While traveling is fun and relaxing, the planning you need to do before…not so much. Aside from having to carefully pack your bags and find flights and accommodation, when you travel somewhere overseas, you may also need a visa. In fact, this should be your number one priority. After all, it is not like you can go someplace and just purchase one. Or can you?
Visas are not as challenging to obtain as before. If a few years ago they included a trip to an embassy, now, you may be lucky enough to be able to get one online. It depends on your nationality and destination, but your eligibility for an electronic visa is easy to check. And then, if you do qualify, it is plain sailing from there on out.
There are plenty of online services that can help you get an e-visa. One of them is iVisa, and they can get you the visa as fast as possible. Depending on which country you want to visit, you can get your e-visa in no more than 24 hours. It is fast, affordable, and you barely need to lift a finger.
How does an electronic visa work?
The principle is simple. Instead of going to an embassy, you use only a laptop or smartphone with an internet connection, and fill in an online application form. Of course, there are some requirements you need to meet, but they are usually accessible, and you do not have to stress too much about it.
The general requirements that apply no matter which visa you request is the passport. All applicants need to be passport holders. In most cases, the passport needs to be valid for at least 6 more months from your date of departure. Even so, a passport is easy to get or renew. Even the passport photos are available online. You should achieve this requirement with no issues along the way.
The second requirement is that you fill in an application form. However, you should forget all about the government forms you have completed in the past. Online visa services have comprehensive and straightforward application forms. For example, the one designed by iVisa should not take you more than 15 to 20 minutes to complete. You may be required to upload some documents such as a copy of your passport’s information page or a digital copy of a photo, but that should be easy for you to accomplish.
One of the best things about online visas applications is that you have all kinds of facilities that you cannot enjoy if you apply through a diplomatic mission. You can choose your own processing time, delivery method (in some cases), and your visa arrives via e-mail in PDF format (in most cases.) You just need to print it out before you leave and you are good to go. Also, you can choose from multiple means of payment. iVisa for example, accepts credit and debit cards, Paypal, WeChat, and Alipay.
The electronic visa system has undoubtedly changed the game a bit. Your effort is minimal, the visa arrives via e-mail, and the overall application process is one of the easiest things you will ever have to do. This method of obtaining a visa becomes more and more popular, and as a result, many embassies around the world eliminate visa applications from their services and urge applicants to get their visa online. Just to give you an example, the citizens of Northern Europe (Sweden, Norway, Denmark) can apply for a visa for Uganda only through the electronic visa system
*This is a guest post.