Do You Need a Visa or Travel Authorization to Fly Abroad?

Three ways a country lets you in

For a US or Canadian traveler, a destination usually falls into one of three buckets. Some countries let you enter visa-free for a tourist stay with nothing but your passport. Some require a visa you arrange in advance — an application, sometimes an interview, and a fee. And a growing number sit in between, asking for an inexpensive electronic travel authorization you apply for online before you fly. Which bucket your destination is in decides how far ahead you need to plan.

The newer electronic authorizations

Electronic authorizations are quick and cheap, but they are not automatic — you still have to apply and be approved before departure, and an airline can deny boarding without one.

• ETIAS: a visa-waiver authorization for many European (Schengen-area) countries, applied for online ahead of travel.
• eTA: Canada's electronic authorization for visa-exempt air travelers flying into the country.
• Other countries run their own e-visa or entry-permit systems — the name changes, the 'apply before you fly' logic does not.
• Approval is usually fast but not guaranteed to be instant, so do not leave it to the airport.

Check for your exact trip, and don't guess

Requirements depend on your nationality, your destination, the purpose of your trip, and how long you are staying, and they change — a country that was visa-free last year may have added an authorization since. Confirm the rule from an official source for your specific passport and destination before you book nonrefundable travel, because a fare is not refundable just because you could not get the entry document in time. Build in enough lead time for a visa if one is required.

Book with the requirement in view

It is easy to book a great fare and forget the entry document until it is too late. Call (708) 866-8751 and a licensed agent flags whether your destination needs a visa or an electronic authorization as you book, and times the itinerary so you are not paying for a trip you cannot legally board. The agent handles the flights; the entry document and the entry decision stay with you and the destination's authorities.