120
votes
Why do many countries in the world still require citizens of states with a high HDI to get visas?
Reciprocity?
Many Latin American countries charge reciprocity fees from USA citizens on rationale that their citizens have to pay same fees when applying for visas to USA.
Russian Federation for ...
- 12.2k
86
votes
Accepted
The UK has voted to leave the EU. How does Brexit affect people traveling to the UK and vice-versa?
As of today, no. Nothing has currently changed (other than currency prices, which are of interest to international travelers).
There will be a prolonged negotiating period over the next several ...
- 85.7k
83
votes
Accepted
I didn't do any exit passport control when leaving Japan. What should I do?
I called the immigration office at KIX, and apparently, as of about a week ago, they are using automated facial recognition gates to quickly check out people staying on temporary visas, so I will not ...
- 881
80
votes
Accepted
I was denied boarding due to outdated information on passport validity? What to do?
Check-in staff go by Timatic, which is based on information provided to IATA by local immigration authorities. They won't change their mind even if you call an embassy in front of them.
Unfortunately ...
- 75.8k
77
votes
Have I been “Required to leave the UK”?
This question is asking if you were deported, removed or "required to leave" the UK because of illegal entry or overstay. If it applied to you, the Home Office would have served you with paperwork (e....
- 61.8k
67
votes
Have I been “Required to leave the UK”?
A quick answer to clarify the crux of the matter.
For non-native English speakers, be aware that:
Very confusingly, the word
"leave"
has a number of completely different meanings.
One meaning ...
- 6,236
55
votes
What does this strange code stamp on my passport mean?
Rather than an 'Open' date stamp (an all-in-one) that grants six months, the Officer has done a "coded" landing". This means he/she was not 100% confident you were a genuine visitor, but landed you ...
- 3,044
53
votes
Why do many countries in the world still require citizens of states with a high HDI to get visas?
It's a good question, and I've often wondered this myself. Alamar's answer is a big part of it. I'm not sure if it adds up to much, but here are a few other things I can think of:
Control
Countries ...
- 14.8k
47
votes
I didn't do any exit passport control when leaving Japan. What should I do?
Managing to leave Japan without an exit stamp or having your passport inspected at all is extremely irregular, and I'm quite astonished that you managed to do so, especially by accident. You are ...
- 99.7k
42
votes
Can I use a one-way ticket to come to the UK? Or do I need to show a return ticket to be able to get in?
You don't need a return ticket, but with you having a boyfriend there, I'd strongly recommend you to get one. If nothing else, a random fully-refundable ticket for a date around the time you suspect ...
- 75.8k
37
votes
Which countries are visa free for both Chinese and Swiss citizens?
San Marino is landlocked and does not have a commercial airport, so the only way to get there is to cross the land border from Italy, which requires one already to have entered the Schengen Area, with ...
37
votes
Countries with broad visa-free entry
The Maldives has probably the world's most generous visa policy: anyone, regardless of nationality, is welcome for 30 days as long as they have a hotel booking or sufficient funds, plus a return ...
- 99.7k
33
votes
Accepted
Why do many countries in the world still require citizens of states with a high HDI to get visas?
As a rule of thumb, the worse the visa regime, the worse the country's regime. It's the tinpot dictatorships of the world (Turkmenistan, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Angola, etc) that make it the ...
- 99.7k
32
votes
What are my chances to enter the UK with an expired visa?
No airline will let you board with an expired visa, since if you are turned back at the border the airline is penalized. Thus, if you're planning to fly to the UK, whether it's possible that the UK ...
- 10.5k
30
votes
The UK has voted to leave the EU. How does Brexit affect people traveling to the UK and vice-versa?
Bottom line: Tourists, visitors, and transit cases are not affected by the UK's vote to leave the European Union.
The relevant issues are about asylum seekers and some types of EU nationals who seek ...
- 84.8k
30
votes
Accepted
Can a UK Border Immigration Officer remove a stop indicator flag?
After being stopped a couple more times within the span of one year by UK immigration while visiting, I decided to lodge a formal complaint through the Home Office however I did not get my hopes up.
...
- 29.2k
30
votes
Accepted
This article in a major Australian newspaper says Aussies just gained visa-free access to Japan. Didn't we already have it?
So is this just a typical ignorant journalism howler
Yes and no
What they're referring to is the release of the annual 2023 Henley Passport Index
The fact that it is annual means that the previous ...
- 21.5k
24
votes
Can I make repeated 90-day trips to a single Schengen country?
I recall someone saying that you can't go to the same Schengen country as a tourist for 3 months over and over even if you don't overstay a trip, because immigration thinks that it's suspicious for ...
- 131k
23
votes
If my passport allows me to enter a country visa-free, does that guarantee me that the entrance is free of charge or is there any exception?
No. An example of charging for visa-free entry is the Tourist Card that visitors to Mexico are required to get under certain conditions. The fee is the equivalent of around $25 USD, so fairly ...
- 16.8k
22
votes
Accepted
What would happen if you're caught in Beijing with a 144-hour visa exemption for the Shanghai area?
Something to keep in mind here: Foreigners must register where they are staying in China. Normally the hotel does this for you--but note that this means the government computers have everything they ...
- 7,994
22
votes
Accepted
Is there a program for Malaysia-Singapore commuters to avoid passport stamps (so the passport doesn't get full)?
Answer to my own question:
I was able to apply for (in Singapore) and obtain a MACS sticker in my passport for 30 ringgit, issued to foreigners other than nationals of Afghanistan, Colombia, Israel ...
- 75.8k
22
votes
How many times can I travel between the US and Europe in a year?
US citizen?
You have to follow the 90/180 rule. At any day you're in any Germany and not just when you enter you must have been no more than 90 days out of the previous 180 in any Schengen state. (...
- 36.4k
20
votes
In the UK on visa-free entry, can I visit Europe and return?
You are a US national who entered the UK under Paragraph 23A of the Immigration Rules...
A person who is not a visa national and who is seeking leave to enter
on arrival in the United Kingdom for ...
- 84.8k
20
votes
I didn't do any exit passport control when leaving Japan. What should I do?
As jpatokal says, you should contact the appropriate authorities in Japan. However, something else you should do is to collect evidence of your departure. If the Japanese authorities accuse you of ...
- 201
19
votes
The UK has voted to leave the EU. How does Brexit affect people traveling to the UK and vice-versa?
Nothing for quite some time. No law has changed. This was merely a non-binding referendum.
Presumably the executive will agree with the people and Article 50 will be triggered by the PM, but even ...
- 159k
19
votes
Accepted
Problems at UK border when visiting for job interview without a visa but no right to work?
You are a non-visa national wanting to visit the UK for a job interview. You are worried (and rightfully so) that you might get some stick at the control point.
The first step is to go to Appendix 3 ...
- 84.8k
19
votes
Can a UK Border Immigration Officer remove a stop indicator flag?
Background. When a British Immigration Officer scans your passport the scanner retrieves basic information like nationality, passport number, name, and birth date. This is taken from the passport ...
- 84.8k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible