21 August 2014

UGANDA NOW ISSUING EAST AFRICA TOURIST VISA

As of right now Uganda is now issuing the "EAST AFRICA TOURIST VISA" valid for multiple entries for Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda.

This is a legitimate three-country tourist visa making it easier and more convenient to go on a wide-ranging safari!

The visas cost only $110., which is far cheaper than buying all three (or even two) individually. The visa is valid for up to 90 days and is good for multiple entries of the three countries during those three months.

You must get the EATV from the country of first arrival. If you are flying from Europe to Nairobi then you would apply for the EATV through Kenya. If you are flying into Kampala or Entebbe you must apply for the visa from Uganda. If you are flying into Kigali then you apply at Rwanda.

Be warned, Tanzania is not part of this group and requires a Tanzanian visa for any entry.

Also, if you have an EATV and go to Tanzania, your visa becomes invalid and you will need another Kenyan visa to re-entry Kenya for a flight home out of Nairobi airport. This may be sold and issued at the border as you drive from Tanzania to Kenya. The full details are not yet available.

Click here for East Africa Tourist Visas.

MONEY EXCHANGE TRAVEL TIP

When dealing with foreign currencies you are always left feeling that you did not know the real price and how it compares to prices you know. It is too easy to pay too much when you are confused by strange denominations.

We have a solution for you.

Make up a list of prices in both Canadian and the foreign currency. Print it out and keep it in your pocket so you can compare prices.

Example of Chinese Renminbi (Yuan) to Canadian dollars as of today's exchange rate:

CHINA   CANADA
CNY       CAN$
1              0.18
5              0.89
10            1.77
20            3.55
50            8.85
100          17.70
200          35.40
500          88.50
1000        177.00

So if it says Y30 on the price tag in Beijing, you can see that is (1.77+3.55) $5.32

Click here to use the XE.com/ucc currency converter.

EBOLA - NEPAL VISA RESTRICTIONS

The Government of Nepal announced that they would not issue visas to people who had been in Liberia, Nigeria, Guinea or Sierra Leone (currently the Ebola parts of Africa).

Canadians who have been to any of the countries listed above can still apply for a Nepal visa if they provide a recent signed original medical certificate confirming they are clear of Ebola.

The embassy informs us that they will confirm with persons that they have not been in infected parts of Africa.

Click here for Nepal visa forms.

12 August 2014

EAST AFRICA TOURIST VISA

Great news for safari tourists - there is a three-country visa!

KENYA, RWANDA and UGANDA have banded together and launched an "EAST AFRICA TOURIST VISA" valid for multiple entries for all three countries.

The visas cost only $110., which is far cheaper than buying all three (or even two) individually. The visa is valid for up to 90 days and is good for multiple entries of the three countries during those three months.

Right now only Kenya and Rwanda are issuing these visas. You must get the EATV from the country of first arrival. If you are flying from Europe to Nairobi then you would apply for the EATV through Kenya.

Be warned, Tanzania is not part of this group and requires a Tanzanian visa for any entry.

Also, if you have an EATV and go to Tanzania, your visa becomes invalid and you will need another Kenyan visa to re-entry Kenya for a flight home out of Nairobi airport. This may be sold and issued at the border as you drive from Tanzania to Kenya. The full details are not yet available.

Click here for East Africa Tourist Visas.

KENYA & TANZANIA NOT ONE VISA

Kenya and Tanzania no longer have a tourist agreement allowing Canadians (and other foreigners) to re-enter Kenya from Tanzania for their flights home with a used single-entry visa..

As of immediately, if you wish to fly back out of Kenya's Nairobi airport after being in Tanzania you will need a second entry visa.

Many people fly from Europe into Nairobi, Kenya to start their safaris, then venture south to Tanzania. They then go back to Nairobi for the flight home. Now you must have a visa for each country, and Kenya requires you to have a double-entry visa.

Click here for Kenya visas.

Click here for Tanzania visas.

Click here for East Africa Tourist visas.

08 August 2014

WE ROLL OUT PVSglobal FOR CANADA in LOS ANGELES

Visa Services Canada, Inc. proudly unveiled the Canadian arm of the giant world-wide visa consortium called PVSglobal at the giant GBTA industry travel trade show in Los Angeles last weekend.

 PVSglobal is the world's largest grouping of national visa companies.

Visa Services Canada is the sole Canadian company in the consortium, and is pleased to provide national visa services to all Canadians.

Our roll-out client was the industry leader in the USA, Travel & Transport. Interest at the trade show was high, with AMEX and CWT  asking about joining the programme and getting the benefits for their thousands of clients.

CHINA DOUBLES

The Chinese Embassy in Canada is growing reluctant to issue multiple-entry visas unless there is firm and clear proof of need.

This means that people seeking business visas MUST have a letter of support from the Chinese inviting company clearly stating the requirement for a multi-entry visa.

People seeking visit visas MUST have a letter of support from the person in China inviting them which  clearly states the requirement for a multi-entry visa.

In some cases the embassy has asked for tickets showing more than one entry. This is often difficult, so the letters from the invitor and the letters from the Canadian company must state the requirement and show the need. If your letters do not say a multi-entry visa is required, you will not get that visa.

Click here for a Chinese visa.

NIGERIAN FINGERPRINTS

The Nigerian High Commission is now demanding police clearance letters based on fingerprints as mandatory for all work visas.

Canadian and non-Canadian applicants seeking work or residency visas from the Nigerians in Canada must now supply the standard RCMP criminal records search based on fingerprints. A simple police letetr based on an ID check is no longer enough.

Click here to apply for a Nigerian visa.

INDIAN E-VISAS COMING JANUARY 2015

The newly-elected government of India under prime minister Modi has announced it intends to speed up implementation of the new electronic visa system. The first budget, introduced in July, gave civil servants a maximum of six months to have the first working phase of the new ETA system working at none major airports for up to forty selected nationalities.

Canadian tourists will be able to use this system, and it will save everyone a lot of time and money. The best news is that we will no longer have to surrender the passport in order to apply.

The basic idea is that a foreigner seeking a visa to India can apply for the visa on-line. The government of India will review the application and inform the applicant within five (5) days of the decision to issue (or refuse) the visa. The traveler then prints out their authorization and gets on the flight to India. Upon arrival in India tourists will undergo a biometric scan such as fingerprints or iris scans. Then they will receive the 30-day visa. The visa will be issued into the passport by immigration officials in the arrivals hall at the airport in India.

In the first stage of implementation, tourists can get the visas at the following airports including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Cochin, Hyderabad, Goa and Trivandrum.

However, while we wait for this great day to come, Canadians and everyone else will still have to apply for a visa the hard way. Click here for India visa information.