When planning a trip abroad, foreign people almost always require a visa. For most, Schengen is well acquainted, who opens most of Europe), but in fact there are a lot of visas - let's try to figure out which ones are easier to obtain and which ones are a bit more complicated.
From simple to complex: where to start trips abroad
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Schengen
It is rightly considered the easiest visa to receive. Recently, the rules have changed a bit, and many countries that used to issue long-term visas immediately (Greece, Spain) have become stricter, but if you travel to Europe regularly, there will be less and less issues with getting a new visa.
The main thing to remember about Schengen visas:
- It must be "rolled back". If you received a Schengen visa at the Estonian consulate, but you haven’t been to Estonia during the Schengen period, visa officers may be offended the next time.
- The rule of the first entry: the first on the trip should be the country at the consulate of which you received the Schengen. If it does not become the first because of the route, you should spend the maximum time in it for the entire duration. For example, if you received Finnish Schengen and went to Berlin, Hamburg, Paris and Oslo during its term, the total time spent in all 4 cities should be less than in Finland.
Yes, many people think that this rule is optional: there are many cases when a person with a still not open German Schengen was quietly allowed into the border with Estonia. However, it is better to play it safe: some countries are famous for their rigor and will be very picky here (according to reviews, these are Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium).
If you have 1-2 Schengen in your asset, correctly “rolled back” - the chances of getting stricter visas are significantly increased.
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Ireland, UK, Japan
Of course, it is better not to submit an “empty” foreign passport to the consulates of these countries. Let you have several successful trips abroad, give yourself as an experienced tourist who wants to expand his horizons when he sees Big Ben, Connemara and Fuji.
In general, the consulates of these countries to foreign tourists are quite loyal - in order to get their visas, you need to observe 2 main rules:
- Correctly determine the type of visa! Short-term tourism, long-term training - all the nuances matter.
- Reassure the visa officer that you are not planning on immigrating. Anything that can “tie” you to your country will come in handy: student status, certificate of employment (especially if you have been working there for several years), property recorded on you (especially real estate), personal business, marriage and children (spouse and family remain in home country) etc. The less doubt there is that you are traveling exclusively as a tourist and do not plan to stay there, having quietly got rid of the tourist group, the higher the chance of getting a visa.
Visas of Great Britain and Ireland serve as a kind of pass for obtaining the following visas on this list.
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USA and Canada
The cherished dream of emigrants around the world is why the country is so attentive, meticulous and merciless to issuing visas, even short-term tourist ones. If you are over 18 years old and you have an “empty” foreign passport - you will waste your money on applying for it, the chance to get a visa here is very small. Moreover, the United States does not provide explanations for visa refusals, does not explain the reasons (in contrast to the more polite in this regard, the UK).
If you are already an experienced traveler, you can boast of a collection of Schengen and visas to countries such as the UK and Ireland - it is worth giving. Remember that crossing borders with countries visa-free for your country is not considered international tourism for the United States. But if you got an American visa, there shouldn’t be any Canadian problems at all - these countries have a single visa database, so success in one country almost automatically promises success in another.
In general, the basic rule here is the same as for Britain and Ireland: convince the visa officer that you do not plan immigration and really want to return to your native country after the trip.
Of course, not a single agency will give you a 100% guarantee - but the first step on the road to success is to collect information!
