Visa info

Italy: Passport Controls Imposed for G8 Summit

Date: June 24th, 2009 |

Italy will reinstate passport controls within its Schengen borders for the G8 Summit to be held in L’Aquila July 8-10. The passport controls will be in place from June 28 to July 15. All travelers arriving in Italy will need to be prepared to show their passports to enter. The Schengen area comprises 25 European [read more]

East Africa: Single Tourist Visa Will Cover Five Countries

Date: April 1st, 2009 |

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Five countries in East Africa have agreed to issue a single tourist visa for travel throughout the region. The new visa will allow tourists to move freely among the member countries of the East African Community: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. The group is setting a common code of conduct for tour operators, establishing [read more]

Argentina: Visas to Cost U.S. Citizens $131 Beginning in January

Date: October 16th, 2008 |

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Traveling to Argentina beginning Jan. 1 will cost U.S. citizens $131 more than it does today when new reciprocal visa fees go into effect. Argentines must now pay $131 for visas to the U.S., so Argentina is only doing what’s fair, according to the interior minister. The reciprocal visa fees will affect 21 other countries [read more]

China: Visa Rules Tightened for Olympics Period

Date: May 8th, 2008 |

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The Foreign Ministry acknowledged that it has tightened visa rules after weeks of denials from immigration officials, now requiring invitation letters, hotel reservations and proof of roundtrip air tickets for some travelers. There have been reports of foreigners, especially students, being forced out of Beijing, and other travelers and foreign embassy officials having trouble getting [read more]

Libya: Tourists Must Carry $1,000

Date: January 10th, 2008 |

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A policy that took effect Nov. 11 requires tourists to Libya to have their passports translated into Arabic before arrival, and another policy put in place Jan. 7 requires that all tourists carry at least $1,000 or its equivalent in convertible currency or be denied entry. Anyone coming on official business, to study, to visit [read more]

China: New Visa Regulations for U.S. Citizens, Earthquake Tourism in Sichuan

Date: May 6th, 2009 |

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Authorities changed visa regulations for U.S. citizens May 3 in response to the swine flu outbreak. All visa applications will now require six business days to process, possibly because the U.S. has the second highest rate of swine flu infection. Express or rush services have been suspended. In other news, a year after the devastating [read more]

Thailand: Government to Waive Visa Fee for 3 Months

Date: January 22nd, 2009 |

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The government plans to waive visa fees for three months in an effort to revive the stagnant tourism industry. Anti-government protests that continued for months and culminated in the takeover of Bangkok’s two airports in December caused a dramatic drop in tourist visits. Tourism is a key component of the country’s economic stability, contributing about [read more]

Austria and Switzerland: Passport Controls During Euro 2008, Vienna Airport Closed to Vehicles on Certain Dates

Date: June 11th, 2008 |

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Passport controls are in effect in both countries through June 29 during the 2008 European Football Championship. All visitors must enter at official border crossings and must have a valid passport to be allowed entry. On certain days during the tournament Vienna’s Schwechat Airport will close access to all traffic except buses and vehicles with [read more]

Brazil: Government to Require Special Permits to Visit the Amazon

Date: May 1st, 2008 |

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The government intends to send Congress a bill within months that will require all foreign visitors to the Brazilian Amazon to obtain a permit to be there or face a whopping fine of 100,000 reals ($60,000). The bill will apply to all foreigners, whether tourists, businesspeople or employees of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Conservative politicians are [read more]

India: Visa Applications Must Be Made Online

Date: December 26th, 2007 |

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Getting a visa to visit India now requires an application filled out online. The new regulation began Oct. 1 and is intended to streamline the application process. Once filled out, the form must be printed and mailed with other papers, including proof of state residence such as a copy of a driver’s license or utility [read more]

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