Visa Requirement Checker
Pick your passport and destination — see at a glance whether you need a visa, eVisa, ETA, or visa on arrival, plus stay limits and what documents to bring.
Per 180-day rolling period. ETIAS pre-authorization is being phased in.
Search "Schengen visa <your country embassy>" — apply via the country where you'll spend the most days. or the destination country's embassy in your country before you book non-refundable travel.Per visit; some countries cap rolling totals.
No advance fee for visa-free entry (departure taxes may still apply).
Use the official government domain only — many third-party sites overcharge.
Document checklist
Bring these regardless of your visa type — most are checked by airline staff before you board.
- Passport valid 6+ months beyond your return date
- At least 2 blank visa pages in your passport
- Proof of onward / return travel
- Proof of sufficient funds (recent bank statement)
- Hotel booking or invitation letter
About Visa Requirement Checker
The Visa Requirement Checker gives travellers a fast, honest answer to the question "Do I need a visa to go there?" Pick your passport and destination, choose your purpose of visit (tourism, business, transit, study, or work), and the tool returns the requirement category — visa-free, ETA / electronic travel authorization, eVisa, visa on arrival, visa required in advance, or restricted — along with the maximum stay, approximate fee, and a document checklist tailored to that requirement type.
The reference data covers 20 of the most common passports against 25 of the most common destinations and was last verified in 2026-01. Visa rules change constantly — new ETA schemes (UK ETA, EU ETIAS), reinstated requirements (Brazil eVisa for US/CA/AU), and bilateral agreements (China–Thailand mutual visa exemption) all appeared in just the last two years. This tool is a planning aid, not a legal authority. Always check the destination country's official immigration portal or embassy before booking non-refundable travel. Pair this checker with the Layover Time Planner if your route involves a connection and the Travel Packing Checklist for everything else.
How to Use Visa Requirement Checker
- Pick the country that issued your passport from the first dropdown — not your country of residence. If you hold dual citizenship, the passport you'll actually present at the border determines the rules.
- Pick the destination from the second dropdown. For multi-country EU trips, choose "Schengen Area" — the rules apply to the entire zone (most EU countries plus Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein).
- Pick your purpose: tourism (most common), business (meetings, conferences), transit (short airside layover), study, or work. Picking study or work overrides the visa-free / ETA result because those activities require a specific visa class.
- Set your planned length of stay. If you exceed the visa-free limit (e.g. 90 days in Schengen), the tool flags it — you'll need a longer-stay visa instead.
- Read the verdict at the top: visa-free (green) means just show up with a valid passport. Sky-blue (ETA / eVisa / visa on arrival) means apply or pay before / during entry. Amber (visa required) means embassy appointment, weeks in advance.
- Use the document checklist as a packing list for your travel folder. Even visa-free travellers are routinely asked for proof of onward travel and accommodation by airline check-in staff.
- Always click through to the official portal listed in the "Where to verify" card — visa rules change frequently, and our reference data is a snapshot, not a live feed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between visa-free, ETA, eVisa, and visa on arrival?
Visa-free: show your passport at the border, get stamped in. ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization): a quick online pre-screening (US ESTA, Canada eTA, UK ETA, NZ NZeTA, Korea K-ETA) — approved within minutes for most people, fee under $25. eVisa: a proper visa applied for online with documents and a photo, processed in days to weeks. Visa on arrival: stamped at the airport on landing for a fee (cash usually required, sometimes a photo).
Why does the same destination sometimes need an ETA and sometimes a full visa?
Each country maintains a list of "visa-waiver" or "trusted" passports. If your passport is on that list, you only need an ETA. If it isn't, you need a full visa with embassy paperwork. The list is determined by bilateral relationships, security agreements, and overstay statistics — and it changes over time.
Is Schengen really one big "visa zone"?
Yes, mostly. The Schengen Area covers 29 European countries (most EU members plus Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein) with no internal border checks. A single Schengen short-stay visa or visa-free entry covers all of them, with a combined 90-days-in-180 limit. The UK and Ireland are in the EU's neighbourhood but not in Schengen — they have separate rules.
What is the "90 in 180" rule?
For visa-free Schengen stays, you can spend 90 days within any rolling 180-day window. So if you spent 90 days in the Schengen Area between January and March, you can't re-enter until at least 90 days have passed. The same rolling-window rule also applies to several other destinations (Turkey, Israel, etc.).
My passport is from a country not in your list — what do I do?
We've curated the 20 most-travelled passports. If yours isn't here, the most reliable lookup is the IATA Travel Centre or the destination country's embassy in your country. The destination country sets the rules, not yours, so always start from their official immigration site.
How accurate is this tool?
Reference data was last verified in 2026-01 based on official government sources. Visa policy can change overnight — bilateral agreements, election results, and security incidents have all triggered same-week rule changes. Treat this tool as a planning aid: it'll point you in the right direction, but always confirm on the official portal before booking. We accept no liability for misinterpretation or out-of-date data.
Why does "study" or "work" change my result?
Visa-free, ETA, and tourist eVisa schemes universally exclude study and work — even unpaid internships in many cases. Working or studying on the wrong visa is grounds for deportation and a future entry ban. If your purpose is study or work, you must apply for the dedicated visa class (student visa, work permit), usually sponsored by the school or employer. The tool flags this regardless of passport.
What is "passport validity 6 months past return"?
Most countries require your passport to remain valid for at least 6 months after your planned departure from their territory. Even if your passport is technically still valid on entry, an airline can refuse to board you if it expires within 6 months — they get fined for landing inadmissible passengers. Check expiry now, not at the airport.
Do I need a visa just to transit through an airport?
It depends. Most airports allow international-to-international airside transit without entering the country, no visa required. But some destinations (US, Canada, UK, China for some passports) require a separate transit visa even if you don't leave the airport. Always check the rules for both your transit airport and your final destination.
Is my data private?
Yes. Your selections are stored only in your browser's local storage on this device. No passport numbers, names, or personal details are collected — the tool only looks up generic country pairs.