Visas & paperwork

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 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

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,

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

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 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, 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!

Quick message for the visa experts!

I was planning to enter Thailand with an OA visa applied for from France. This one requires mandatory insurance, in short, it’s a bit "restrictive."

I was wondering if you see any issues with this "setup": 1- Enter with a Non-Immigrant O visa (valid for 90 days) applied for from France (relatively easy to obtain) 2- Apply for an extension with multiple entries for one year before the 90 days expire (Extension of Stay Based on Retirement) That way, I don’t have to provide "visa-compliant" health insurance (I’ll get one separately, don’t worry! :)) 3- Renew the extension year after year.

Constraints: - File a presence declaration every 90 days - Don’t forget to request the "multiple re-entry permit" for 3,800 THB - Open a Thai bank account upon arrival + transfer the 800,000 THB

Side question: Can you open a Thai bank account with an O visa, specifically to make the required funds deposit for the extension?

Thanks in advance for your feedback! Olivier

Hi, We're heading to Zanzibar in 6 weeks. I've been stuck for several days on the website https://visa.immigration.go.tz/ because we need to specify whether we're employed or self-employed, but the "employer" and "profession" fields are grayed out. It's a roadblock—I can't move on to the next step. I thought it might be a temporary bug, but that's not the case. I've tried filling out the form on my computer using two different browsers, on my phone, but I keep getting stuck at the same step. I emailed their contact address but haven't heard back. Has this happened to any of you? I don't know how to resolve this issue, especially to get our visas before our departure. Thanks for your help. Stéphanie

Hi everyone,

I’m applying for an O-A Visa from France, and they’re asking for a criminal record extract. In the site’s FAQ, there’s a question that interests me: "I want to present my criminal record extract to the administration of another European Union state. What do I need to provide?" But when I click for the answer, I get a "404 error"... of course 🤪.

My questions are simple: - Is it really the "extrait n°3" that’s required for the O-A Visa application? - Do I need to have it translated into English?

Thanks in advance! Olivier

hi, Is it possible to enter Sri Lanka with a continuation ticket to India without having a valid Indian visa for the planned departure date from Sri Lanka? That way, I could get my visa during my stay in Sri Lanka. I have a valid Indian visa that expires mid-stay, and I can only apply for a new one once the current one has expired. Thanks

Hi there, Just a quick question about filling out the TM6 (TDAC) for Thailand. I'm going for 2 months and 3 weeks (I bought a round-trip ticket) and I'll arrive under the 60-day visa exemption since I didn't get a visa. However, I bought an exit ticket to a neighboring country before the 60 days are up to avoid any hassle at Paris airport. For the TM6, they ask for the return date—what should I put? My actual return date? The website doesn’t give me the option to upload my exit ticket from Thailand. Thanks!

Hi there,

We’re heading to Chile for two weeks at the end of December. I’m traveling with my son (17 years old). His mom, whom I’m divorced from, won’t be with us.

I’ve read on several sites—including official Chilean ones—that a Chilean exit permit is required for minors if they’re not accompanied by both parents. According to these sites, this authorization needs to be done at the Chilean consulate in Paris and then legalized upon arrival in Santiago.

This formality seems really cumbersome for French tourists who arrive together and leave together just two weeks later...

Has anyone here got reliable info on this? Thanks,

Thomas

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 there, I want to visit Nagaland, but now you need the PAP, which you can apply for on the dedicated Indian website. It’s tricky to fill out and on top of that, it’s expensive. Any tips for going through this process? Otherwise, no Hornbill Festival for me! Thanks

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’ve got another little question about filling out the TDAC regarding the address to provide, given that I’m staying for 2 months and 3 weeks and I’ve booked an exit ticket to Malaysia (which I’ll cancel on-site before the 60 days). I’ve booked a hotel for one night, and after that, I’ll be staying at my Thai wife’s house—she lives with me in France and has her ID card with the house address. But her *tabien ban* is still in Thailand. Which address should I put? The hotel for one night or the house address? And in that case, I’m worried they might ask me for the TM30.

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.?

Hello, We’re heading to Cambodia for a trip. We have a 2h50 layover in Ho Chi Minh City on the way out and a 3h45 layover in Hanoi on the way back. Do we need a visa for this transit? Thanks for your help...

India is introducing an electronic arrival card for foreign travelers. The measure is effective for all travelers starting October 1st.

India is now adopting the electronic arrival card. Presenting this "e-Arrival Card" is now mandatory for all arrivals in India as of October 1, 2025. This formality replaces the paper card previously filled out on the plane or upon arrival. India aims to streamline traveler tracking. The requirement applies to travelers of all nationalities, both adults and minors, for all entry points into India. It’s an additional mandatory formality alongside the e-Visa or visa. The e-Arrival Card must be completed online within three days prior to arrival in the country. Available in English only, it’s free and can be done on the official Indian authorities' website. The document is valid only for the declared arrival day. "This means you’ll need to complete it for each new arrival," clarifies RapideVisa, an agency specializing in visa services. Travelers must provide standard information to obtain the document (passport number, purpose of stay, countries visited in the 6 days before arrival, etc.).

Once completed, a document with a QR code to present to authorities upon arrival is generated. With this new system, India aims to facilitate traveler tracking and reduce congestion at airport counters. Nearly 19 million international visitors traveled to India in 2023. Among them, 189,000 were French.

Source: https://www.lechotouristique.com/article/inde-une-nouvelle-formalite-obligatoire-pour-voyager

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WaPqVyUmuY

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

Hello my fellow travelers,

I’m leaving for 43 days in India from January 19, 2026, to March 1. How do I handle my e-visa if I don’t necessarily want a one-year visa? The one-month one will be too short... darn it!!

I just found out there’s an additional formality for the visa that came into effect on October 1. Could someone explain to me what it involves and exactly what I need to do? I’d really appreciate it—thank you so much in advance!

Wishing you all wonderful end-of-year celebrations, and may 2026 be filled with love and travels for each of you.

Régine

Hi everyone,

I’ll be in Bangkok at the end of March and I’m thinking of heading to Chongqing, China, for a few days. I know China has a visa exemption program for French citizens, but a few years ago, I was in South Korea and wanted to go to Shanghai. They wouldn’t let me board because I was departing from Thailand instead of France—basically, the 3-day visa exemption at the time only worked if you were coming from Europe, not Asia. So I lost my flight tickets and accommodations and ended up staying in Seoul.

Now I’d like to give it another shot to visit that wild city, Chongqing. I read on the embassy’s website that "you can travel to China without a visa, even from a third country" (??)... But nothing’s clear—you call them, they don’t answer; you don’t know where to go to ask; and the website talks about 2025, not even 2026 yet. It’s kind of a mess...

If you’ve got any firsthand experience, I’d love to hear it! :)

Thanks everyone,

Can I enter Thailand with a one-way ticket?

Hi there

I’ve received my e-visa for India. Now, if I understand correctly, I need to confirm the status of my ETA. Is the ETA the same as the e-visa? Do I need to print the document? Thanks

Hi there,

Let me explain. I’m cutting it close for arriving around Chinese New Year in Guizhou. There are very few options to maximize (30 days) my stay—otherwise, it’s more like 25 days. I’ve found a "possibility," but for the return flight, the plane is scheduled at 12:50 AM, which is 50 minutes after midnight. So my question is: at what point am I considered "to have left China"? Is it when I clear customs or something else? Thanks.

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

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, Currently in Laos, we’re crossing the land border into Cambodia on January 1, 2026. I’ve read that tips/bribes are everywhere. Can anyone tell me the price of the tourist visa on arrival? Thanks for the info. Mylène