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!

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

Hey everyone, hope you're doing well! :) I’m planning to go back to Thailand at the start of next year—once just wasn’t enough 😅 I’ve seen that nothing’s official yet, but they’re considering reducing the visa-free stay from 60 to 30 days. If I book for 58 days like last time and they change the rules last minute, what happens? It takes forever to get a visa—I saw you have to prove you have enough funds to cover your stay. How much money do you need in your account? Thanks!

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

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 planning to retire in Agadir in 2026, preferably in a furnished rental not too far from the souk and the sea. I’ll be bringing my two African grey parrots and two cats. I’d like to know what formalities I need to take care of, and if I transfer my pension to Agadir, which bank would you recommend? What about health insurance? Is the healthcare system good there? I’ll have around 2000 € in retirement income. Do you know of any rental agencies that work with French expats? Any advice would be greatly appreciated—I’m planning to visit for a week next year to check things out. Thanks in advance for your tips!

Best regards, Lorraine

Hi everyone, We’re leaving for Australia soon and renting a car for the different legs of our trip. We have our French license plus the international driving permit, but I read in the rental agency’s rules that they require an international permit written in English. However, on the "France Diplomatie" website, it doesn’t mention that the international permit has to be in English.

For those of you who’ve already been to Australia—can you confirm whether our French-language international driving permit is enough, or should I get an urgent translation?

Thanks for your feedback—takeoff is August 20th!🤪

Hi, I have to leave for Bali and I’ve got a problem. We’re traveling as a family, but when my partner filled out our daughter’s ticket, they only put one last name, even though she has both—mine and her dad’s—on her passport. I tried to fix it to make sure everything’s correct, but the airline won’t do anything about it. Do you think this will be an issue at boarding?

Hi there, We’re planning our trip and want to spend 3 MONTHS in Madagascar, but we’re getting really conflicting info about visas. Apparently, it’s not possible to get one at the airport. We contacted the consulate in Marseille… and they don’t know either. The phone number for the embassy in Paris is no longer in service… Anyway… help! If anyone’s gotten a 3-month visa, could you shed some light on this for us? Thanks so much.

Hi, I’m arriving soon in southern Laos and the 4000 Islands, with plans to head to Cambodia next. The latest news I got this morning (Paksé, La Boulange) isn’t great—the Cambodian border is also in a latent conflict with Laos for the same reasons as with Thailand...

So, what’s the best site to check for updates on the border opening? Since the situation isn’t stable right now and could change from one day to the next?

Thanks for your input.

Hi there, My departure is slowly approaching, and now that I’ve got my Russian visa sorted, I’m fine-tuning the rest of my trip to Tajikistan. Since the Tajik visa is no longer required for stays under 30 days (for French nationals), I’ll need to visit the Ministry of Interior (OVIR) to register within 10 days of entering the country. No big deal, though, since I had to go there anyway to apply for my GBAO permit. 😉 However, I’ve *seen* several reports from travelers (mostly motorized) mentioning that you need an entry permit for Kyrgyzstan, which has to be arranged in advance at the Kyrgyz Ministry (consulate?) in Dushanbe. Otherwise, you’re *stuck* at the Kyzyl-Art border (with no Wi-Fi, of course, to try and sort it out). The most recent report was from a year ago, so I’d love to know if this is still the case and if it’s indeed at the Kyrgyz Ministry (consulate?) where you need to go for this pre-authorization. Does anyone have any recent info on this? Thanks in advance!

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! 😊

Good evening, I booked a one-month stay in an Airbnb in Thailand. Is the booking confirmation enough for the 3-month single-entry tourist visa?

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 there,

We’re heading to Southeast Asia for several months as a family with two teens (10 and 13). The first country we’re visiting is Cambodia. I’m having an issue with the e-visa—it won’t accept any of the documents I’m attaching. I’ve validated all four e-visas and received the registration numbers, but when I check the application, it shows no attachments. I’ve tried multiple times in different formats (PDF, JPEG, PNG), whether compressed or not, but there’s always a red cross next to the documents.

Has anyone else run into this problem?

Thanks for your help—I’m losing patience, and our departure is in 15 DAYS 😕

Magos

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

Hi everyone, I’m heading to the United States in August, specifically Grand Junction, Colorado, and I’d love to hear about your experiences with renting a car in this slightly tricky situation:

I still have my old French driver’s license (the pink paper version, still valid),

I didn’t have time to get an International Driving Permit (IDP),

And I plan to use a Visa debit card, not a credit card.

I’ve booked a car with Budget. I’ve seen that they *can* accept debit cards under certain conditions, especially at airport locations, but there are often high hold amounts for the deposit, and sometimes requirements like a return ticket or an extra ID. - Has anyone rented a car in the US under these conditions before? - Was the paper license accepted without any issues? - Did the debit card cause problems when putting down the security deposit? Any tips, personal stories, or warnings are super welcome! 😊 Thanks in advance!

Hi, I just had a really bad experience leaving for Thailand with Etihad Airways, along with my partner and her 11-year-old son. We were denied boarding because the child’s passport was invalid (by about 3 days), as it’s indeed required to have 6 months of validity. But come on—just 3 days over! On top of that, we were able to check in online for our round-trip flight (just the flights, no extras), entered our passport numbers and expiry dates, and even had to check in online again 30 hours before departure, where we got our boarding passes without any issues. How is it possible that no one called, warned, or even blocked us online? Instead, they waited to tell us at the airport during baggage check-in. I’ve asked the airline for a full refund of our expenses—do I have any chance? Thanks for your help

Hi everyone, We’re French and we’d like to visit Algeria, especially Kabylie, for a stay of about ten days. We’ll be renting a car (which are the best car rental agencies?)

It seems that to get a tourist visa for less than 90 days, we need to show proof of accommodation + a flight confirmation from France to Algiers. (Which hotels in Algiers do you recommend? And which airlines?)

What should we do if the visa is ultimately refused? It’s not ideal if the response takes 2 months and we have to cancel the hotel and flight.

What do you suggest we do? What are the best practices?

Thanks in advance! Patrick from Nantes

Hi there,

1) I’d love to get some recent info on crossing this border. We’ll be entering Cambodia through Siem Reap Airport with an e-visa (electronic visa), and I’d like to know if we’ll be able to leave Cambodia through this border crossing without any issues using this type of visa.

2) I’m also looking for info (company names and schedules) on public transport options to Battambang/Pailin and then to Ben Pakkad/Chantaburi. Or, since there’ll be six of us (5 adults and 1 young child), would it be better to go for a taxi instead? If so, I’d appreciate recommendations for reliable taxi companies. Price isn’t a deal-breaker for the taxi option.

Thanks in advance!

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 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?

Hi everyone!

So happy the forum is back—I’ve been part of it since 2012! ☺️

After lots of twists and turns with Sri Lanka’s visa (called ETA) over the past few months, here’s a quick recap of the current situation for travelers:

- You need to get an ETA, either online or on arrival. I recommend doing it online because it’s cheaper (here’s a step-by-step guide to avoid common pitfalls: https://www.tongsetsrilanka.com/mode-demploi-pour-eta-au-sri-lanka)

- It’s valid for 30 days and costs $50 online or $60 on arrival.

- It was supposed to be free starting October 1st, but due to the elections and Parliament being dissolved, that didn’t happen. Stay tuned in December in case the topic comes up again.

- The online ETA is recorded in your passport, so you don’t need to show any documents, but I’d still recommend traveling with the confirmation.

- If you didn’t receive the confirmation email, you can check the status on the official ETA website.

- The only official site is eta.gov.lk. Watch out for agency websites pretending to be the official one.

- Avoid filling out your ETA on the French version—it’s buggy. Use my guide and do it in English instead. 😅

Happy travels! Caroline

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 everyone

We’ll be applying for a retiree OA visa by September. For our part, we’ll head back to France for a bit and return a month BEFORE our current OA visa expires to renew it at immigration. We’ve emailed several immigration offices but haven’t gotten any responses. We’ve searched online for info but haven’t found anything. What we’re really interested in is knowing which documents they’ll ask for at the immigration office in Phang Nga, for example, for our renewal. We’ve seen all the paperwork needed for the initial OA visa on the official online visa application site... but for the renewal, do we need to provide ALL the same documents? Thanks in advance

Hello, HAPPY NEW YEAR 2026! We’re heading back in October for a trip through Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. I have a question: for our route, we’ll need to cross the Zambia and Zimbabwe borders twice each. From experience, I know we won’t have any issues with Botswana. But for the other two countries, I can’t find a clear answer. All your tips are welcome!

Thanks for your replies

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, do you have a contact to receive my 4x4 in Cap de la Réunion? Thanks

Hi there, I'm in Paris and looking to exchange some Tugrik bills. Maybe someone has some they brought back? Thanks so much! Have a great day

Hello, I’m a divorced mom with a 12-year-old, planning to take the train from France to London for a 5-day trip over Christmas. My question: is it mandatory to present the father’s authorization (which I’ll probably never get)? I’ve heard so many different stories from people who’ve already traveled—I’m totally lost. Please share your experiences!

Have a great day