Passports and Visas: A Beginner's Guide

Nothing can spoil a trip like the wrong visas or passports and getting stopped at the border because you don't have the right paperwork. In some cases this is just an inconvenience. In others it can be quite serious, especially in countries whose relations with yours might not be so great!

Wherever you're from, you usually need two basic documents to travel: a passport (from your own country) and a visa (to the country you're going to).

If you're from a wealthy country, you'll need fewer visas as many countries will let you in without one. If you're from a "developing" country, be prepared to have one for just about everywhere. And they don't come cheap...

Getting a passport

As a backpacker your passport is the most important document you'll ever have and is the first thing you need to get, if you don't have one yet.

Your passport needs to be valid for at least six months before you enter a country. So if you've only got a few months left before it expires, get a new passport before you leave home. Best is to have at least a year's validity on your passport before you set off.

TIP: If you plan on visiting many countries ask for a passport with extra pages if your country delivers them. Some countries need an entire blank page for their visas.

Each country has a different requirement and form for passports but you usually need these basic documents to apply for one: a birth certificate or certificate of citizenship, some small photos, and the fee, which is often quite steep.

TIP: Try to keep your passport with you at all times, even when you sleep (and take it into the shower area too!). Wrap it in a small zipped freezer bag. A lightweight travel money belt is ideal for this - just remember to empty it and wash it occasionally. And always, always carry a photocopy of your passport separately from the actual passport.

Sometimes, your passport disappears and there's nothing you can do but desperately try to keep it in sight. On a train trip from South Africa to Mozambique, the border guards gathered all our passports - and hopped into their vehicle and drove away with them! Hundreds of us ran wildly after their car until, huffing and puffing, we reached the border post - and thankfully were handed them back, stamped and all. Try as you might, there may be times when you and your passport will have to part ways...

Losing your passport

What do you do if you lose your passport or get it stolen? (You DO have a copy of all your important papers, of course...)

Take your photocopy and immediately report it to the nearest police station. Then get to your embassy as soon as possible and ask for a new one!

Some countries limit the number of replacement passports they will issue so beware - several lost or stolen passports may mean the end of your trip.

TIP: Scan your passport before leaving and email it to yourself. If you lose it, you'll have access to all your details from any Internet cafe.

My passport was stolen out of my backpack in Beijing - I disregarded the "always keep it in sight" rule and carried it in my daypack, on my back. I was lucky my embassy was nearby so I could report it. I got a new passport, and a warning to be careful: a new Canadian passport (mine only had a few used pages) would be worth up to $20,000 on the black market! With that kind of temptation, you don't want to let it out of your sight.

If you're European, you can travel throughout the EU with only an identity card. Canadians and Americans, once able to cross the border with a driver's licence, now need a passport.

Once you have your passport, you need to get an international travel visa - one for each country that requires one from you.