Have you ever dreamed of travelling to a country far, far away?
Dreaming is nice. But when the rubber hits the road, you often need a visa to travel internationally.
Get a visa? That thought can hit like a bucket of cold water. Who wants to research requirements, fill out paperwork, drive to an embassy and wait in line all day?
Sounds like a nightmare.
But what if it was easy to get a visa without leaving the house?
Would you finally take the trip of your dreams?
Here are 5 benefits of using travel visas (eVisas) to help you make the leap.
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Contents
Easier to Visit More Countries
Imagine that you are deciding between 2 dreamy destinations for your next holiday.
Both require visas.
To get a visa for Country A:
- First you have to schedule an appointment at the nearest embassy.
- Then you have to print out the correct forms, gather the required supporting documents, and figure out which payment methods are accepted.
- When your appointment date arrives, you have to go to the embassy. You usually have to stand in line and wait, even though you have an appointment.
- Then you talk to an embassy employee and turn in your paperwork.
- If you’re missing a single document, or filled out the wrong form, you have to leave, schedule another appointment, and do it all over again.
- Then you have to wait.
- Once your visa is ready, you have to go to the embassy again to stand in line and pick it up. (In some cases, you may be able to pay extra to have it securely shipped to your address.)
To get a visa for Country B:
- You need about 10 minutes to fill out an online form, upload digital scans of your passport and required documentation, and pay with your credit card.
- Then you wait for the electronic visa to arrive in your email inbox.
Most people will choose to visit Country B. It’s simply faster and easier in every way.
So when more countries have eVisas available, you have more options to consider for your holiday destination.
Governments are catching on to this idea, and many are adopting eVisas as a way to encourage more people to visit.
A report by the European Travel Commission called ‘Improving the Visa Regimes of European Nations to Grow Tourism’ sums it up nicely:
‘The harder it is for potential tourists to secure a visa, the greater the share of global tourism that Europe will lose. The easier it is for tourists to access European destinations, the greater the economic benefit and job creation that flows to our economies.’
You Can Apply Anywhere at Any Time
Let’s talk more about the embassy appointment necessary for the traditional, non-electronic visa.
First of all, embassies (and consulates, which can also issue visas) have very limited office hours. They are usually open Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., for example.
This means that people with a typical work schedule have to miss work in order to go to a visa appointment. (And miss another day to pick up the visa.) So you need to use 2 vacation days just to get the visa to go on your trip.
And what about getting to the embassy? There may not be one anywhere near you, especially if you live in a rural area. So you have to factor in the additional hassle of getting there and back. This puts an additional burden on people with mobility impairment.
With eVisas, you can apply 24 hours a day from your home, office, or on the road: anywhere you have an internet connection.
Saves Time and Money
We’ve seen how eVisas can save time and money for the applicant:
- No need to take time off from work.
- No transportation costs.
- No time spent travelling back and forth to the embassy.
- No time spent waiting in line to turn in paperwork, make payments, or pick up the visa.
But it actually saves resources for the government authorities, too.
The eVisa system cut down on many administrative tasks, such as:
- Scheduling appointments.
- Receiving in-person applicants.
- Inputting data from paper application forms into digital databases.
- Scanning supporting documents.
- Printing visas.
- Returning passports and visas to applicants.
As a result, countries usually charge much less for electronic visas than they do for traditional paper ones. This means even more savings for you, the traveller!
Increases safety and security
Yet another benefit of electronic travel authorisations is their ability to improve border security and control. This is one of the stated goals of the ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) being put in place by the European Union.
When traveller information is digitalised, it can be easily run through international criminal databases and global terror watchlists to identify possible risks ahead of time.
This makes our world safer for everyone.
Better for the Environment
Traditional visa applications require a lot of printed paperwork. The application itself is usually several pages long, and paper copies of supporting documents must also be provided. The visa itself is issued as a printed sticker inside the passport.
Now multiply that by thousands of applicants. Not only does all that paper need to be produced, it also needs to be transported, stored and eventually turned into waste. All of these processes require energy and resources.
With electronic visas, the entire application process happens online, with digital documents. The exception is that some countries do require that you print a copy of the electronic visa. But that’s only 1 sheet of paper per person, still far less than the traditional way of doing things.
Now, you would think that with all these advantages, getting an eVisa should be a breeze. But unfortunately, that’s not always the case.
Instead of creating an online application that is easy to use, many countries have simply taken the confusing bureaucracy of the traditional system and moved it onto the internet.
It can be a struggle to figure out (what should be) simple facts, like which nationalities are eligible for the eVisa, what documents you need to upload for your application, and how long the eVisa is valid.
That’s why many people choose to use an online visa service like Byevisa. We simplify the application process so you can enjoy all the advantages of the eVisa system. See for yourself!
