France - USA - Mexique - France: formalités et ESTA

Hi there, I’m explaining our situation—my daughter and her young family have just moved to Polynesia, specifically to the island of Raiatea. That’s great, of course, and my wife and I are planning to visit them. However, flights that go through the United States are causing us a problem because we’ve been to Cuba. I think we’ll need a visa because of that. Has anyone else dealt with this situation before? Any advice on flights and visas would be really helpful. Thanks in advance for your feedback.

Hi, I’m planning a trip to Laos from France with a transit through Thailand involving 2 entries. I might spend up to 7 days max in Thailand (round trip). The flight I’ve spotted: arrival at BKK and return to France 31 days later.

With the new regulations/visa: "Starting September 15, 2026, French nationals holding an ordinary passport will be able to stay in Thailand visa-free for up to 30 days for tourism purposes only, down from the previous 60 days."

How do you think the counting is done? - Number of days spent in Thai territory? - Entry and exit dates: number of days between the two?

I’m leaning toward the first option, but to avoid any administrative hassles with Thailand (fines, etc.) and before booking my ticket, your input would really help.

Thanks, have a great weekend!

Hi,

Starting September 15, the visa exemption for Thailand will be reduced from 60 to 30 days.

Anyone entering before this date will still get 60 days.

A return or onward ticket (flight, bus, train) is mandatory.

20,000 baht or the equivalent in cash may be requested by immigration (random checks).

Land entries with a 30-day visa exemption will be limited to 2 per calendar year.

Hi there,

I’m heading to Laos next spring, but I have a question about the Thai arrival/departure form. I’ll be flying PAR-BKK, then taking the train to Laos (so exiting Thailand), and later re-entering Thailand by train to catch my return flight. Do I need to fill out two forms in this case?

Thanks for your help! !

Hi there, we’re planning our trip to the North Cape this summer. We bought a new vehicle for it. Unfortunately, the registration document is still being processed, and the delay seems long—I don’t think I’ll have it in time for our departure... I have the transfer documents, insurance in my name, and all the supporting paperwork, but not the registration document. So my question is: does the ferry company require the registration document *mandatorily* when boarding in Denmark or not? Thanks for any insights...

Hi everyone, I bought a new apartment in Pattaya that will be finished at the end of 2013, and I’d like to buy more later... I think it’s a good investment idea, but I’d love to hear from those of you with experience—what do you think? I’d also like to know how to handle rentals... Should I go through agencies, or are they usually rented out directly by the building management companies? Thanks in advance for your replies! 🙂

Hi everyone, I have to leave for Perth, Australia in a week, for 7 days, and I couldn’t get my international driver’s permit due to processing and delivery delays.

The information I’ve found about whether an international permit is required is contradictory. Some sources say you need one, others say you don’t.

Could anyone let me know if an international driver’s permit is necessary to rent a car in Australia (Perth), or if a French license is enough for a 7-day rental?

Thanks in advance for your advice

hi everyone, I need to apply for a new eTA for Canada. do I need the number from my old eTA or not? because I can’t find my old eTA number anymore. thanks for your replies, have a great weekend

Hi there, I know there are similar topics here and elsewhere, but they’re a few years old, and I need an up-to-date answer to make sure I don’t throw over 1000 € out the window. Thanks for your patience.

I’m planning a trip from France to Alberta/British Columbia, and I’m unsure about which bank card to use for the security deposit with the rental company (I’m thinking of going with AVIS).

I contacted Avis Canada, and they told me a credit card is absolutely required. I asked my bank for a credit card (a *real* credit card), but they only offered me a deferred debit card.

My question: For a rental with Avis Canada, is a Gold International Mastercard deferred debit card usable for the security deposit needed to finalize the rental? Is the "CREDIT" label enough? (Some cards say "CREDIT" and others say "CARTE DE CREDIT"—seems minor, but it’s actually a big deal in how the card works.)

I’ve seen conflicting info everywhere I look... My bank says it’s *usually* okay (the deferred debit card), while Avis Canada insists it *must* be a credit card, not debit—even when I mention the deferred debit card.

I know the whole credit card concept is already confusing, and on top of that, some sites say a deferred debit card counts as a credit card, while others say it doesn’t.

Thanks to anyone who can share a recent experience! Have a great day

Hello everyone, Could a resident of Benin (Cotonou) kindly let me know which is the best mobile phone and internet service provider? Thank you very much, Best regards, Juan

Hi, I’m bringing Seresta, an anxiolytic (tranquilizer) from the benzodiazepine family, to help me sleep. I’ll have the prescription with me. Will this be a problem at customs, and do I need to declare it? Same question for antibiotics? Thanks a bunch!

Hi everyone, I’ll explain my situation. Unfortunately, I lost my passport, and I only realized it two weeks before my departure for a humanitarian mission in Libya. I’m a nurse, and this mission really means a lot to me. First, I applied for an emergency passport, but it was denied by the Val-d'Oise prefecture on the grounds that a planned humanitarian mission wasn’t considered an urgent reason. So, I submitted a biometric passport application on July 20th. Since then, the tracking has been stuck, and the town hall can’t (or won’t) give me any clear information. Every time I call, I get a different story. The last update I received was that the passport had been produced since July 23rd with a status of "about to be shipped," but nothing since then. I’ve managed to push my departure back to next Tuesday at the latest, but I’m starting to really panic. Have any of you submitted an application around July 20th, especially in Val-d'Oise (95)? How long did you wait between the passport being produced and it being available at the town hall? Is it normal for this step to take this long? This mission means so much to me. I had everything organized, and I’m also supposed to attend a friend’s wedding right after near the border. Thanks so much to those who take the time to respond or share their experience. 😔

Hi,

Can anyone tell me exactly if a passport "valid for the duration of the stay" is enough, or does it need to be valid for 6 months after the trip? I checked the embassy’s website, but that info is missing.

Thanks

Hi there, I’ll be arriving in Seoul on November 18th after spending about a month in India. Do you know if I’ll need to fill out any additional documents besides the e-arrival card? Thanks in advance for your tips!

Hi everyone,

I’m a bit embarrassed because I need to travel to Quebec from February 27th to March 13th. I’m a regular visitor to Canada—this will be my 10th trip since 1997, plus a year as a permanent resident (2000–2001) and a cross-country run from Vancouver to Halifax in 2011. So, I’m definitely not a terrorist! But since our last trip in July 2015, they’ve introduced this eTA thing. Seems more like a way to make money than to actually secure Canada, if you ask me, but anyway, that’s not the point. I applied for an eTA for myself, my wife, and our two kids. They all got approved within hours, but not me! I was asked to create a GC key and then an IRCC account, which I did. Normally, you get news within 72 hours, but since Monday, January 15th, nothing! In the "message" section of the account, it says "explanation letter (required)" with a deadline of January 25th, but I can’t find any explanation anywhere—despite searching the Canadian government website and Google. No links, nothing! I’ve emailed them but haven’t heard back yet. I’m thinking of calling the Canadian embassy in Paris tomorrow. Even though I’m not stressing yet, it’d be a bummer if everyone else got to go without me! If anyone’s had this issue before or knows what this explanation letter is about, I’d love to hear more.

hi there I’m heading to Seoul in September, and to do that I need to get a travel authorization that we apply for through K-ETA....... turns out I can (barely, I admit) fill out the form up to the address of our "stay location," but every address I’ve entered has been rejected by the system. I’ve tried my hotel, the Lotte Hotel (which is well-known in Seoul), the airport—basically, I’ve entered at least 20 addresses, all rejected....

So, to anyone who’s successfully gotten the authorization, could you tell me which address you used to get that "elusive" approval?...

Thanks for your help

Hi there, I’m heading to Senegal in January for a month and was wondering if I just need my French driver’s license or if I should get an international permit? Thanks! JL

Hi there, I have a 9-seater passenger vehicle that I use for my business in Paris, transporting people. I’m planning to go to Algeria with my family. The vehicle registration lists my company as the owner. Can I get a TPD (Temporary Admission Document)? Will I need a KBis extract or a power of attorney?!? Thanks for your help. Worst case, I can add my personal name as a co-owner on the registration, but that would be a real shame!

Hi, I’m writing to ask for some info—I’ve heard that you **must** have travel insurance to land in Zanzibar. What’s the process, and which insurance should I get? Thanks in advance for your feedback! Best, Seb

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 there,

I bought a one-way flight (Ryanair) and a return flight (EasyJet) to spend a week in Morocco in April. My passport expires 3 weeks after the return date. Some websites say the passport must be valid for 3 months at the time of entry. However, it will still be valid both on entry and return, but its validity will only be 1 month at the time of entry (and 3 weeks on the return date, everything prepaid).

It's an individual family trip.

The consulate can't give me an answer—they're still looking into it (really!)

Will Ryanair let me board in Beauvais in 3 weeks?

Thanks for your advice—this is a bit urgent 😕😕😕😕

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 there,

My partner, our 8-year-old daughter, and I are going on vacation to Gex.

We’ve decided to spend one day in Switzerland and another in Italy. Will we need ID (national ID card or passport)? Do we also need ID for our daughter?

Thanks so much for your answers! 🙂

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.

Hello, We’ll soon be moving to Madagascar long-term. As a French national, I need to obtain a short-stay visa that can be converted to a long-stay one. To do this, I have to send the required documents to the Madagascar embassy in Paris. No issues with that procedure so far. If I get this visa, once I arrive in Madagascar, I’ll need to provide the same documents to the Ministry of the Interior in Anosy. I’m trying to find an email address or website for the Ministry to check which documents I need to submit (I think they ask for additional ones). If you have any info on this, I’d appreciate your replies. Best regards, M. Buisson Eric

Hi there,

I’d like to know if anyone has already applied for a private visa to Russia with an invitation from a Russian resident. I traveled earlier this year with an e-visa, but since I want to stay longer, I’ll be visiting my friend who lives in eastern Russia. For the visa application, does the invitation need to be on an official paper form issued by the Russian ministry? And most importantly, do I need to present the original for the application, or is there an electronic version that can be sent directly to the consulate in France? Thanks for any info if you’ve gone through this process before!

Best regards,

Gilles

I filled out the B2 form to apply for a visa, created an account on Atvis to pay the visa fees and schedule a meet-up, but every time I try to pay with my Boursobank Visa 1st card, they refuse the payment with a message telling me to check my details (address), even though everything is correct. Does anyone know why this is happening, or maybe they don’t accept Visa cards? Are you aware of this? Thanks for your feedback! Elisabeth

Hi,

There are rumors going around about the ETA: it must absolutely be on your smartphone in the "ETA" app.

Paper documents might not be accepted. Is this real or just a hoax? Thanks, I’m leaving in 3 weeks. My passport is good to go and my ETA is still valid for a year, but I only printed the email I received. Thanks everyone.

Hi there, We need to apply for a B2 visa because we visited Iran in 2018. It currently costs $185, but they’re planning an additional $250 fee per person for the same visa—it’s been approved but not yet implemented. Does anyone know when this fee will take effect? Thanks in advance! Elisabeth

Hi there, In November, we're heading off on a 4-month trip. We'll be landing in China and plan to leave the country via a land border into Vietnam. I’ve read that China may ask for proof of exit within 30 days (flight ticket or other reservation). Since we’d be leaving by land, I’m wondering how this works in practice. Has anyone here been in this situation recently?

Did the airline ask for an exit ticket before boarding? Did Chinese authorities require proof upon arrival? Is a train/bus ticket to Vietnam sufficient? Is a cancelable or flexible reservation accepted?

Thanks for sharing your experiences! 😊