Are you getting ready to travel overseas? Before you get too far ahead of yourself, make sure to get your visa in order. The process may be more complicated than you’d expect.

Not every country requires you to get a visa, but some do, and those require everyone to obtain one, even if you’re just visiting for a few days.

Many destinations will ask for copies of your birth certificate, driver’s license, and passport, which can take time to process.

Even countries with fast developing economies like Brazil, India, Russia and China have some strict rules.

To apply for a tourist visa to India, your passport must be valid for 6 months beyond your travel dates and must contain at least two blank visa pages.

And that may require a new passport.

To apply for a tourist visa to Russia, you first need to get an “invitation.”

This can come from a private individual, or more likely, a travel agency that specializes in that sort of thing.

China requires an invitation from a host or a confirmed hotel reservation.

In some rare cases, Chinese authorities may even require a personal interview.

So make sure you leave enough time to do the research and deal with those unforeseen issues.

Because when it comes to visiting some countries, it’s “no visa, no entry.”

For more helpful tips on dealing with visas and crossing international boundaries, visit our Passports & Customs section.

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