What is the difference between visa-free and visa-on-arrival?

Friends who often go abroad or know about visas all know this. Visa-free and visa-on-arrival are mentioned together because both are very convenient. You can go to your destination by buying a ticket. In fact, there is still a difference between the two. Just because you don’t need to apply for a visa again doesn’t mean you have no worries. How much do you know about visas and visas on arrival?

Visa exemption VS visa on arrival

Visa exemption and visa on arrival are always put together. They are all destinations that you can go to just by picking up your passport and buying a ticket. In fact, they are very different.

To put it bluntly, visa-free means "visa-free", that is, visa-free from beginning to end. You can enter the country directly within a certain period of time with your passport, which is super easy to understand. What you need to pay attention to is the entry time limit. Most visa exemptions are only for tourism. If you want to work or study, you still need to apply for a visa specifically.

A visa is not required for exiting the country on arrival, but when you get off the plane and enter the country, you need to submit materials and fees and apply for a visa directly at the entry customs. Although the probability is low, it is possible to be refused entry with any visa form. Please also carry relevant certificates and documents with you and carefully abide by the entry regulations of your destination.

Visa-free

As the name suggests, you do not need to apply for a visa to enter the destination country or region. That is, as long as you hold a valid identity document (passport), you can freely enter and exit the country or region. The biggest advantage of visa exemption is that it eliminates the application and visa processing process, which greatly improves convenience. For example, countries that offer visa exemption to China include Serbia, Seychelles, Mauritius, etc.

However, visa exemption is not unconditional. Not everyone can enter and exit the country at will with their passport. They are required. Before traveling abroad, you must first study the relevant policies and requirements of the country's "visa exemption".

1. Not all private passports are visa-free. In some countries, it is normal for group travel to be visa-free, such as Russia, while in some countries only diplomatic passports, official passports, ordinary business passports, etc. are allowed. Such as Georgia. Chinese citizens traveling to these countries with private passports need to apply for a visa in advance.

2. Unilateral visa exemption. In order to promote the development of tourism, many countries or regions in the world unilaterally grant visa-free treatment to other countries, such as Saipan in the United States and Jeju Island in South Korea. Although these areas can be said to have left, the local immigration bureau still has the right to refuse your entry, for example, if your travel documents are incomplete or you are suspected of immigrating.

3. Visa exemption is also conditional. It's not like you can come and go as you please, like at home. For example, there are 9 ports in Indonesia that provide visa-free services to Chinese tourists, and other ports can apply for visa on arrival. Even the visa-free ports are divided into visa-free and visa-on-arrival channels. If you go to the wrong port, you will not enjoy the visa-free treatment. For example, San Marino is visa-free for China, but if you want to enter San Marino, a country surrounded by Italy, you must first go to Italy, so you must first have a Schengen visa. In addition, many countries have similar requirements for visa exemptions. For example, the passport must be valid for more than 6 months, and hotel reservation information for return tickets must be presented, otherwise the right to refuse entry is granted.

4. Visa-free transit. Some countries add the word "transit" in front of "visa-free". This does not mean that this country implements visa-free treatment for Chinese citizens, but that under certain conditions (mostly transiting third countries), you can enjoy visa-free treatment for a certain period of time by providing relevant travel certificates, such as Singapore.

Visa on arrival

In addition to visa exemption, there is also a more convenient visa policy, namely "visa on arrival", which means that there is no need to apply for a visa in advance. When you arrive at the customs of your destination country, you can apply for a visa to be admitted according to the regulations and requirements. There are many such countries, such as Maldives, Nepal, and Thailand.

However, a visa on arrival does not mean visa exemption, nor does it necessarily mean that a visa will be issued on arrival. You need to meet the requirements of the destination country and visa on arrival, such as port of entry, invitation letter, address information, departure air ticket, proof of financial resources, etc. to get a visa. If

1. Not all visas on arrival and Chinese border inspections will be released. Because some countries issue unilateral visas on arrival without approval from China's border inspection or airlines, they will be refused exit at the airport's departure point, such as Malaysia. Malaysia is not on the release list of China's border inspection, so it requires an entry permit from a third country or region.

2. Visa on arrival is also conditional. There are many types of visas on arrival, some are paid, some are free, some can be signed upon arrival, and there are various requirements. For example, for visa on arrival in Myanmar, applications are limited to Yangon International Airport and Mandalay International Airport. For visa on arrival in Iran, you need to provide an invitation letter issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran. For visa on arrival in Egypt, it cannot be a white passport, etc.

: Inventory of some countries that are visa-free for China

1. There are 11 countries that exempt ordinary passports and visas from each other, including the United Arab Emirates, Barbados, Bahamas, Ecuador, Fiji, Grenada, Mauritius, Republic of San Marino, Seychelles, Serbia and Tonga.

2. Countries that unilaterally allow Chinese citizens to enter visa-free include: French Reunion Island, South Korea (Jeju Island and other places), Mariana Islands (Saipan and other places), Samoa and French Polynesia. Antigua and Barbuda, Haiti, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (British Overseas Territory), Turks and Caicos Islands (British Overseas Territory), Jamaica and Dominica.

Pay attention to details

Visa-free countries basically have one thing in common, that is, they need a passport, and the time of entry and stay is limited, generally no more than 30 days, and no more than 3 months at most. . We need to pay attention to this and not exceed the time limit.

The above is the list of visa-free countries listed by Bianxiao Train Network. After reading this, if you have a country you want to visit, you can apply for a passport to visit.

Tag

I saw it in some comments of editors and visa-on-arrival, saying that the names of countries (regions) that we can now enjoy visa-free and visa-on-arrival look good. strangeness. It is true that we still need a visa to travel to some countries that everyone thinks are big tourist countries, but in fact the visa policy is also developing towards multi-year visas, which is a good thing.

The editor believes that there are good and bad destinations. Many places have their own characteristics, but many people just don’t understand them. For example, the traveler's bible "Lonely Planet" counts every year the countries (regions) listed on the next year's destination list. I believe that many of you here have heard of these names for the first time. One of the meanings of travel is exploration and discovery. Don’t reject or reject it just because you don’t understand it, and don’t look down on a destination. Of course, travel safety comes first. I also wish everyone to have more fun in a fun world.