What is a eVisa: Unlocking Global Travel

Introduction

E-Visa is a term that has been thrown around more and more in the last few years but nobody really explains what is a eVisa.

An eVisa or electronic travel authorization/electronic travel authority (ETA), short for an electronic visa, is a digital travel authorization allowing individuals to enter a specific country temporarily. It replaces the traditional paper-based visa application process by enabling applicants to apply, pay, and receive their visas electronically. eVisas streamline and expedite the visa process, eliminating the need for in-person appointments or mailing passports. This digital innovation has made obtaining travel visas more convenient, efficient, and accessible for international travellers.

What countries currently use eVisa

Currently all the countries listed below use a form of eVisa, to regulate who comes into their countries Australia and Saudi Arabia were some of the first countries to utilise eVisa technology.

Why do countries use eVisa?

As the world becomes more technologically advanced so should visas, gone with the days of cumbersome papers and files. eVisas are great for many reasons one of the best is just the convenience of it. Historically if you needed a visa to travel to a country. You would either have to visit an embassy or mail in your passport and folders of papers. Now you just have to apply through a website in most cases.

Efficiencies

Websites are also incredibly more efficient than mailing things back and forth and embassy visits so not only are they more convenient but they are also much quicker than they normally would be.

Expanding Visa Access: Overcoming Distance Barriers

They also open up the opportunity to travel for more people around the world. If you were living far away from any embassies in the past then getting a visa itself involved having to take a trip to the closest city with an embassy. Now more rural communities have access to getting a visa without having to travel thousands of kilometres just to get to an embassy. As long as you have a internet connection you have the possibility to get an e-visa.

Improved Border Security

eVisas also come with heightened security for governments. Border security groups can run background checks faster and easier on a person when they apply online vs having to do it over pen and paper. It also requires less manpower so. Instead of having a whole team of people running background checks, you can narrow it down to just 2-3 people and a few computers.

Fewer Errors

When people apply through eVisas it reduces the chance of errors and mistakes. It is easy to mistake characters when it’s in writing vs when it’s digital and when it comes to international travel with different languages and different alphabets this is incredibly important because mistakes can be made very easily. It also allows for quick translation into different languages.

Real-Time Results

In real-time updates instead of using the old-fashioned paper method, similar to applying for universities nowadays. You have instant notifications, you do not need to wait for approvals and rejections in the mail you’ll know right away through an email. If you need to provide more or different documents also. You will be notified instantly rather than having to wait for an actual mail envelope.

Ease of Global Travel Increasing

As more countries move to using eVisas over traditional methods you can expect to see the ease of global travelling becoming much easier. It is not expected that there will be identical application processes but they will become similar processes.

Environmentally Friendly

It might be only a small detail but eVisas are also much more environmentally friendly. No couriers are involved so less travel time is needed. There is no need to have thousands of envelopes going out across the country every day. Then there’s also the obvious fact that if there are fewer papers then fewer trees are needed to be harvested to fuel travel offices.

How to get an eVisa

Research

The first thing you have to do is research to see if the country you are visiting uses e-visas and if your passport requires you to fill one out or if you can enter without requiring it. Most countries will have you fill one out, however.

Application

Once you have researched whether you will require the eVisa or not, find the government website that has the application form. They are likely to be in different places depending on what country you are visiting. Make sure you have your travel documents together such as a passport with a minimum of 6 months of validity.

Supporting Documents

Besides the obvious documents like your passport. You will also need supporting documents such as a hotel, or Airbnb booking. Proof of travel insurance. If you’re looking for travel insurance we recommend using Insured Nomads. Some countries also require you to have proof of onward travel such as a flight, bus ticket, train ticket etc.

Payment

The next step you have to do once you have correctly filled out an application form is to make payment for the cost of an eVisa is dependent on the country you visiting. In most applications, you can pay online using a credit or debit card, PayPal or a local payment provider.

Track Application

Although eVisas are processed much more quickly than they would be using paper they are still not instant. You are likely to wait up to a week to have an answer. Keep an eye on your emails for the confirmation answer to your application.

Approval and Notification

Once you have received your approved application notification email print out your visas. Not all countries require you to have a physical copy of it but it is better to have it than not to have it.

Prepare to Travel

Before departing on your travels double check that you have all the required documents involved with your eVisa.

When do you need an eVisa

When Travelling to Countries that Require eVisas

Check the requirements for the country your visiting each country has different rules for citizens from different countries. Some countries like Saudi Arabia require eVisas for all travellers regardless of the country of origin.

Business and Tourism

Whether you’re going for a short business trip for a conference or an important business meeting. Or if you are just a tourist that is going to do some sightseeing both these travel purposes will likely require you to do a similar eVisa.

Work Permits

If your going to a country to do work you’re going to need a different type of visa called a “working visa”. Although these types of visas have an online portion to their application. They do not fall under the same category as the tourist eVisa. If you working remotely then you may or may not need a different visa called a digital nomad visa you can read our article “What are Digital Nomad Visas?” if you want to more about those specific visas. If you want to know if you need that visa we also have an article regarding whether or not you need one “Can you work remotely on a tourist visa“.

Other Visas

There are also other visas such as medical and student visas that will have different application requirements. These visas will have more in-person requirements and not be considered eVisas.

Conclusion

to conclude our explanation of What is a evisa? the innovation of visas has revolutionized the way we travel for the better. The Convenience, efficiency, and accessibility of evisas has changed the game of travel. International travel no longer requires the same hassle it used to require.

As technology continues to advance and laggard countries join the evisa trend it will only make global travel that much more simple. With evisas, the world becomes a more accessible place for everyone wanting to explore new destinations and have memorable journeys.

If you want to go travelling for the first time or if you are a novice traveller looking to have an off-the-beaten-path adventure don’t hesitate to contact us at Yonderpreneur and we will be more than happy to provide you with resources and guidance.