Getting an embassy appointment, visiting in person, filling out numerous physical forms, and sometimes even traveling to a third country to apply for a visa are some challenges we face in obtaining a visa.
But it is good to know that the countries like America, Canada, Germany, England, France, the Arab League, and many members of the Schengen Agreement have made it possible for you to sit at home without having to make an appointment at the embassy and use the Internet to get a visa easily.
Register your visa application online, upload the necessary documents in the designated sections, and receive your visa within a certain period after checking and confirming the documents.
What is an electronic visa?
An electronic visa, also called E-visa, is a visa you apply for online, upload electronic visa documents online, and pay for it online and not in person. If your application is accepted, you will receive it online.
Also, your visa attached to your passport could be picked up for a higher fee.
Advantages and disadvantages of electronic visa
An electronic visa has many benefits for visa applicants and the country itself. Because with the creation of this type of visa, the tasks and the number of visits of applicants to the embassy and consulates will be reduced.
On the other hand, the applicants can do the embassy procedure virtually without having to leave home or receive an appointment at the embassy whenever they have the opportunity. Therefore, cost and time are saved on both sides.
The main advantage of electronic visas is that it is announced through the Governmental e-visa system and on the user panel.
Perhaps an electronic visa is an optimal choice for travelers. However, the creation of this service can cause disadvantages for different countries, which are:
- Identity Theft: Since the entire e-visa application process is done online and the applicant does not appear in person at the embassy, profiteers impersonate the process.
- Forgery of documents: Another possible consequence of creating an electronic visa service is the increase in the forgery of documents, such as travel insurance and bank statement status.
- Failure to collect biometric information: Registration of fingerprints and digital photos of visa applicants is required in many countries. The impossibility of receiving biometric information is another disadvantage of an electronic visa.
What countries have electronic visas?
Before you check which countries offer electronic visas, you should note whether you need a visa to travel to that country. Of course, as you understand, you will need to apply for a visa to travel to many different countries.
Now, the countries that currently have an electronic visa service are:
Armenia – Azerbaijan – Bahrain – Cambodia – Ivory Coast – Egypt – Gabon – Georgia – India – Iran – Kuwait – Kenya – Oman – Laos – Malaysia – Myanmar – New Zealand – Russia – Rwanda – Sao Tome and Principe – Singapore – South Sudan – Saint Kitts And Noyes – Sri Lanka – Tanzania – Turkey – United Arab Emirates – Uganda – Uzbekistan – Zambia – Zimbabwe – member countries of the governmental e-visa System agreement, including the United States, Canada, Germany, France, England, etc., which provide a common system for this issue.
How much does an electronic visa cost?
The cost of an electronic visa is the same as that of the same type of visa requested. Also, since the visa application varies according to the type and country, it is not possible to specify a specific price for the cost of an electronic visa.
But on average, the visas offered on the governmental e-visa system for five hundred dollars for one person. Two hundred and fifty dollars for a companion is paid, including the services: to check and confirm the documents, the interview time of the embassy, and the issuance of an electronic visa.
Another thing that exists is how to pay for an electronic visa, which must be done online through MasterCard credit cards approved by the American federal government.
Electronic visa application procedures
Applying for an e-visa takes a different time depending on the country and the type of visa requested. However, the process can be summarized in 4 steps:
To apply for an electronic visa, you must first ensure that the country offers electronic visa services. Countries with electronic visas make their services available through the government website, and applicants can register their visa applications directly.
Another way to apply for an e-visa is to use intermediary companies that register the e-visa application for you and charge a separate fee for their agency in addition to the official visa fee.
The e-visa documents must be uploaded online in the specified sections, and the online forms must be completed.
In the next step, before your visa application can be processed, you must specify how to pay for your application. Normally, applicants must pay for their visa online.
After paying the electronic visa fee, you must wait for the document review results. You have completed more than 80% of the visa process if approved. Be careful that if the documents are not approved, the system will allow you to replace the documents once.
And you should not make a mistake in registering the documents. After confirming your documents, wait for the embassy to receive the appointment through the system, which is a personal interview.
If you are approved for the interview, a specific page will be shown in the site panel, which will permit you to enter. Finally, make a physical printout of your approved e-visa and present it to the immigration officers when you enter the destination country.
You can also register a non-electronic physical visa application in the governmental e-visa system.
The duration of receiving an electronic visa
Since this article does not discuss a specific visa in a specific country (such as a Canadian tourist visa), it is impossible to specify the duration of receiving an electronic visa.
However, it can be estimated that the status of electronic visas in the Governmental e-visa system is usually less than two months and for nationals of limited countries from 6 to 24 months, depending on the visa application type.
Remember that the individual conditions of each applicant, the type of visa requested, and the framework of the destination country are the main factors determining the duration of your visa issuance.
Final word
Although electronic visas have significant advantages over regular travel visas, many countries do not have electronic visa services or offer them in separate systems, such as Turkey, Qatar, and India, for which we have mentioned some of the reasons.
Even though the number of countries that create electronic visa services in the governmental e-visa system may increase, the visa issuance process for visa applications in countries such as Canada, America, Germany, England, etc., is mainly online.
However, due to the need for biometric registration, it is not a completely online process like electronic visas.