Unfortunately, we don’t live in a world where we can go anywhere, anytime. We still need visas for some countries. Acquiring one usually means that you have to go to a consulate and stand in line waiting to be processed. However, there is a new way of getting one, and this method does not imply any standing in line. You don’t even have to get out of the house.
If you haven’t figured out what I am talking about yet, I am referring to e-visas. If you want to go to India, for example, all you need is an e-visa. And India is not the only country that accepts this type of visa. There are many others that can offer the same service.
What are the steps?
When you go to the consulate you need a few documents, right? It’s the same with the online visa. First of all, you will need a valid passport. If you already have one, make sure that it will not expire during your trip. If it does, you should make a new one. Just in case you are interested, you can get passport photos online. Simply stand in front of your webcam and have your picture taken. Apart from a passport, you need a recent digital photo of yourself, a scan of the information page of your passport, and a credit/debit card or a Paypal account.
The first step is to get on the website and choose your country of origin and destination. Then you need to fill in some basic information about yourself, like name, address, billing information, and things like that. Also, this is the moment to choose the processing type you need. The form can be completed directly online, and it should only take a few minutes.
The second step consists of you uploading the documents I mentioned above and answering a few personal questions. That too should only take a few moments. If you do not understand the questions, or if you have any trouble whatsoever completing the questionnaire, there will be 24/7 assistance provided for you.
How long does it take?
The entire process doesn’t take long. You can submit your application 33 days before your date of arrival, but not later than four days before that date. You have a little over a month to complete an online questionnaire that you could do in 15 minutes, which I believe is more than enough. The processing timeframe depends on what you choose. The Standard Processing lasts three business days, the Rush Processing will take one business day, and by selecting the Super Rush Processing, you will receive your visa in as little as 18 hours.
The cost varies from one nationality to another, but the price is between 0$ and 97$. Personally, I think that amount is more than affordable, especially that you can do everything from home, you don’t have to follow the consulate’s business hours, and you don’t have to take a day off from work in order to get all things done. It’s simple, it’s efficient, and it will save you a lot of time. I just hope that in the future all countries will be willing to offer such a service for travelers.
