Planning your dream trip? Don’t forget to check tourist visa requirements for the countries you’re going to visit! Nothing would be more stressful than trying to go through immigration at your dream destination and not having gotten your visa or ETA (electronic travel authorization) when one is required. Knowing all about tourist visas will keep your trips on schedule and your stress levels low! When you’re prepared, immigration is a snap, as evidenced by my recent trip to New Zealand. I had done my NZeTA and declaration of goods before our trip and we breezed through immigration. So let’s break down all you need to know about tourist visas and make sure your next trip abroad is hassle-free.

 

What Exactly is a Visa and Who Needs One? 

A visa is an official document that verifies your identity and nationality and grants you permission to enter a specific country for a specific purpose and time period. Many countries require a visa as part of their entry requirements. 

United States passport holders can travel visa-free to over 180 countries and territories.  But some popular tourist destinations do require visas, and there are also some new visa-like requirements for certain destinations that you should be aware of.  For anyone heading to Europe, the new ETA requirement for UK travel should be on your radar.  The ETIAS travel authorization for the European Union that was slated to go into effect in 2025 has been postponed (yet again) to begin in late 2026, so we have a little more time until that one becomes a concern.  Both the new UK ETA and the upcoming ETIAS authorization applications can be filled out online and the costs are minimal (£10 and €7, respectively), so they’re not anything to worry about.  But they’ll both need to be added to your pre-trip checklist so you’ll be allowed to check in for your flight when it’s time to travel.  

Before getting too deep into the planning process for any international trip, check the U.S. Department of State’s website to learn about what’s required to enter your destination country. In addition to visa requirements, there is some great information available, such as passport-validity rules and potential travel advisories. 

 

 

Different Types of Visas

You might need to secure a visa before you travel for several reasons, and knowing your visa options is important as you plan your trip. The most common scenario in which you may need a visa is when you’re traveling for tourist purposes, which is what we’re mainly focused on here. However, you do have other options based on the reason for your travel. 

 

Purpose-specific visas

 

Tourist visa: This is for a traveler entering a country purely as a visitor where you have a short-term stay and will be doing some sightseeing.  

Work visa: If you’re traveling to conduct business within the country, you’ll need to obtain a work visa.

Student visa: Plan on studying abroad and temporarily relocating to pursue education? This one is for you. 

Transit visa: You may find yourself passing through one country en route to another. If you have a long layover and plan to leave the airport, it’s important to know if you’ll need a visa.

 

Visit- and time-dependent visas

 

Depending on your travel plans and the visa requirements of the country or countries you’ll be visiting, you may need more than a single-entry visa. A single-entry visa allows you to enter a country only once—after you leave, it becomes invalid. On the other hand, a multi-entry visa allows you to enter and exit the country multiple times. For example, if you were to fly into Vietnam and stay for a few days, then travel to Thailand, and later return to Vietnam to catch your flight home, you would need a multi-entry visa for Vietnam. Without it, you wouldn’t be allowed to re-enter Vietnam after your stop in Thailand.

Many tourist visas allow visitors to stay in a country for fewer than 90 days, or up to 90 days out of a 180-day period, or some variation of that.  And while each specific trip to that country needs to be relatively short (i.e., less than three months), the visa itself may be valid for much longer periods—say, up to ten years—and allow multiple visits.  Read the terms carefully so you know which visa is the one you will need.

 

When You Should Apply for a Visa

When you should apply for a visa is going to vary based on what country you’re visiting.  Some countries, like China, require paper copies of documents to be submitted in person at a Chinese consulate or embassy, so if you want to do that yourself, you’ll need to plan for that. (There are also agents who can apply in person on your behalf, but you’ll have to pay a fee for that service on top of the visa fee itself.) Complex processes like that one can take a few weeks.  

But other countries offer the option to obtain your visa on arrival, meaning you can just get in line at the airport immigration counter after you land and apply and pay for the visa then.  If you plan to obtain a visa on arrival, be sure you have all the documentation you’ll need with you.  (These countries also allow you to apply in advance if you don’t want to do it on arrival.). Still other countries allow you to apply for a visa in a specific time window that closes, say, 96 hours before your flight arrives.  

Because there is so much variation on timing, checking your destination’s visa requirements is something you should do as soon as you’ve decided on the country you’re going to.  Waiting poses a risk that you’ll miss the visa-application window and will either have to pay more to have it expedited, or worse yet—that you’ll be unable to take your trip.

 

Which Countries Require Tourist Visas

Some of the destination countries popular with Travel Mom Squad readers that require a tourist visa you must apply for in advance include:

• Australia
• Brazil (beginning April 10, 2025)
• China
• India
• Kenya
• New Zealand
• Seychelles
• Vietnam

Some of the countries that allow you to apply for a visa on arrival include:

• Egypt
• Indonesia
• Maldives
• Tanzania

And there are lots of countries that don’t require a visa for U.S. passport holders at all, including the EU, for now, and:

• Canada
• Costa Rica
• Finland
• Iceland
• Japan
• Mexico
• Morocco
• Peru
• Thailand

Note:  This is not a comprehensive list, so be sure to check for the latest information on your destination before you plan your trip!

 

Depending on your destination, if you do need a visa, you’ll either get a paper visa added to your passport or you’ll be issued an e-visa instead. If you’re traveling to New Zealand, for example, you apply for your visa online, and everything is tracked electronically rather than needing to have the visa added to your passport. This is what I had when traveling to New Zealand and it was easy peasy.

 

Where to Apply

Online/electronic visas

 

Be sure to use each country’s official visa-application website for online visa applications. Third-party sites may be unreliable and are likely to charge more.  When in doubt, research the site you’re going through to make sure your visa is legitimate and doesn’t cost way more than it should.

Visa fees are usually reasonable—between $10 and $50 in most cases.  But third-party services often charge a hefty fee on top of the cost of the visa itself.  

 

Physical visas

 

If you’ll be visiting a country where you need a physical visa added to your passport you’ll want to make sure that you get the process started much sooner as this process could take up to several weeks. 

Typically you’ll need to complete the visa application form and schedule an appointment, if necessary, to submit your documentation. Appointments can be scheduled at a visa-services office or consulate in your home city. You can google where to apply for a list of options near you. The fee you’ll need to pay depends on the country you’ll visit. If you’re applying for a work or student visa—and in some cases, a tourist visa—an interview may be required. 

Although the process may seem daunting at first, thorough research and understanding the visa requirements can significantly simplify your planning and make the experience less stressful.

 

Pro Tips for Travelers

• Research visa requirements early and check requirements well in advance of your travels. 
• Visa requirements can change over time, so don’t rely on outdated knowledge.  For example, Türkiye required tourist visas as recently as 2023, but now you don’t need one.  And Brazil didn’t used to require a tourist visa for Americans, but now they do.  Make sure the information you’re relying on is up to date! 
• Submit any applications directly through the country’s embassy or consulate. If you use a third-party visa-application provider, be sure it’s accredited and be aware of the fees involved.  
• Understand the type of visa that you need and verify the length of stay allowed for both single- and multi-entry visas.
• Make sure your passport is valid for at least 6 months beyond your travel dates and that your passport has blank pages for the visa to be added.
• If you are applying for your visa on arrival, make sure to have your visa application, extra passport-sized photos, proof of accommodation (hotel confirmation), and return-flight itinerary.

 

Knowing all about tourist visas is a critical step in planning any international adventure. By doing your research and making sure you have the necessary documents, you can stress less and have a hassle-free journey. And keep in mind that visa requirements may change, so you should always verify the latest entry requirements for your destination before traveling. 

 

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