you’re traveling to another country to work, go to school or just for a visit, you absolutely have to have the right travel documents.   For some countries, you need a visa, a document giving you permission to enter the country and stay there for a specific length of time.  The rest of your trip can be planned out like clockwork, but if you neglect this detail, you’ll more than likely end up stuck at home.

Applying for a visa is complicated.  To show you just how crazy the process can be, here are 10 weird facts about getting a travel visa:

1. Some countries have what’s called a “jurisdictional” application process. That means that you have to apply to the correct consulate if you actually want them to process your application. For example, Brazil has 10 different jurisdictions, while India has 7.

2.  Different jurisdictions may have different processing times for the exact same type of visa. For example, if you are applying for a Brazilian visa in Houston, it typically takes 15 days to process your application. However, if you are applying in New York, you can get the same visa in only 3 days.

3. Different jurisdictions also have different fees for the exact same visa. For example, if you apply for a Brazilian visa in Washington, DC, you’ll pay $140.  In Houston, the same visa costs $150.00.

4. You may have to do more than just fill out paperwork. Countries may require physicals and immunizations depending on where you’ve been. Physicals are usually if required if you’re staying long-term or if you need a work visa.  African nations like Ghana, Nigeria, Chad or Congo require yellow fever vaccinations. Other countries may also require you to be up-to-date on your shots if you’ve been Africa recently.

5. Say cheese! Different countries require different numbers of passport photos with your visa application. For example, Ghana requires 4, while other countries require only 2.

6.  Some countries require financial statements, to make sure you don’t run out of cash and get stranded on their soil. For example, Nigeria requires that you have a certain minimum balance, or, failing that, someone willing to vouch for you.

7.  Depending on what type of visa you’re applying for, certain countries require an HIV  test or  tests for other STD’s.

8. There are various and sundry types of visas. The most common are:  tourist, business,  student,  private visit, short-term employment, conference visas and diplomatic visas.

9. These major types of visas are further divided into subtypes. For example,  single entry visas only give you permission to enter and leave the country once.  Double entry visas allow you to do so twice, and multiple entry visas allow to cross in and out multiple times. Some countries, like South Korea, also issue different visas based on the length of and type of employment. Which visa do you need?

10. Different countries offer visas with different periods of validity. For example,  India has a 5 year visa that allows you to visit again and again for 5 years without having to reapply. However, each visit can only last a certain number of days.-they don’t want you to get too comfortable!

Confusing, isn’t it? If you’d like a little bit of help navigating the visa application process, consider applying through RushMyTravelVisa.  Apply online, and a professional visa specialist will contact you and help you with your application, to make sure everything goes smoothly the first time.

Save yourself the time and headache of figuring out visa regulations on your own- apply with RushMyTravelVisa today!

Tags: travel visa, weird facts

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 1st, 2009 at 4:37 pm and is filed under Visa Processing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.