Travel Visa FAQs
What is a travel visa?
A travel visa is a document issued by a foreign country that provides permission for you to gain entry into that country. It is your responsibility to determine whether or not a travel visa is required for your upcoming trip. To see the travel visa requirements for a specific destination go to Visa Quick Check.
What is required to apply for a travel visa?
While the specific requirements vary, most countries require that you submit recent photographs, complete an application form, and submit your actual passport. Your passport is required as the visa, if issued, is affixed to a blank visa page in your passport. Other documents can also be required such as a detailed travel itinerary, health information, and invitation letters. Frequent changes to visa requirements and regulations cause research for international travel itineraries to be a confusing and time-consuming process. CIBTvisas alleviates the confusion for customers and clients by maintaining a proprietary database that has the most up to date travel visa requirements for over 200 countries.
How does CIBTvisas obtain a travel visa for me?
CIBTvisas obtains travel visas by submitting a completed travel visa application, and other required documents, to embassies or consulates on your behalf. This eliminates the need for you to visit, communicate, and correspond directly with the embassy or consulate of your destination country. To see the travel visa requirements for a specific destination go to Visa Quick Check.
Is my passport required to obtain a travel visa?
For the majority of countries, a travel visa is stamped on, or affixed to, a travel visa page inside a passport. However, there are a few exceptions. To see the travel visa requirements for a specific destination go to Visa Quick Check.
Do nationals of countries other than the China need a travel visa?
CIBTvisas provides visa requirements for travellers of many nationalities. No matter what type of passport you hold, CIBTvisas can provide detailed visa information for most destinations. To see the travel visa requirements for a specific nationality and country go to Visas and start a search today.
How long will it take CIBTvisas to process my travel visa?
The speed to process a travel visa varies for each destination country. CIBTvisas can process travel visas for many destinations in as little as a day. Go to Visas and select your country of travel to determine the travel visa processing time.
Can I fax passport copies and completed applications to CIBTvisas for issuance of a travel visa?
For the majority of countries, an original passport and application with your signature must be submitted in order to apply for a travel visa. However, there are a few exceptions. Go to Visas to see the travel visa requirements for your specific destination.
Does the photo in my passport count as one passport photo? Can I submit digitally produced passport photographs?
The photographs submitted with a travel visa application must adhere to specific requirements regarding the size, background colour, and type of paper on which the photo is printed. The standard size is a 48mm high x 33mm wide photo taken of yourself within the last 6 months. Please be aware that any attempts to use digital photos must adhere to standard passport photo requirements (colour, plain background) and be printed on correct photo quality paper.
Has CIBTvisas received my documentation yet?
To track the status of your order, go to Status Check where you can get up-to-date information on your order. You can track your order by using either the CIBTvisas order number and traveller’s last name or the travellers date of birth and last name. If you are a CIBTvisas account manager you can log in to your account and see all of the orders you are managing.
What is included in the fees I pay to CIBTvisas for my travel visa?
The fees to process a travel visa include a consular fee and a CIBTvisas fee. The consular fee is a fee charged by the country that is issuing the travel visa. These charges must be paid to the consulate issuing the travel visa whether the visa is issued by CIBTvisas or not. Please note that the consular fees are subject to change without advance notice at any time by various governments. The cost of using CIBTvisas varies based on the services you have requested and how quickly you need the documentation to be processed. The fees established by CIBTvisas are in place to facilitate and maintain the highest quality of travel visa and passport processing possible. CIBTvisas service fees and consular fees charged by the country issuing the travel visa will be clearly listed in CIBTvisas Application Packs. Go to Visas to see the travel visa requirements for your specific destination.
What forms of payment does CIBTvisas accept?
CIBTvisas accepts payment by WeChat Pay, Alipay and UnionPay.
Am I required to receive vaccinations for international travel?
Some countries require you to show proof of vaccination for certain diseases in order to apply for a visa. Any vaccinations required to obtain a visa will be clearly listed in the CIBTvisas Application Pack. However, additional vaccinations may be recommended for you. To determine if vaccinations are recommended for your travel itinerary, please contact your local physician or visit the Hong Kong Travel Service Department of Health website.
Where can I find the latest travel warnings?
For the latest information on Travel Warnings, Public Announcements, and Consular information sheets for countries worldwide visit the Hong Kong Consular Affairs website.
Can I get my visa upon arrival?
In limited instances yes, but CIBTvisas does not endorse this course of action. Travellers run the risk of being refused boarding by the airline and any visa on arrival is at the discretion of the immigration officer on arrival. In the case of land border crossings it is generally not available as the officials there are not normally trained to handle such situations.
What does Personal Appearance mean?
Some consulates require the traveller to appear in person at the consulate to apply for a visa. This may be done just to verify the travellers identity or conduct a formal interview. In these cases, travellers must submit their visa application directly to the consulate. CIBTvisas cannot provide qualified information detailing requirements for personal application visas as this information is specific to the travellers nationality and travel circumstances. If a personal appearance is required CIBTvisas can provide the contact details of the relevant consulate or embassy.
