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Suppose you forgot to apply for entry visa to a country (or maybe you though you didn't need it), and you took a flight and got off the plane in that country. Maybe you realized during the flight or upon arrival that you should have applied for visa. What will happen? Is it possible they'll process a quick visa after you provide enough documents and maybe pay a hefty fee? Or will you ask you to take a flight back to where you came from?---in which case, will you have to pay the airfare for the return trip? Just curious.
Some countries allow for on demand visas and can probably accommodate you if you somehow made it there without a visa. Vietnam, for example, allows Americans to get visas at the airport although they cost more. Others, like China, will not and if you get there without a visa they will turn you away. You don't necessarily have to go back where you came from though, and of course you have to pay for your travel.
I am not sure if you can even leave your own country without a visa for the destination country. Maybe possible between different Asian or African countries, though.
As above. For countries with strict visa regulations the airlines often check to make sure you have the visas at the point of departure, before allowing you to board the plane.
I remember flying from Georgia (the country, not the state) to Dubai and at the check in desk the attendant queried why I didn't have a visa for the UAE and I pointed out that US citizens get visa on arrival in the UAE (but many other countries don't, which is why she didn't know and was asking me). The attendant called someone to verify what I'd said before checking me in.
Some countries allow visas as you arrive, depending on the country you're originating from. In Uganda you pay $50 for a visa when you arrive. Visas for Thailand are free if you are there under 30 days. I will have to apply ahead of time for a 60 day visa before we go next November though. For Australia you pay a small fee ahead of time.
Some countries make sure the airlines check your passport before you leave the country of origin to make sure you have the correct visa. Other countries allow you to get a visa upon entry to their country. If one arrives in a country without a valid/correct visa than one could be jailed and/or deported. I know someone that was issued a visa to Australia and then mid-flight there, the Australian Government decided to revoke his visa. Upon arrival, he was jailed but after 24 hours (and the bureaucratic mess was sorted out) he was released and allowed to continue his trip within Australia.
I have never gotten on a flight to a foreign country where my passport and visa weren't checked before I boarded. Airlines simply will refuse to carry you if your documentation isn't in order.
The exception is countries like French Polynesia and Turkey where you are issued a visa on arrival. In this case, only your passport is checked for validity before you board the airplane.
I have several times seen airlines refuse passengers at the gate because they didn't have the right visa or didn't have enough time left on their pasport. (Most countries require you to have at least six months remaining on the passport to enter.)
If you are refused at the gate, you don't get a refund, and your travel insurance won't pay either, as this is your responibility to handle before you leave.
If you do have the appropriate documentation but are refused entry at the point of arrival (ie they determine you are entering for the purpose of work and don't have the right work visa) they will turn you away and the carrier will put you in a seat on the next flight with an available seat. Usually this is the next flight, unless it's a holiday period, in which case you can literally be stuck at the airport for a few days. There isn't a charge for the return fare, as the airline is supposed to be responsible to not allow you on the plane to begin with if you aren't entering legally.
I have never gotten on a flight to a foreign country where my passport and visa weren't checked before I boarded. Airlines simply will refuse to carry you if your documentation isn't in order.
The exception is countries like French Polynesia and Turkey where you are issued a visa on arrival. In this case, only your passport is checked for validity before you board the airplane.
I have several times seen airlines refuse passengers at the gate because they didn't have the right visa or didn't have enough time left on their pasport. (Most countries require you to have at least six months remaining on the passport to enter.)
If you are refused at the gate, you don't get a refund, and your travel insurance won't pay either, as this is your responibility to handle before you leave.
If you do have the appropriate documentation but are refused entry at the point of arrival (ie they determine you are entering for the purpose of work and don't have the right work visa) they will turn you away and the carrier will put you in a seat on the next flight with an available seat. Usually this is the next flight, unless it's a holiday period, in which case you can literally be stuck at the airport for a few days. There isn't a charge for the return fare, as the airline is supposed to be responsible to not allow you on the plane to begin with if you aren't entering legally.
LOL, my wife and her sister flew to Greece without having even valid passports, they had been expired for years. It took them a number of hours just to get out of the airport (a cousin met them there, and, um, 'convinced' the officials to let them through). They were supposed to go directly to the American embassy to get new passports issued, but by the time they got out of the airport, the embassy was closed so they went on to their destination instead (a small village called Lamia, I think...or something like that). Eventually, they got things straightened out.
A friend of ours flew to Italy on an expired passport (one week expired!). She forgot about the approaching renewal deadline.
When she arrived in Italy the customs saw that her passport was past the expiration date and refused to let her into the country, even though she was a regular traveler to Italy. She had to wait at the airport until a seat was found for her on a returning flight, and yes, it was the airline that had to carry the cost. Apparently the airline was forced to hold back the next plane back to the US until a seat was found for her.
She was completely embarrassed by the whole procedure.
I have heard stories from other travelers, usually young backpackers, who took the risk and went to smaller, remote countries without the appropriate visas and were able to get a visa at the airport/border crossing. This includes Syria (pre civil war), Burma and various Central Asian countries. The success of this method probably depends on having the right customs officer in the right place at the right time, so it should never be attempted unless you're a risk taker and willing to wait a long time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zymer
LOL, my wife and her sister flew to Greece without having even valid passports, they had been expired for years. It took them a number of hours just to get out of the airport (a cousin met them there, and, um, 'convinced' the officials to let them through). They were supposed to go directly to the American embassy to get new passports issued, but by the time they got out of the airport, the embassy was closed so they went on to their destination instead (a small village called Lamia, I think...or something like that). Eventually, they got things straightened out.
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