Visa, Passport & COVID Requirements

It is your responsibility to check and fulfill the passport, visa, health, and immigration requirements applicable to your itinerary. We can only provide general information about this and have compiled the below to help you in the right direction.

Passport

Most countries now require passports to be valid for at least 6 months after your return date. If your passport is in its final year, you should check with the Embassy of the country you are visiting and look to get a new passport if necessary. Some passport renewals/applications are quite straightforward however some may be more in depth (and require face to face interviews) or some may be experiencing delays. We recommend you ensure your passport is checked and up to date at least 6 months before departure.

Visas

You must check requirements in relation to your specific circumstances with the relevant Embassies and/or Consulates. Requirements do change and you must check the up-to-date position in good time before departure.

Start by researching the visa policies of the country you plan to visit. The most reliable sources of information are the official websites of the country's embassy or consulate in your home country. Look for specific visa requirements, application procedures, processing times, and any fees associated with obtaining the visa. Be careful of third party sites that offer a visa service, often these are scams or are marking up the cost of the visa application fee quite significantly.

Some countries have visa exemptions or offer visa-on-arrival facilities for certain nationalities. Check if your home country qualifies for any exemptions or if you can obtain a visa upon arrival at your destination. However, ensure you understand the conditions and limitations associated with such exemptions or visa-on-arrival options, such as duration of stay or specific purposes of travel.

Visa processing times can vary significantly, ranging from a few days to several weeks or even months. Plan ahead and apply for your visa well in advance to avoid last-minute stress. Consider any additional factors, such as holidays, peak travel seasons, or embassy closures, which may affect processing times.

COVID Requirements

Although a lot of countries are winding down their COVID entry policies, COVID related travel measures are changing all the time and it is your responsibility to ensure you are complaint with both the destination country and your home country requirements. For information on COVID entry requirements, we recommend you visit your home and destination Embassies and/or Consulates.

If you’re based in Australia, the best source of information for you will be Smart Traveller which is run by the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.