Visa types and terms, explained

What each entry requirement means in practice, and the colour we use for it across the site.

Visa-free entry: You can travel with your passport alone, without applying for anything in advance. The border officer stamps you in for a set period (for example 30 or 90 days). You may still be asked for a return ticket, a hotel booking or proof of funds.; Shown on the site as: No visa needed
Electronic travel authorisation (ETA): A quick online permission to travel, linked to your passport, for passports that do not need a full visa. It is not a visa, but airlines check it before boarding. Examples: the UK ETA, Canada eTA, US ESTA.; Shown on the site as: Travel authorisation (ETA)
eVisa (electronic visa): A visa you apply for and receive online, without visiting an embassy. You fill in a form, upload documents, pay, and receive the approval by email. Keep a copy, digital or printed, for the airline and the border.; Shown on the site as: eVisa (apply online)
Visa on arrival: A visa issued at the airport or land border when you arrive, usually for a fee paid in cash or by card. Airlines may still ask to see that you are eligible, so check before you fly.; Shown on the site as: Visa on arrival
Embassy visa: A visa you must obtain before travel from the destination's embassy or consulate, or its official visa centre. It usually needs an appointment, original documents and more processing time.; Shown on the site as: Embassy visa needed
Prior or security approval: Permission that must be granted by the destination's authorities before a visa can be issued, often for certain passports or age groups. It is usually arranged through an embassy, a sponsor or an authorised travel agency.; Shown on the site as: Prior approval needed
Your own country: Citizens never need a visa to enter their own country. Dual nationals should enter with the passport of the country they are entering where that country requires it.; Shown on the site as: Your own country
Validity and length of stay: Validity is the period in which you can use the visa to enter. Length of stay is how long you may remain after each entry. A visa valid for 90 days with a 30-day stay must be used within 90 days, and each visit can last up to 30 days.
Single and multiple entry: A single-entry visa ends when you leave the country. A multiple-entry visa lets you leave and come back while it is valid.
Passport validity rule: Many countries require your passport to be valid for a minimum period beyond your arrival or departure date, often six months, and to have blank pages for stamps. Airlines can refuse boarding if it does not.
Transit visa: Permission to pass through a country on the way to another. Staying airside in the international zone often needs none, but changing airports, collecting bags or a long layover may.
Timatic: The IATA database airlines use at check-in to decide whether a passenger has the right documents for the destination. If Timatic says you need a visa, the airline can refuse to board you even if a website says otherwise.
Sponsor and invitation letter: Some visas need a person or company in the destination to vouch for you, or a formal letter inviting you. The sponsor may have to apply on your behalf.
Biometrics: Fingerprints and a facial photo taken during the application or at the border.
Yellow fever certificate: Proof of vaccination against yellow fever. Some countries require it from every traveller, others only if you arrive from or transit through a country with yellow fever risk.
Overstay: Staying longer than you are allowed. It can lead to fines, detention, deportation and bans on future entry, so check the date stamped in your passport.
Airside transit: Connecting between flights without passing through immigration. Leaving the transit area can trigger different entry requirements.
All Indonesia: Indonesia’s electronic arrival declaration. Complete the applicable arrival information and retain the resulting QR code.
Electronic travel authorisation (ETA): Advance electronic permission required for specified travellers. It does not replace border checks or guarantee admission.
GCC resident: A person holding residence permission in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia or the UAE. Residence-based entry facilities have separate conditions from citizenship exemptions.
Hayya: Qatar’s platform for visitor applications, including distinct routes for tourists, qualifying Gulf residents and travellers with specified supporting documents.
MDAC: Malaysia Digital Arrival Card: an arrival registration with published exemptions. It does not replace a required visa.
Multiple-entry visa: A visa allowing repeated entries during its validity. Each visit and the combined visits must still comply with the applicable stay limits.
Permitted stay: The time a traveller is allowed to remain after entry, subject to the visa, admission stamp and any cumulative period limit.
Printout: A paper copy of an approved visa or permission. Carry it when the destination requires paper; phone display is sufficient only where the official instructions allow it.
Referred visa: A visa category requiring prior clearance from the destination’s immigration authority. Apply early and wait for the required approval before travel.
Supporting visa or residence permit: A qualifying foreign document that enables a conditional entry route. Issuing country, remaining validity, entry type and previous use may all matter.
TDAC: Thailand Digital Arrival Card: the official arrival declaration for applicable foreign travellers. Use the official free service within its stated submission window.
Visa on arrival (VOA): A visa issued at an eligible entry point to travellers who meet the published nationality and document conditions. Availability can differ by port.
Visa validity: The period during which a visa may be used under its terms. It may differ from the time permitted for each stay.