An electronic visa, electronic entry visa or electronic travel authorisation/electronic travel authority (ETA) is a travel permit in an electronic form. It is often required in addition to a valid passport for access into a particular jurisdiction.
Beginning in the 2000s many countries introduced e-visas and electronic travel authorisations (ETAs) as an alternative to traditional visas. An ETA is a kind of pre-arrival registration, which may or may not be officially classified as a visa depending on the issuing jurisdiction, required for foreign travellers who are exempted from obtaining a full visa. In contrast to the procedures that typically apply in regard to proper visas, per which the traveller normally has no recourse if rejected, if an ETA is rejected the traveller can choose to apply for a visa instead. In contrast, an e-visa is simply a visa that travellers can apply for and receive online without visiting the issuing state's consular mission or visa agency.
The following jurisdictions require certain categories of international travellers to hold an ETA or e-visa to clear border controls upon arrival:
as formal international travel. There are arrangements exist for travel between territories controlled by the Republic of China and territories controlled by the People's Republic of China. [d] do not require a visa to enter Hong Kong, but must apply for a pre-arrival registration (PAR) prior to arrival. If not successful, Indian travellers may apply for a visa instead. Taiwanese people are eligible only if they were born in Taiwan or entered Hong Kong as an ROC nationals before, otherwise they should instead apply for an entry permit (a de facto visa) to enter Hong Kong using their Republic of China passport. They may alternatively enter Hong Kong using a Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents issued by Mainland Chinese authorities without any additional permit.
Travellers under the Visa Waiver Programme are required to obtain permission through the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation if arriving in America by air or cruise but not if entering by land or by ferry, using a passport issued by the Government of Bermuda to a British Overseas Territories Citizen, or if entering as a Canadian citizen. Travellers from Brazil normally require a visa to enter Canada, but are eligible to apply for an ETA if they have held a Canadian visa within the 10 years prior to applying, or if they currently hold a valid non-immigrant American visa. Such travellers still may not enter Canada by land or sea without a valid Canadian visa.
An electronic visa (e-Visa or eVisa) is stored in a computer and is linked to the passport number so no label, sticker, or stamp is placed in the passport before travel. The application is done over the internet, and the receipt acts as a visa, which can be printed or stored on a mobile device.
Country | Mode | Universal eligibility | VoA alternative | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
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Pre-approval | X | X | [23] |
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eVisa | ✓ | X | [24] |
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eVisa | X | ✓ | [25] |
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eVisa | ✓ | X | [26] |
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ETA | X | X | [27] |
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eVisa | X | partial | [28] |
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eVisa | X | partial | [29] |
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eVisa | ✓ | X | [30] |
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eVisa | X | ✓ | [31] |
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eVisa | ✓ | ✓ | [32] |
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eVisa | X | partial | [33] |
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eVisa | ✓ | partial | [34] |
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eVisa | ✓ | partial | [35] |
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eVisa | X | X | [36] |
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eVisa | ✓ | X | [37] |
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Pre-approval | ✓ | ✓ | [38] |
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ETA | X | X | [39] |
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eVisa | X | partial | [40] |
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eVisa | X | ✓ | [41] |
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eVisa | ✓ | X | [42] |
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eVisa | X | ✓ | [43] |
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eVisa | X | ✓ | [44] |
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eVisa | X | ✓ | [45] |
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eVisa | ✓ | partial | [46] |
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eVisa | X | ✓ | [47] |
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eVisa | ✓ | X | [48] |
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eVisa | ✓ | ✓ | [49] |
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eVisa | ✓ | ✓ | [50] |
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eVisa | X | X | [51] |
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ETA | X | X | [52] |
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Pre-approval | X | partial | [53] |
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eVisa | ✓ | X | [54] |
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ETA | X | X | [55] |
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eVisa | X | partial | [56] |
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ETA | X | X | [57] |
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eVisa | X | partial | [58] |
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eVisa | X | ✓ | [59] |
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ETA | X | X | [60] |
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eVisa | X | ✓ | [61] |
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eVisa | ✓ | ✓ | |
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eVisa | X | X | [62] |
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eVisa | ✓ | ✓ | [63] |
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eVisa | ✓ | X | [64] |
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eVisa | ✓ | X | [65] |
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eVisa | ✓ | X | [66] |
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eVisa | X | ✓ | [67] |
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eVisa | X | X | [68] |
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eVisa | ✓ | X | [69] |
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ETA | X | ✓ | [70] |
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eVisa | ✓ | X | [71] |
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eVisa | X | partial | [72] |
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eVisa | X | X | [73] |
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eVisa | ✓ | ✓ | [74] |
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eVisa/Pre-approval | X | ✓ | [75]/[76] |
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eVisa | X | X | [77] |
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eVisa | X | ✓ | [78] |
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eVisa | X | X | [79] |
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EVW | X | X | [80] |
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eVisa | X | X | [81] |
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eVisa | X | X | [82] |
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eVisa | ✓ | partial | [83] |
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eVisa | ✓ | partial | [84] |
Russia maintains an eVisa program for visitors from certain countries arriving to Russian Far East, Saint Petersburg, Leningrad Region and Kaliningrad Region.[85] And will introduce a single electronic visa from 1 January 2021.[86]
Authorities of Belarus,[87] Chad,[88] Republic of the Congo,[89] Democratic Republic of the Congo,[90] Equatorial Guinea,[91] Ghana,[92] Kazakhstan,[93] Liberia,[94] South Africa,[95] and Tunisia[96] have announced plans to introduce electronic visas in the future.
These lists are not exhaustive. Some countries may have more detailed classifications of some of these categories reflecting the nuances of their respective geographies, social conditions, economies, international treaties, etc.