Are you taking an international trip? One of the most important things to do is take a look at your passport and travel documents. You will see that some Expat Explore tours state that people from certain countries may need a visa. Let’s have a look at what this document is, and how you can find out if you need one for your tour.

What is a visa?

The first important thing to know is that a visa is different from a passport. Everyone needs a passport when they travel, so they can show where they come from. Each country issues passports for their own citizens. It shows your photo, full name, birthday and gender. This is used to identify you at airports and borders between different countries.

A visa, however, is something different. It is an official note placed in your passport that shows that you have permission to enter, leave or stay in a certain country. It normally also says how long you are allowed to stay and what you are allowed to do (i.e. work or travel). You also get different kinds of visas. The most common types are: tourist/holiday, student, work/long stay and transit visas.

Do you need a visa for your upcoming trip?
Do you need a visa for your upcoming trip?

Sometimes a visa can be used for more than one visit. Certain visas need to be obtained before you go to the country, others you can get on arrival. Certain countries may ask for medical tests or an interview before they allow a visa.

Do I need one?

You might. It depends on where you are from and where you are going. Different countries have different rules for people from other countries. You can find out by:

  • Visiting VisaHQ.com. They are the leaders of comprehensive visa information online. 
  • Using Google. Just type in: Do visitors from [your country] need a visa for [the country you’re visiting]. Easy as that!
  • Asking a travel agent in your country to help. Show them all the countries you plan to visit and ask for advice.
  • Asking us once you’ve booked your tour.
Passport, visa and tickets
Research visa requirements before booking your trip.

How do I get one?

The process is a little different for every country. The first thing you can do is to find the website for the embassy or consulate of the country you are visiting. Not sure what a consulate or embassy is? An embassy is the representative of a country’s government in another country. The consulate is the administration office in a foreign city. There can be more than one consulate in a country. They can mainly be found in capital cities. The consulate will normally have visa application forms available online that you can print and fill in at home. You will then have to post the original copies or take it to the consulate office in person.

Expat Explore travels to over 50 unique destinations. Here are a few helpful links to find out more about visa services of these countries:

  • The Schengen Area is a coalition of 27 countries. You can find out more about this region’s visa laws on this official website.
  • The United Kingdom consists of four countries –  England, Scotland, Wales as well as Northern Ireland. Visit the official website.
  • Croatia is part of the European Union and became a Schengen state in 2023. Here is the official website.
  • Serbia is located in Europe but is not a Schengen state and not yet a member of the European Union. Some countries will not require visas for stays of up to 90 days while other countries may need to obtain a visa to enter Serbia. Malaysian and Mauritian nationals definitely require a visa. Find out more on the official website.
  • The Arab Republic of Egypt states its visa requirements on this official website.
  • The United States of America – there are different types of visas, if you’re going on tour then a B2 tourist visa is what you’re looking for. Find out more on the official website.
  • Jordan visas can be obtained upon arrival for travellers from most countries. Check on the official website.
  • South America:

Need more help? Remember, we are always here to help you with anything you need to know about your tour. Just email or call us, so we can speak with you directly and help where possible.

Share On:
 
Questions & Comments
10 Comments
Giuseppe Arena 25 May 2025

Re: Booking No. 109140 – Visa requirements.

Good morning,

We are travelling with an Australian passport, and we believe we do not need a visa for any of the countries included in our tour as per the above referenced booking. Could you please confirm it at your earliest convenience?
We are aware, however, that we need and ETA to enter UK, and we will organise it very soon.

Thank you and kind regards

Giuseppe Arena

Jeniffer Chiat Replying to Giuseppe Arena 27 May 2025

Hi Guiseppe,

Someone from our customer service team will be in touch soon to discuss your query. Aside from the UK ETA, Australian passport holders usually are not required to apply for a visa for this tour. We do, however, highly recommend that you contact your local consulate to double check, as we are not a registered visa agency.

Happy travels!

Glady 24 April 2025

We’re Canadians. I don’ think we need visa for the Balkan tour but please confirm.

Jeniffer Chiat Replying to Glady 09 May 2025

Hi Glady, at this time you do not require a visa. However, from 2026, Canadian passport holders may require further travel documentation.

Yvonne Shakes 07 April 2025

I am travelling to South Africa with a group of seven(7) in May. I check with the SA embassy online, I even called them and was informed that I do not need a visa. We are all US citizens.

Jeniffer Chiat Replying to Yvonne Shakes 10 April 2025

Hi Yvonne, that is correct, US passport holders do not require a visa to visit South Africa. Enjoy your trip!

Eleonor Presley 06 April 2025

Hello ExpatExplore! How are you you?
Family of four traveling to Spain and Portugal on June 7, 2025.
We’re confused because two weeks ago, you responded my sister Perla Lapeceros that we don’t to apply ITIAS/travel Visa.
We are all American citizens…
Do we need to apply a visa? Please respond ASAP….. Thank you 😊

Jeniffer Chiat Replying to Eleonor Presley 07 April 2025

Hi Eleonor, this is correct, you will not require a visa for Spain & Portugal for travel in 2025. The rules may change next year but for now, you do not require a visa for tourism. Enjoy your trip!

deborah pierce 02 April 2025

I have search and looked to make sure we do not need a visa. We are both from USA and have our passports. My understanding is it will be the end of 2025 or early 2026 before we will need the required visas. Please confirm this for me. Thank you.
Deborah Pierce

Jeniffer Chiat Replying to deborah pierce 03 April 2025

Hi Deborah, it depends where you are travelling to. If you are travelling to Europe, you may require an ETIAS if you are travelling in 2026. However, applications are not open yet. Please send us your tour details at info@expatexplore.com so that we can better advise you.

Next Post next-post

Meet Jakes Maritz, Co-Founder of Expat Explore

Related Posts