What Is The Difference Between E-Visa And Regular Visa?

A regular visa is attached to your passport by an immigrant official at a certain Embassy or Consulate. 

An E-Visa is known as an alternative to the sticker visa required for entry into another country. 

Regular visas are paper versions.

Digital visa versions are called E-visas.

Your nationality is typically the primary prerequisite for obtaining an electronic visa for the majority of countries around the world. Nationals of most nations around the world can be eligible for regular visas in cases of ineligibility for E-Visas or visa exemption.

Only some nations have agreements with the country you want to visit that permit nationals to visit and exit the country without requiring an electronic visa. For this reason, you should verify online if your nation is exempt from the need for a visa before deciding to apply for an E-Visa.

To check your eligibility for a regular visa, you need to contact one of the diplomatic missions of the country that you want to visit. 

Besides, if you want to prolong your stay in a certain nation, you should also get in touch with the Consulate or Embassy of the destination country, and they will provide you with guidance on how to get a regular visa.

To check your eligibility for an E-Visa, you can access the official website provided by the country that you want to visit.

In the event that you cannot find out any information on the official website of the Government of the destination country, it is advisable that you reach out to one of the diplomatic missions of that country or even a well-known travel agency for up-to-date details and relevant guidelines.

It can be considered the last chance to gain permission for entry into another country. If you are not eligible for an E-Visa, you should only be given the opportunity to apply for a sticker visa.

Due to the convenient and effective features of E-Visas, you should choose to register for this visa instead of other visa categories if you are not allowed to enter another country without a visa. 

Purpose

Regular visas are provided for a number of purposes, such as tourism, business, work, medical treatment, residence, family visits, etc.

In certain situations, you will also need to apply for a regular visa. You can apply for this visa if you do not meet all the conditions or if you want to remain longer than the time allowed by your approved E-Visa. 

You can get assistance from that country's Embassy or Consulates, as well as from another trustworthy travel company.

The main purposes of E-Visas are tourism, business, medical visits, etc. There are several subcategories to meet different needs. 

Therefore, it is recommended that you check out the exact information about the types of purposes for which you are allowed to obtain E-Visas in the country you intend to visit. 

The official website for E-Visas provided by the destination country will be an ideal choice for you to explore more relevant information. In the event that you cannot find anything useful on that website, you can contact an Embassy or Consulates of that nation or another reliable travel agency for support.

Visa type and duration

Based on a variety of purposes for international citizens, the Government of each nation will issue a wider range of regular visa types, such as work, study, research, tourism, business, etc. For each type of visa, you will be eligible for corresponding regular visas. 

Regular visas also differ in length of stay depending on your circumstances and the particular type of visa that you intend to apply for.

Typically, E-Visas can be obtained for conferences, business, travel, medical treatment, etc. 

The length of stay for different types of visas varies; for example, 30 days, 90 days, 1 year, 5 years, etc.

Validity

The validity and duration of a regular visa vary based on the type of visa and the intended travel purpose. It can take a few months or a few years, in accordance with the rules of the Government of the destination country. 

The validity duration of an E-Visa is ruled by the Government of the destination country. It can vary based on the type of visa that you plan to choose. It may usually range from a couple of days to a few years.

Application process

Compared to an E-Visa, the process of obtaining a regular visa on a passport is time-consuming because you must experience a lot of complicated steps to obtain a visa. 

You have to show up for a visa interview in addition to the drawn-out application procedure. Attending an interview can take a lot of time and cost a lot of money. Besides, your performance in the interview is considered a vital element in determining the outcome of your visa application. 

Normally, the process of an application for a regular visa includes the following steps:

• Check out the relevant information about your anticipated visa based on your certain circumstances

You need to gather all the relevant information about your visa. The validity of your passport is also verified to be valid for at least 6 months (180 days) after the date of your entry into the destination country. Additionally, you must check out other details, such as visa fees, visa requirements, the destination country’s diplomatic mission that is closest to your location, your intended type of visa, etc. 

• Complete a visa application form

First of all, you must fill out a visa application form. This form can be completed on the official website of the Government of the destination country or on paper, based on the rules of the Government. It is necessary for you to check specific information on the official Government website or contact a competent authority for relevant instructions.

• Make an interview with the diplomatic mission

Some countries will require you to have an interview. Thus, you must make sure that you have enough time to arrange an interview for your visa application to be reviewed well in advance of your departure date.

You can submit your application at least two weeks before your departure date for a long-stay or short-stay visa by checking the typical appointment waiting time.

• Collect all the necessary paperwork to support your visa application

Depending on the visa policy and requirements for a visa application in the country where you intend to enter, you need to collect all the supporting documentation. This will definitely help you increase the possibility of obtaining a regular visa.

• Visit a particular Embassy or Consulate of the destination country

After completing the visa application form and collecting all the required documents, you must submit them to the closest diplomatic mission of the destination country (including an Embassy or Consulate of that nation). 

At the mission, you may conduct an interview with immigrant officials (if required).

• Make a payment for your visa fees

Visa fees must be paid fully if you really want to obtain your anticipated visa.

• Receive the approved visa

After the allotted time, you will be notified about the result of your visa application. If it is accepted, you must visit the diplomatic mission to collect it.

In order to streamline travel and enhance security through the digitization of data, numerous nations have implemented the process of applying for E-Visas for international citizens of specific nationalities. 

Because your visa application is implemented completely on the electronic visa application system designed by the Government of the destination country, you can register for an E-Visa anywhere you want, whether at home or even at your office. 

Compared to the procedure for a regular visa application, the process for applying for E-Visas is more convenient, straightforward, and faster. Here are the steps of a common procedure for obtaining an E-Visa:

• First of all, you must access the official website provided by the Government of the destination country to find out the necessary and relevant information.

• Checking your eligibility for an E-Visa based on your nationality is the next step. You must carry out this step because not every country allows you to enter their nation with an E-Visa. To make sure of the need for an E-Visa, you should check out the requirements for visa exemption first. 

• You must prepare all the necessary documents in advance. These documents can include your valid passport, passport-sized photos, and other supporting documents (if required).

• After that, you need to visit the official website of the Government’s E-Visa system to complete the online visa application form. It is noteworthy that all the information you provide must be precise and free of mistakes. 

• Paying an E-Visa fee is a must-do. The fee payment for an E-Visa can be made using either a debit or credit card.

• If your E-Visa is approved, you will receive a digital version of your E-Visa via your active email. You just need to download it, print it out, and submit its hard copy to immigrant officials at a pre-registered port of entry.

Processing time

Depending on your nationality, the diplomatic mission to which you submit your visa application will need at least a few working days to process your case and issue a regular visa after receiving the visa application. 

However, this processing time may be longer than you expected because it is influenced by various factors, such as the number of entries, types of visas, volume of applications, etc. Thus, it is suggested that you contact the diplomatic mission to confirm the exact days you can receive your visa application.

Fast processing times are a hallmark of E-Visas. The processing time of an application for an E-Visa may take at least 4 working days from the date of submission. For some countries, it can be processed earlier. 

To keep track of the status of your visa application, you can access the official website where you completed the E-Visa application form. 

Visa fee

Types of visas and length of stay will determine the cost of regular visas. When the application is submitted at a certain Embassy or Consulate, you will know the final fee that you must pay because there may be an extra fee in addition to the visa fee.

Furthermore, you must keep in mind that the fee you will pay can change based on the rules of the Government of the destination country. Therefore, you had better update the latest fee on the Government website of the destination country or contact the Embassy or Consulate for further details.

Please be aware that there are no refunds for visa payments, regardless of the outcome of the application, whether it is withdrawn, denied, or approved for a different period of time.

The fee for an E-Visa may be cheaper than that of a regular visa. During the process of applying for an E-Visa, you will know exactly the total fee (including a visa fee and an extra fee). To complete the visa payment, you can use your credit or debit card to transfer the money. 

In addition, an amount of money for bank transaction fees may be added to your E-Visa fee. Your application will not be processed if the fee is not paid within the required period of time after you have submitted your E-Visa application form.

Visa stamping

Before departing, it is imperative for you to attach a visa label or stamp to your passport. This calls for a visit to a certain Embassy or Consulate of the destination country to have the visa stamped.

In order to avoid adding a label, sticker, or stamp to the passport before travel, an electronic visa is linked to the passport number and maintained on a computer. 

The online application process results in a receipt that serves as a visa and can be printed or saved on a mobile device. At the pre-registered port of entry, you must show your hard copy of the E-Visa to immigrant officials to gain permission for entry into the destination country.