Visas & paperwork

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 everyone, we’re driving to Austria via Switzerland and we’d love some clarity on the highway stickers and tolls. Do we need one sticker to enter Austria and another for the tolls? I’m a bit lost here. Gigi

Hi there,

I’m planning to apply for my UK ETA soon and I’d like to know if I need to have a digital ID photo ready already or if the British government’s app takes a photo of us.

I read that the app will ask us to scan our face and take a photo, but on the official site, they just say to have a digital photo available.

So to avoid paying a photographer for nothing, has anyone already applied for their ETA using the app?

Thanks in advance

Hi, could someone tell me about the administrative procedures and required vaccines for traveling to South Africa? Thanks

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

for China, the 30-day visa exemption is valid until the end of December 2025. What if I want to leave in January 2026?

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, 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.

Hi there,

I’m planning to hike the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) in the U.S. this year, starting in mid-April. For those who aren’t familiar, it’s a long-distance trek across the U.S., stretching from the Mexican border all the way to Canada. It’s about 4,250 km to cover, usually taking 4-5 months (I’ve budgeted 5 months for myself). The route takes you through stunning landscapes—think 6 different ecosystems, 7 national parks, 25 forests, and dozens of lakes and rivers. I was looking for a multi-month trek, and this one sold me the dream. I’m determined, a lover of wild nature and challenges, and I think about it every day. Nothing’s going to stop me from doing it—except, maybe, that infamous B2 visa.

Here’s my problem: I’ve read a lot online about this visa, and to maximize my chances of getting it, I basically need to: - Provide clear and coherent explanations for my trip (so far, so good) - Prove sufficient financial means (still okay, even though I’m not rich) - Show proof that I’ll return to my home country after the 6 months granted by the visa (employment promise, work contract, property ownership) (uh-oh… this is where it gets tricky)

The thing is, I’m a professional musician, and I don’t have a stable job. I make a living by performing at concerts and giving private saxophone lessons, but I mostly work under the table. I’ve also worked in restaurants for a long time, but same issue. I don’t own an apartment or a house, but I rent a music studio in an artist’s workshop, and I’m currently living with my dad. I have strong family ties in Paris (like my parents or grandparents). I also have an uncle who lives in Seattle, and I plan to visit him at the end of my trek.

- What do you think my chances are of getting the visa? - Do you think I should lie? (I’ve built a great relationship with my former boss, and I thought maybe I could ask her for a fake employment promise—but I’m not sure she’d agree, or I could forge one myself?) - Any advice?

Any tips would be welcome. This is really weighing on me day by day, and I’m so afraid my dream will be ruined because of it…

Thanks to everyone who takes the time to help me

Hi there, I need to apply for an ESTA: we’ll be on a cruise from Barcelona and will have a stopover in San Diego before disembarking two days later in Los Angeles. From there, we’ll continue our trip on our own, all the way to Las Vegas, where we’ll catch our flight back to Paris. So our point of entry into the U.S. will be San Diego. The form then asks if we’re in transit, and if not, to provide contact details for a U.S. contact (hotel or otherwise). But we don’t yet know what we’ll be doing there—we’ll actually be traveling around since we’re heading to San Francisco and Las Vegas without any prior reservations. What should we do since I don’t see any option that matches our trip? Thanks in advance for your help. Have a great Sunday, everyone.

Hello everyone, I’m going on a trip to Egypt, and I booked it through a travel agency (Fram). The trip is in October... After reading my contract more closely, I saw that the visa would cost me 95 €, but if I apply for it in advance, it’ll only be around 25 €. I can’t find the link that lets me do it myself, for a fee of course. Can anyone help me? Thanks a million!

Hi,

I’m leaving for Morocco on 18/10 with my wife and daughter. I’ll be returning to France on 25/10. My daughter’s passport expires on 30/11, which is less than 90 days before we return to France.

Can I still travel to Morocco with my daughter?

Thanks

Hey Fellow Travelers,

I was caught off guard when the Malagasy consulate in Scandinavia informed me they don’t issue entry visas for Madagascar—what’s the point of a consulate, I wonder! They advised me to apply at the Malagasy embassy in London. So, I started filling out the online form, but the price for the visa made me do a double-take: nearly 200 €!

But apparently, you can also get it on arrival! Has anyone tried this before? I’d love to know if the process takes a long time (I’ll be landing in Nosy Be, exhausted after nearly 15 hours of travel), what the cost is, and—since corruption isn’t just a word—whether you absolutely have to grease the palm of the official(s). This is because I almost took the next flight back when I arrived in a country I won’t name. Even though all my documents were in order—passport, visa, vaccinations, hotel reservation—the immigration officer initially refused to stamp my passport. I later found out I was supposed to slip at least $10 into the document when presenting it... Thanks! /d

hi

we’ve got a 16-hour layover at Shanghai Airport in March 2026—is it easy to leave and come back? Do we still need a visa? Or do we have to return to clear customs? Do we need to buy another ticket? Thanks for your help

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share my experience in case it helps others. I applied for an ESTA to travel to the United States, but unfortunately, it was denied because I checked a "Yes" box by mistake. I then tried contacting several numbers I found here on the forum for help or to find out how to reset my ESTA application, but most of them no longer work. One of the numbers I called wasn’t even assigned (it came from a 2015 discussion). I also tried reaching the U.S. Embassy in Paris, but they told me to apply for a visa instead.

If anyone knows the correct official number or procedure to reset a denied ESTA application, I’d really appreciate it. My departure is in 2 weeks, and I won’t have time to get a visa.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Numbers I’ve already contacted: 202-325-7171 202-325-8000 1-202-877-227-5511

Non-working number found on the forum: 00 1 2023443710

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,

I just booked my round-trip flight ticket to visit Cuba for two months, from January to March 2025. I’ve heard about the challenges Cubans are facing and the recent changes the island has gone through—economically (like the end of the dual-currency system) and administratively (the introduction of an e-visa)...

This is my first time visiting the country, so I’m still figuring out all the administrative steps I need to take before I go.

1) Can I apply for the electronic e-visa now (still 22 €?) from home on the website evisacuba.cu?

2) I read that I need to fill out a form 48 hours before departure on the site dviajeros.mitrans.gol-.cu/inicio. Is it possible to do this now to save time?

3) I’m a bit confused about the currency. From what I understand, there’s now only the Cuban Peso. Should I exchange my euros at the airport, or wait until I arrive at the *casas particulares* in Havana that I’ve already booked and ask the owner?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Hi there. I hold a 60-day C1 visa obtained online in early April, and I’ve been in Indonesia since April 14th. I’d like to extend my visa, something I thought was possible online under the same conditions as when I got the visa—but oh no! I realize first that I can’t find my visa on the immigration website with the requested details (passport number, date of birth, nationality)... and also that it seems a sponsor is required for the C1 visa, not only for the extension but even for the initial visa application, which wasn’t asked of me before!!!! So, I’m wondering how I should go about getting this extension... Has anyone gone through this experience? What solutions might there be, given I only have two weeks left to sort this out... Thanks for your helpful feedback

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.

hi, and help! I need to complete my TDAC, but the site is stuck on page 2 under Accommodation Information: I can't fill in the "province" field—it's mandatory! I enter Bangkok, but when I scroll down to add the address... everything disappears.

What should I do? Thanks for your help! Elisabeth

Hi there, I’m heading to Vietnam for 10 days, from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, and then spending 5 days in Cambodia (Siem Reap). Which SIM card or operator would you recommend? Thanks for your help!

Hi there, We're heading to Japan in November and planning to rent a car. According to the Japanese embassy, the rules for translating the license have changed. You can no longer do it from France since April 1st. Has anyone already tried the new process?

Hello everyone, I’m going on a tourist trip to Canada (Quebec) on September 1st. I filled out an eTA application 10 days ago but made a mistake on my passport number. I submitted a new application and had to send a copy of my passport, which I did correctly (unfortunately, I didn’t take a screenshot as proof). The next day, my eTA was refused! I made a third application this past Saturday, August 16th, and they confirmed receipt, but it’s now Monday evening and I still haven’t heard anything! I’m starting to seriously panic. It’s absolutely impossible to get help from a real person online! The Canadian Embassy in Brussels doesn’t handle eTA applications at all! I don’t know what to do. Can anyone help me, please? Thanks in advance 😢

hi I’ve got a flight planned for mid-November from Chennai, India, to Chiang Rai with AirAsia via Bangkok, obviously. My question is: where do I go through immigration—Bangkok or Chiang Rai? Thanks in advance, Christian

Hi there, I’ll be in Chile in 15 days, and I just found out I need to register my mobile phone on the multibanda site. Can I do this before I leave, or do I have to wait until I’m in Chile? Thanks for your help!

Hi everyone, My question is simple. Do you need an international driver's permit in Thailand to ride a basic scooter?

Hello,

I’ve heard a lot about WISE for low-cost money transfers (booking/paying for safari services). I’m looking for feedback from people who’ve actually used WISE to pay at a restaurant or withdraw local cash from an ATM.

Could you share what you consider the "pros" and "cons" of the WISE debit card compared to a traditional bank card? Also, do you think there are any risks? If so, what are they? Thanks in advance for shedding some light on this—I’m only interested in firsthand experiences.

Thanks!

...

Hello,

Vietnamese authorities have just extended the 45-day visa exemption, which was initially set to end in mid-March 2025, until March 14, 2028.

Belarus is no longer part of this scheme.

Additionally, until the end of this year for now, the exemption has been extended to three new countries: Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Poland.

After that, make sure to check the new conditions before booking a flight or trip.

Best regards,

Partirdeloin

Hi, as an NRI with a European passport and OCI, can I get a credit card or debit card that offers services and benefits? What are all the requirements, please? Thanks for your reply, best regards

Help,

We're looking for insurance for our vehicle that we're taking to Southern Africa for our 6-month trip. Thanks for your help.