For BoB’s Epic Journey (and for lots of utterly totally different long-term journeys), there’s not that hundreds preparation wanted. The three most vital factors are:
- e-book your first flight – CHECK!
- have a backpack – CHECK!
- put collectively your self for the visa recreation.
With the primary two bins checked, there was just one essential subject left that required my consideration: getting ready for the Good Visa Sport.
Will or not it’s a win or loss after I’m going the play the Good Visa Sport?
In the interim it’s troublesome to say, nonetheless there are positively some challenges up forward. For lots of non permanent journeys you most likely can put collectively your visas by way of an agency or by way of the embassy in your nation. Nonetheless, in my case I might must put collectively my visas as I’m going. This gained’t be a simple job and to extend the prospect on worthwhile the Good Visa Sport I made a decision to organize an summary. The overview is restricted (Dutch passport, 2015/2016), nonetheless I nonetheless needed to share it correct proper right here to produce an impression of what’s up forward!
Correct proper right here we go!
Flip 1: Visa South Africa
Good begin: Free visa upon arrival. Some web sites report you want proof of plans to go away the nation (e.g. airplane ticket). As I’m going to go away the nation overland this can be a problem, nonetheless I rely on proof gained’t be needed.
Flip 2: Visa Namibia
Should be simple: Free visa upon arrival
Flip 3: Visa Botswana
One totally different simple one: Free visa upon arrival.
Flip 4: Visa Zimbabwe
The choice between a visa upon arrival (30 USD single entry, 45 USD double entry) or a visa for each Zimbabwe and Zambia on the Botswana-Zimbabwe border (50 USD). This vogue you most likely can see the Victoria Falls from either side 🙂 If the latter truly exists, I’ll go for that one!
Flip 5: Visa Turkey
Off to a novel continent! No visa upon arrival this time, nonetheless a elaborate E-visa in Turkey. This one is already all through the pocket! Turkey has a particular E-visa web site on-line. Fill out the tools (5 minutes), pay 20,00 USD and that’s it!
Dutch: In case you are Dutch and also you wish to communicate in Dutch Turkey e-visa You can obtain this by the use of this web site on-line. There are extra prices concerned!
Flip 6: Present Iran
This flip could be the very first downside! For my Iranian visa I want a Letter of Invitation (LOI). A wide range of journey firms present an LOI, nonetheless require you to e-book a lodge or tour with them. With the LOI, I will get a LOI visa authorization code. With this visa authorization code you most likely can go to an Iranian embassy. Due to the visa is solely respectable for 3 months after the tools, it wasn’t doable to utilize earlier to my RTW journey all through the Netherlands. As an alternative I must take my LOI visa authorization code to the Iranian embassy in Istanbul, Erzurum or Ankara. Based mostly totally on opinions this may solely take about 1-3 days as soon as you have purchased an authorization code.
The good thing about the Iran visa, is that you just merely don’t ought to enter on a specific date! After receiving the visa, it’s respectable for 3 months for shifting into Iran! After shifting into you most likely can preserve 30 days.
P.s. There are furthermore some opinions you don’t want an LOI as a Dutch citizen in the slightest degree! To be on the secure aspect and considerably on account of I apply in Turkey, I’m going to get an LOI.
- Apply and pick-up in Istanbul (I’ll most likely go for the ‘specific’ various for 75 euro)
Flip 7: Visa Turkmenistan
One totally different downside! As I’m nonetheless undecided how I’m going to journey by way of Turkmenistan, this half is kind of unsure. If I resolve to go independently, I’m going to get the cheaper transit visa. Nonetheless, it isn’t doable to get this visa on arrival. If I resolve to go along with a tour company (simpler to go to Darwaza fuel crater) I’m going to most likely get/want a vacationer visa with LOI. A vacationer visa have to be doable on arrival. Sadly, Turkmenistan excursions are loopy expensive (100+ euro’s per day).
- Apply in Tehran and pick-up 7 days later in Mashad OR visa on arrival with LOI
Flip 8: Present Uzbekistan
Sadly, as quickly as additional a visa on arrival just isn’t going to be doable when arriving overland. Due to this fact, I must go the the Tehran embassy with an LOI.
- Apply in Tehran and pick-up in Tehran (if it doesn’t work out in Tehran, I’m going to go to Ashgabat)
Flip 9: Visa Tajikistan
Lastly a rustic with out having for LOI’s! Nonetheless, this time I’m going to want a Letter of No Objections from my very private embassy (which signifies that they help me going to Tajikstan). Subsequent day pick-up have to be doable.
- Apply in Tehran and pick-up in Tehran. P.s. Sure, this implies I’ll ought to go to some embassies in Tehran. It furthermore means I’ll have to remain in Tehran for per week or so.
Flip 10: Visa Kyrgyzstan
Yay! Visa free journey! Since 2012, 60-day visa free journey is allowed for 44 worldwide locations together with the Netherlands.
Flip 11: Visa China
I’ve already been to China 3 situations and each time it’s just a bit bit bit additional sturdy to get one. The Chinese language language language visa could be the most troublesome one and embassy opinions in Central Asia are sometimes not very optimistic. To get a Chinese language language language visa, I’m going to want loads of factors: E.g. proof of my flight into China and out of China (likelihood is you will take into accounts to make a pretend airplane ticket by merely altering an earlier airplane ticket in Adobe Expert), a proof of my lodge bookings, journey schedule and proof of earnings. I hope to have the facility to get one in Bishek.
- Apply in Bishek and pick-up after loads of days.
Flip 12: Visa Indonesia
The ultimate phrase flip is is a simple one, which is sweet, on account of I reckon I is more likely to be near a visa burn-out. Indonesia components a free visa for 30 days on arrival 🙂
All in all, it gained’t be a simple job and it’ll take a considerable quantity of invaluable journey time! That’s little question certainly one of many ‘disadvantages’ of impartial journey.
Abstract of the troublesome parts:
- Blended embassy opinions (it could be a optimistic or a no)
- Opening conditions are restricted (some embassies solely open loads of hours per weeks)
- It could take 1 to 10 days
- You generally want an LOI
- You generally want utterly totally different proof (e.g. bookings, journey schedule, earnings)
- It consists of a considerable quantity of paperwork
- I must put collectively my visas as as I’m going, with a small hazard it gained’t be issued.
I hope all of it actually works out! A wide range of the above data relies on the embassy opinions of fellow vacationers all through the helpful Caravanistan dialogue board. These opinions are combined: e.g. often it take 3 days to get a visa, often 7 days, often the visa is rejected with out clear causes and so forth. It’s clear that worthwhile the Good Visa Sport of Southern Africa and Central Asia gained’t be a simple job, nonetheless…
Let’s go for it!
This put up is more likely to be up to date after BoB’s Epic Journey with my experiences and options! There’s one tip I can already give you: preparation is the very important issue to success 😉
What was the ‘most troublesome’ visa all by way of your travels?
What was your 'most troublesome' visa?