Travel Visa Agencies: Worth The Price

Because it generally takes weeks for a visa to be approved, affixed to a passport, and returned to the traveler, using a visa agency may be quite beneficial. These travel aid services can be found in nearly every major city and will guarantee their customers the fastest possible transit times.

Why Use A Visa Agency?
A tourist visa can only be obtained through the government of the nation requiring it. This means the visa is produced and affixed to the passport at one of the embassy/consulate locations in the visitor’s home country. Many countries have embassies that do not allow mail-in service for travel visas. If the embassy requires the visitor or his/her representative to appear in person, the problem of traveling many miles to the embassy can cause frustration.

A visa agency can assist by taking the completed visa application, passport, and any photo documents required, and sending them directly to a courier service located in the city where the embassy is located. After the visa has been approved and included within the passport, the courier representative picks up the passport and mails it back to the visa agency.

Cost For This Service
Agencies are allowed to charge whatever they feel is fair when contracting with a courier for passport delivery to an embassy. Most of the agencies in North America charge around $50-100 for the service. It is always a good idea to check out several different agencies before making a choice.

The service does not include the producing of application forms. Most countries now require travelers to download and print out the application form directly from the embassy website.

Depending on the country and its embassy policies, visa approval can take anywhere from two weeks to two months. It is therefore in the traveler’s best interest to acquire the necessary visa well before the dates of travel.