Hello, I’d like to hear from travelers (French nationals) who have a B2 visa (tourism) about their experiences. I read on the U.S. Embassy in France’s website that the B2 visa allows travel for up to 6 months (at the discretion of the immigration officer) within U.S. territory. It’s possible to renew the stay multiple times during the visa’s validity period.

If I understand correctly, I must leave the U.S. BEFORE the date stamped in my passport (or on the I-94 form) by the immigration officer upon entry.

What’s the minimum amount of time I should wait between two stays?

If I land in Washington (USA), travel to Halifax (Canada), stay in Canada until Calgary (Canada), visit Alaska (USA) for 2 months, and then re-enter the U.S. a few weeks later via Canada—how are "stays" and days counted?

I can’t find any official documents explaining how this counting works. From what I’ve heard from recent travelers, practices have changed in recent years. Is the counting left to the discretion of the immigration officer, or is there something less arbitrary I can rely on?

Thanks to anyone who can answer this question.

Hi everyone, Two years ago, I got a 5-year visa. But I had to change my plans and haven’t used it yet. Do you think it’s still valid? I’d like to go to India at the beginning of the year. I’ve got a big doubt. Do you know where I can find this info? Thanks a bunch!

Hello,

Last year, we stayed for 3 months in Thailand, north of Khao Lak, and were able to benefit from the 2-month visa exemption, renewable for one month by going to Takua Pa to validate a 1-month extension (1,900 baht). This year, it’s a disaster for us—not only were we planning a 4-month stay, adding a visa run in between (which some say is quite risky), but the law is apparently changing in the coming months with the return of the 1-month exemption (plus the usual 1-month option). So, we looked into applying for a 6-month multiple-entry visa, allowing a maximum of 60 consecutive days in Thailand. However, I can’t find anywhere the minimum time required outside Thailand between two stays—do any of you have an idea? Thanks for the info! If you’d like tips on Khao Lak and the surrounding areas, we’ve got some experience, though things change fast! Cheers, Bruno.

Hi,

Due to unforeseen circumstances—a earthquake in Bangkok—I couldn’t get my visa for Indonesia in time, and my Thailand visa exemption expires on April 13. I’d like to extend my stay in Thailand by 30 days so I have time to apply for an Indonesian visa, as the procedures are on hold until April 8 due to the end of Ramadan celebrations and Nyepi (Bali).

I’m currently in Prachuap Khiri Khan and would like to know which is the nearest immigration office that can extend my visa exemption?

Just to note, I’ve heard conflicting info: it seems there’s an office in Dan Singkhon and another in Hua Hin. The first one is much closer—could someone confirm if it’s still operational for this kind of procedure, or do I have to go all the way to Hua Hin?

Thanks in advance!

Back in the good old days when the UK was part of the European Union, a European ID card was all you needed to visit. After Brexit, a passport became required. Now, on top of that, you’ll also have to pay (£10) for an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation):

UK expands digital travel system to include more visitors - GOV.UK

Eligible Europeans can start applying for this ETA from March 5, 2025, and it will be mandatory for travel from April 2, 2025.

Hi, We're heading to Germany in August. Finally, after all this time I wanted to go back to Germany :) I think I need an eco sticker for my car, but I'm not sure. I found this info: "Since June 1, 2022, it’s no longer necessary to buy the German eco sticker to drive in Freiburg-im-Breisgau’s Umweltzonen (low-emission zones). The Crit'Air sticker, rated from 0 to 3, is recognized by the authorities." Could you tell me the name of the website where I can find this info, please? We’ll be staying in Brigachtal (Baden-Württemberg). We’ll visit Friedrichshafen, Triberg, and Hohenzollern Castle.

Thanks :)

Hi everyone, and thanks in advance for the tips—it’s always great to find people who take the time to reply. Thanks so much.

I’m heading to the Philippines at the end of August. I plan to stay for a few months, so I’ll need to apply for a long-stay visa extension while I’m there.

During my first month in the Philippines, I’d like to spend a week in Malaysia. With the extension, I’ll have a 59-day visa for that period.

My question:

Can I leave the country for a week and come back during my 59-day visa? Is this possible, or will it cancel the visa?

Thanks so much for reading! Best regards, Boris

Hi, Has anyone used the online visa application site for Indonesia recently? https://evisa.imigrasi.go.id/ For the past two weeks, I haven’t been able to log in... Wondering if the site is still up and running... Thanks for your feedback!

Hi, are there any travelers who’ve recently crossed the border between Karakalpakstan (Uzbekistan) and Beineu in Kazakhstan? It was closed for a while. Thanks for any info!

Hi everyone. I’m leaving for almost 3 months in the Philippines (11 weeks total) starting in early May. I already have my round-trip ticket. The problem is, I don’t have time to get a 2-month visa because the process takes nearly a month. From what I’ve read here and there, I need a return ticket valid for less than a month when I arrive in the Philippines to prove my good faith. After that, I can apply for a 30-day extension at the immigration office. I’m planning to either buy a fully refundable ticket to the nearest country or a fake ticket. For 3 months, I’ll need to extend my visa two more times before my return date to France. My question is this: Will immigration ask me each time I extend my visa by one month to show proof of an exit ticket matching the new visa extension date? Is it possible to extend directly by 2 months before the initial 30 days expire? Thanks in advance for your experiences and tips! 😊

Hi everyone.

I’m here to share a really reassuring experience about boarding a flight from France to Guadeloupe without an ID card or passport.

Yesterday, I met up with my friend at her place around 4:00 PM. She told me to leave my bag in my car while we ran an errand because “nothing ever happens here.”

When we got back at 8:00 PM, my car window was smashed, and my bag was stolen. In a panic about forgetting something for the trip, I’d left my whole life in that bag—ID card, passport, driver’s license, health insurance card—total meltdown. It was 8:00 PM, and our flight was at 10:00 AM the next day.

We’re on the plane right now, and I’ll tell you exactly what we did.

At 8:30 PM, we went to the police station. No one was there, but there was a number to call for night emergencies. They sent a team to take our statement. We explained that clothes weren’t the issue but that we had a flight the next day. They initially said they couldn’t file the theft report until the next morning. We pleaded a little, and they finally opened the station for us. They gave us the forms for reporting a stolen passport and ID card.

These documents are called either: *"Receipt for theft report"* *"Theft report"*

Even before we finished, we started researching online to see if this paperwork would be enough. The info we found on this forum (from 2014) and what was clearly stated on the Air Caraïbes website totally crushed us. It seemed like it was completely hopeless. Only one person said it depended on the mood of the staff we’d encounter at the airport.

Awful night, total despair.

We arrived at the airport at 6:30 AM for a 10:20 AM boarding. We went to the Air Caraïbes baggage drop-off way too early to talk to someone. We explained the problem to the first woman we saw.

She immediately reassured us that we’d be able to fly. Basically, if you have the police or gendarmerie document for the theft or loss, it’s 100% okay. No issues with that.

We had to fill out a first form swearing we were telling the truth about our checked baggage, then a second one for customs after our carry-on bags were inspected.

Didn’t report the theft or loss before arriving at the airport? No problem—there’s an office in the airport that handles that. Basically, we didn’t *have* to go to the police station.

The only really important thing is to arrive *very* early to have time to sort everything out. If you show up at customs or boarding without anything prepared beforehand, you’ll obviously be turned away.

If this post reassured or helped you, feel free to leave a comment so this forum ranks higher on Google. I wish I’d read something like this last night—I would’ve slept better. This morning, my alarm went off at 4:00 AM, and unlike usual, I had a *hard* time waking up, like I was heading to prison.

That’s it. Nico and Solène, 40 years old.

Hi everyone,

When applying for an OA visa from France, is it okay to provide the address where I’ll just be staying for the first few days while I look for a permanent residence?

Thanks! Olivier

Hi,

Is the land border crossing from Ranong to Kawthaung in Myanmar still possible? Can you get a Myanmar visa at the border, and if so, for how long?

Thanks

Hi there, hope you're doing well! :) I’m leaving from Bordeaux for Thailand this Tuesday and should land on Wednesday. I wanted to ask about the TDAC—I don’t quite get it: Do you have to do it a maximum of 3 days before departure or 3 days before arrival? How long does it take to get the document, and what form does it come in? I’m worried about messing this up—if you were arriving on Wednesday, when would you fill it out? Thanks for your feedback!

Hi,

Has anyone had recent experience applying for a tourist visa to Algeria from Quebec, specifically at the consulate in Montreal?

How long does it take? The consulate’s website says 2 to 3 weeks. Is that accurate?

Is it possible to apply by mail? A travel agency told me it’s unrealistic.

What’s the maximum number of days you’ve been granted?

Thanks,

Pierre Racine

Today I ended up being denied boarding at CDG. I booked the trip through a physical travel agency with no assistance for the visa application. I applied in plenty of time and got the approval. Except I put the 9th (the day I left France) as the date instead of the 10th, which is the arrival date in India. That’s what caused the denial. I’m guessing I don’t have any recourse? Thanks for your replies.

Hi everyone, I’m reaching out to the community with a quick question. I’m leaving for the United States soon and don’t have time to renew my passport. However, there are some pretty visible ink stains on the edges of the pages, but the page with my identity info is completely clean. Do you think I’ll be able to enter the United States without any issues? Thanks in advance for your replies! Have a great day!

Hi everyone, Could you clarify what type of driving license is required in Namibia? I don’t have enough time to apply for an international driving permit, unfortunately. The processing time is way too long—5 months! From what I’ve heard, a French license with an English translation should be enough? Is that correct, and if so, who needs to certify the translation? Thanks a lot, and have a great day! Frédéric

Hi everyone, I’m looking for info on how long it takes to get a tourist visa in Jakarta. My Indonesian friend has almost all the documents ready but is missing flight tickets and insurance. We’d like to book them last minute for practical reasons. Has anyone had a recent experience and could tell me how long it usually takes? Thanks in advance!

Hi there,

A few weeks ago, my partner and I filled out the ESTA form, entering the address of a hotel in Chicago as our contact address in the USA since that was our planned destination. But in the meantime, we changed our minds about where we’re going in the States—we’ll be heading to California instead.

Will this be an issue when we arrive in the US? Or do they honestly not really care?

Thanks for your replies!

Micka

Hi everyone,

Some French friends are visiting NYC (4/5 days around mid-May) from Montreal, Canada. They’ve got their eTA and ESTA approved!

Round-trip transport by bus.

Question: Is the I-94 form required, mandatory, and should it be filled out on the bus or in advance???

Thanks for your RECENT experiences!

See you, Jean.

Hi, I want to invite a Malagasy friend and I’m surprised to learn there are procedures (that seem complicated) to follow… It would be a short stay (max 3 months). She’s got her passport, I’m paying for the flight ticket, and I read that I need to get an accommodation certificate from my town hall—but what else is required after that? What other documents are needed? What are the processing times? I’m really disappointed that in 2026, it’s still such a hassle for this kind of thing.

Hi, I really struggled to fill out the e-visa form. I uploaded my passport and everything correctly, but when it came to payment, it failed three times (on different devices). I'm a bit disheartened and don’t know what to do next. Is using PayPal a better solution?

Thanks for your tips. Marsyork

Hi everyone, For an Egypt e-visa application, they ask online: Country you’re traveling from Now, if you’re French but leaving from Italy, for example, what do you put? Has anyone been in this situation before? Thanks

Hello,

I applied for a passport renewal at the beginning of November, and my town hall told me it would take about a month to get it. However, I still haven’t received it, and it’s been over a month now. When I checked the ANTS website to track my passport application, I saw that its status changed to "In production" on November 27th. Today is December 18th, and I still haven’t heard anything about receiving it, even though I’ve read everywhere that once the status is "In production," it usually takes about a week to get the passport. I’m starting to worry about not having received it yet...

Do you know what the current processing time is after it reaches "In production" in 2025? Is there a risk that the passport was made but lost in transit?

I’m concerned because I have a trip planned for 2026—admittedly not until April, so there’s still time in theory—but my application seems to be stuck.

Either way, I’ll contact the town hall soon, though I don’t think they’ll have more information...

Thanks, Have a good evening

Hi there, I have a valid ESTA for a trip planned on 2/23/2026.

However, I heard on the radio that a new law will be implemented in two months requiring travelers to provide information about their social media activity in addition to the ESTA.

My question is: will my current ESTA no longer allow me to enter the U.S.?

Hi,

I’m going on leave to Cape Verde on 12/06/25 and completed the mandatory registration to enter the country. After filling in my identity, passport number, and hotel address, I tried to pay with my debit card. However, I couldn’t validate the payment—an error message appeared, and the same thing happened with two other cards (bug?). If it still doesn’t work by the time I leave, can I pay the fee upon arrival? Is there a way to do it at the Cape Verde Consulate in Paris?

Thanks.

Hi, I’m leaving for Cape Verde on 11/24/2025... I tried to register on the site www.ease.gov.cv (so more than 5 days before departure). I can’t get past the email verification step (I never receive the code). I’ve tried several browsers and all 3 languages—nothing works...

Any ideas?

Hi, I’m heading to Seattle next week. We’ve got our ESTAs (we’re French). We’d like to spend a day in Vancouver. Do we need the I-94 form to re-enter the U.S., or are our ESTAs enough? I’ve read conflicting info everywhere... Any recent experiences? We can’t be the only ones... Thanks.

India inaugurates the new Navi Mumbai International Airport and the final phase of Mumbai’s Metro Line 3—a major turning point for the country’s infrastructure. Mumbai, India’s economic capital, is entering a new era of modernization. The Indian government has officially inaugurated the Navi Mumbai International Airport, one of the country’s most ambitious infrastructure projects, along with the final phase of Metro Line 3, a key axis to ease congestion in the megacity. The Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), located about 35 km from the city center, aims to eventually handle up to 60 million passengers per year. Built to reduce pressure on the already saturated Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Airport, it features ultra-modern facilities, sustainable design, and cutting-edge technologies for air traffic management and energy efficiency. At the same time, the completion of Mumbai’s Metro Line 3, connecting Colaba to Bandra-SEEPZ, marks a major advancement in urban mobility. This 33.5 km underground section will significantly reduce travel time and congestion in a city known for its chronic traffic jams. These two projects reflect the Indian government’s commitment to transforming Mumbai into a global hub, combining connectivity, sustainability, and economic development.

The Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), a project two decades in the making, has finally come to fruition. Phase one of the airport was inaugurated Wednesday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar. Although the first phase, which includes Terminal 1 and Runway 1 with 10 bus gates and 29 aero bridges, has been inaugurated, flight operations will not begin immediately.

"Post-inauguration, the airport will be handed over to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) for a security sweep, which could take 30 to 45 days. We also need to mobilize customs and immigration teams and complete end-to-end testing, which is a 45-60-day process," said Arun Bansal, CEO of Adani Airports Holdings Ltd, developer and operator of the NMIA, during a press briefing at the NMIA premises Monday. Even though an exact date hasn’t been announced, NMIA CEO Captain B V J K Sharma and Bansal said commercial flights are expected to begin in December 2025. Plans of major carriers Three major airlines—Air India, Akasa Air, and IndiGo—have already signed on to shift part of their operations to NMIA. Last month, Air India announced plans to start with 20 daily departures (40 air traffic movements) through Air India Express, connecting 15 Indian cities in the first phase. By mid-2026, it aims to scale up to 55 daily departures, including up to five international flights. IndiGo, which made its announcement in May, plans to operate 18 daily flights to more than 15 cities from the first day of commercial operations and intends to expand to 140 daily flights—30 of which will be international—within 18 months. In June, Akasa Air said it will start with 15 daily domestic flights, scaling up to over 300 domestic and 50 international flights a week within a few months. When asked which airline will operate the first flight, Bansal said, "We want all three airlines to be there on Day 1. It depends on who has the earliest slot that day, and the destination choice lies entirely with the airlines." Operations to begin with 12-hour window In the first month, flights will operate between 8 am and 8 pm, with the 12-hour window likely to be extended as operations stabilize. Although NMIA’s full capacity is 40 air traffic movements (ATMs) per hour, the initial phase will handle 10 ATMs—allowing 10 aircraft to land or take off every hour. Airlines are expected to announce routes and ticket sales soon. Touted as an international aviation hub, NMIA positions Mumbai alongside global twin-airport cities such as London, Dubai, and New York, and plans to launch both domestic and international operations from Day 1. Concession for international carriers When asked if international carriers will be given any concessions, Bansal said, "For international airlines, we will not charge them parking fees for the first year." The duo added that NMIA aims to reclaim Mumbai’s rightful place on the global aviation map. "For a decade… travelers didn’t have a choice—airlines couldn’t get additional slots (at the Mumbai airport), so traffic shifted to Delhi. We are course-correcting that with NMIA. It won’t happen overnight, but over the next five–seven years, you’ll see the change," said Bansal. He noted that Mumbai currently lacks direct flights to major destinations in Europe and the U.S., something NMIA hopes to change. "If you see east-to-west flights, Mumbai is a natural stop," added Sharma. As reported earlier, NMIA will eventually feature four terminals and two parallel runways, with a total capacity to handle up to 90 million passengers per annum (MPPA), compared to 20 MPPA in the first phase. In the long term, the airport aims to serve as a key transfer hub between the East and the West, enabling passengers from Southeast Asia to connect seamlessly to Europe and North America.