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DESTINATION GUIDES > VISA
INFORMATION
Except for European Union (EU) citizens
visiting other EU member states, almost all other nations require a
valid passport for entry. A passport is usually easy to obtain in the
country of your citizenship.
Sometimes, depending on your nationality, a
VISA is required as well. Fortunately, most Latin American countries do
not require a visa. However as VISA requirements can change and depend
on nationality and country of residence, you should check this with the
embassy or consulate of the country you want to visit. A consulate or
embassy is the official representation of a foreign country in your home
country. To find it, we recommend Google using the following keywords
“visa” + “requirements “ + "mexico" + "for (your citizenship) nationals".
Some tips about obtaining VISAS.
A very important official duty is obtaining visas. Not all countries
require visas for all nationalities. You may be able to show up at the
border and get a "tourist permit" without having to get a visa at all.
Check with a travel agent for the latest requirements for where you are
going.
To get a visa, you must go the embassy, high commission, consulate, or
delegation of the country you wish to visit. The embassy officials are
representatives of another country, although the office people you deal
with may be locals. Know what the requirements are before you go --
photos, letters of recommendation, air tickets, lots of money to show.
You may be asked for all of these before you can even apply, so make
sure you have them on you. Visa application hours are notoriously short,
usually just a few hours in the morning. Get there early since there may
be a queue. The amount you pay and the length of stay you receive all
depend on your nationality. Sometimes you can pay more to get faster
service. Wear your best clothes and be on your best behavior. If they
don't want to give you a visa, you may never visit their country.
Expiration Date:
There are two important time intervals on your visa. The first is the
amount of time you are allowed to stay in country, and the second is the
time the visa is valid for. Visas must normally be used within six or
twelve months of issue. If you get your visa too soon -- and it turns
out to be good for only three months -- it may expire before you can use
it! Then you just have to get another one.
Multiple Entry:
If you know that you will be coming and going from a country, it is very
useful -- but sometimes difficult -- to get a multiple-entry visa. You
usually have to ask for this specifically and you may be ignored at the
more crowded embassies. You usually pay more for each entry, but it can
save a lot of hassles!
An Onward Ticket
This can be a real sticking point with getting visas. Some embassies for
some countries require you to produce an onward ticket out of their
country, before they will let you in. Usually, there is another embassy
elsewhere that does not make this requirement. For example, if you get a
visa 30 miles from the border, it's clear that most people will be
traveling in -- and out -- overland, and it should be unreasonable to
ask for an onward ticket. The farther away you are from the country, the
more likely they will require this. If you have one, that's fine, but if
you plan to travel overland, there's no good reason to buy an airline
ticket just to get a visa. Show money, beg, or just wait until you get
closer.
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