As a full time travel agent in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, we’re know a few things about traveling and the legal documents needed to travel from the U.S.A to foreign countries. But as such travel agency, we also feel it a privilege to help our clients know those facts as well.
Here is some information as to how to get a visa for traveling internationally:
- Visas are like passports in the sense that everyone traveling needs one..including babies and small children.
- Visas are NOT like passports in the sense that some countries require you to have one and others don’t. For instance, if you’re traveling from the United States of America to Australia and a large handful of other countries, you’ll need a Visa and not just a passport. Most European countries don’t require a Visa but require a passport UNLESS you’re staying longer than 90 days. Then you’ll need a Visa and not a passport.
- Before traveling, you’ll need to check the Visa requirements (or ask us as your travel agent..we’ll know) whether the Visa requirements have changed. Just because a Visa isn’t required to a country that you booked a year ago, doesn’t mean that the requirements haven’t changed. For example, Brazil. During the Olympics a few years ago, Brazil waived visa requirements for U.S.A travel but afterwards the normal requirement of having a visa went back into place.
- A good place to ask questions is, of course, us as your travel agent. However, looking at the State Department's website will answer many of your questions as well.
- Make sure that your visa isn’t going to expire while away. Many countries require the expiration date of a visa be longer than 90 days to six months beyond the date of your stay.
- You’ll be without your passport while applying for a visa because almost always you’ll be required to send in your passport with your visa application.
- How much does it cost to get a visa? They run anywhere from $30 to $200 not including postage, copying, notarization or processing fees…and that’s if you plan well in advance. If you’re in a bind and need a visa quicker than a few months then you’re looking at several hundreds of dollars. So you may want to start planning to get a visa now for a trip in the future.
Of course, we’re here to help. If you need paperwork or have questions as to whether the country that you’re traveling to requires a visa or a passport, please ask. We’ll also make sure that you’ve thought about these things..just another reason why booking with us is worth it.
Please give us a call and let’s chat about your upcoming travel plans.