A to Z 2014: Visa

{For the month of April I will be blogging alphabetically on the topic of travel tips.}

I'm not talking about your credit card. We covered that already. I refer to entry visas, of course.

My favourite visa. So pretty.

Before you book your tickets, know what visa requirements your destination has, based on your citizenship. Every country has its own set of rules. Canadians have it pretty good as far as acceptance but some places still require paperwork ahead of time. If you are Canadian, check the Government of Canada Travel website before you finalize any plans.

From what I can tell, there are three main ways to gain access to a new country: no visa, visa on arrival or visa already in your passport. If a country requires no visa, you just state your business and get stamped. Visa on arrival means you'll have to pay something and possibly get a fancy paper stuck in your passport. If you require a visa before you get there, you'll have to fill out paperwork and possibly mail your passport in to the nearest embassy of the destination country. It's terrifying but it works!

That's all just for tourist visas. If you get into business, student, journalist or work visas, it's a whole different process. Hopefully you'll have someone who can assist you with it if you are in that situation.

Our walk-over visa for the day. (Or ten minutes, in our case.)

Some countries will have a set amount of time you can spend in the country. Some visas can be extended, some are multiple entry, some have a special designation... There is a lot to learn so make sure you know what is required.

Once all your paperwork is in order, scan everything! Keep photocopies in multiple places if possible. Just in case something vital is lost or stolen, it can save you a lot of headache if you keep copies. Even snap a photo with your phone if you can.