Countries listed below require specific visa and/or other entry documentation besides a U.S. passport. All other countries (not listed) require only valid U.S. passports.
Making the Visa Process Easier: Obtaining a visa can be difficult and time-consuming for some countries, especially China and Russia. Heart Ink suggests using a fee-based service when applying for your visa. Compared to travelers who apply on their own, travelers who use a visa service are less likely to have their applications rejected, requiring resubmission for additional information or to correct any errors. Because visa services review your application prior to submission and offer guidance on how to best complete it, they can make the process easier based on their years of experience working with the various consulates. Click on the links below to view entry requirements:
Australia - An Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) visa is required. See eta.immi.gov.au for more information. Please click the "Apply for ETA" button in the top left-hand corner to complete the online application form for an ETA visa. Additional information regarding this visa can be found at the various links directly below the "Apply for ETA" and "Check your ETA" buttons.
Europe - For arrivals beginning in early 2021, an ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) travel authorization will be required to enter any of the 26 member countries that compose the Schengen zone. The ETIAS travel authorization will be valid for stays up to 90 days and, once issued, valid for multiple entries over 3 years or until passport expiration, whichever comes first. The E.U. has not yet released its ETIAS application form, so please check back closer to your travel date for this form and cost. For more information, visit https://www.etiasvisa.com/. Please note certain E.U. countries like Ireland, Croatia, and Romania are not Schengen countries and have different entry requirements.
Cambodia - Visa required. U.S. citizens may obtain a Cambodian visa upon arrival at the airports in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and all major border crossings. One passport-sized photograph is required. E-Visas may also be obtained in advance online at least 3 business days prior to travel at https://www.evisa.gov.kh/. For more information, visit www.embassyofcambodia.org or contact the Embassy of Cambodia, 4530 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20011; Telephone: 202-726-7742 or 202-997-7031
Canada - U.S. passport holders do not need a visa, Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), or transit visa to visit Canada or make a connecting flight to/from another country. All others, including lawful permanent residents of the U.S. (green card holders), may require either a visa, eTA, or transit visa to visit Canada or make a connecting flight to/from another country. Please visit http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.asp for more information.
China - Visa required. U.S. passport holders are required to provide documentation to support their visa application, which includes (1) full passport name, (2) hotel names, addresses, and phone numbers, and (3) confirmed airline reservations with ticket numbers. Upon receipt of your full payment and once airline tickets have been issued, this information will be provided to you in your documents. To learn how to obtain a visa from the Embassy of the People's Republic of China (PRC), visit www.china-embassy.org/eng/visas/. Please ensure you use the correct application form based on the location where you will be applying for your visa. If applying at the Washington D.C. embassy or the Chicago, New York, or San Francisco Consulates, use http://www.china-embassy.org/chn/lszj/bgxz/P020130830121570742708.pdf. If applying at the Los Angeles or Houston Consulates, use http://losangeles.china-consulate.org/eng/visa/chinavisa/P020180301250381274902.pdf.
Two days following your initial booking and deposit, you will receive information via email about obtaining a visa to China. In the rare instance that the Chinese consulate requests an original invitation letter after you have submitted your application, please contact our Service Department. For guests making flight connections in China to a 3rd country and desiring to stop over for up to 144 hours, you may be eligible for China's Transit Without Visa (TWOV) program. Please visit https://www.travelchinaguide.com/tour/visa/free-transit-144-hours.htm for more information. The duration of your visa-free stopover varies depending on your connecting airport. Special note for customers visiting
TIBET - A group permit is required for travel to Tibet and will be obtained for you upon final payment. In order to secure the Tibet visa on your behalf, we will need a scanned copy of your passport and China visa 45 days before departure from the U.S. The cost of this permit is included in the package price. At this time, we are only able to obtain a Tibet visa for U.S. passport holders. Once you make the final payment, you will receive an email with special instructions on applying for your Chinese visa. Alternatively, you may obtain a visa through a fee-based service such as GEN VISA. Please note that GEN VISA is unable to assist passengers who choose to apply for their visas directly.
Egypt - Visa required. Single-entry visas valid for 30 days may be purchased upon arrival. The cost is $25 and payable only in cash. Exact change required. No credit cards are accepted. Upon arrival, proceed to one of the bank kiosks in the Immigration hall to obtain a self-adhesive visa sticker. Apply the sticker to a blank page of your passport and proceed to the immigration desk. To avoid any possible lines at the kiosk, you may also obtain a visa sticker directly from the airport representative meeting your flight holding a Heart Ink sign for a service fee of $2 per person plus the cost of the visa. Exact change required. No credit cards are accepted. Alternatively, prior to your arrival in Egypt, you may apply for an e-visa at https://visa2egypt.gov.eg.
India - Visa required. An electronic visa may be obtained at https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/tvoa.html. Passengers who enter India, continue to Nepal or Bhutan, and then re-enter India will require a dual or multiple entry visa for India, depending on the total number of entries into India. Alternatively, passengers may obtain a sticker-type visa at https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/; however, this option is more expensive than an electronic visa. Passengers traveling to India will need to provide a reference, including name, address, and phone number, for their Indian visa. Click here for this information. Two days following your initial booking and deposit, you will receive complete information via email about obtaining a visa to India.
Jordan - Jordan visas are required. You will need to get your visa on your own in advance of your trip. A single entry visa costs approximately $60 and can be obtained in advance or on arrival at certain entry points. Please contact the Jordanian Embassy for more information: Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, 3504 International Drive, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008; Telephone: 202-966-2664. http://www.jordanembassyus.org/.
Kenya - Visa required. The current fee for a single entry visa is $51 and must be obtained in advance. Passengers continuing onto Tanzania and connecting in Nairobi, Kenya, for their final departure flight to the U.S. do not require a transit or multiple entry visa. A single entry visa is valid for connecting flights. Passengers traveling to Kenya will need to provide a reference, including name, address, and phone number, for their Kenyan visa. Click here for further information. Passengers continuing onto Tanzania from Kenya must carry proof of yellow fever vaccination. Passengers continuing onto Uganda from Kenya should apply for an East Africa Tourist visa http://www.magicalkenya.com/visit-kenya/visa-information/east-africa-tourist-visa/. To apply for a Single Entry or East Africa Tourist visa, go to evisa.go.ke and follow the instructions. You will await approval via email (approx. 2 days), then download and print the eVisa to be presented upon entry to Kenya. The eVisa is valid for 3 months before travel. For more information, contact the Kenyan Embassy at 2247 R-Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008; Telephone: 202-387-6101; Website: http://www.kenyaembassydc.org/visa.html.
Laos - Visa required. Tourists may obtain a visa for $35 upon arrival at the airports in Vientiane and Luang Prabang and at major border crossings. Two passport-sized photographs are required.
Namibia - Visa required; however, it may be obtained at the port of entry at no charge. Travelers are strongly encouraged to have at least 4 or more unstamped visa pages in their passport before commencing travel (amendment and endorsement pages cannot be used to fulfill this requirement).
New Zealand - An electronic Travel Authority (eTA) and payment of an International Visitor Conservation and Tourism levy are required to enter the country beginning October 1, 2019. The eTA must be obtained prior to the beginning of travel and can be obtained at https://nzeta.immigration.govt.nz. Allow up to 72 hours for processing. The total cost is NZ$47 (approximately US$31).
South Africa - A tourist visa is not required for stays up to 90 days; however, passengers are required to have at least two entirely blank (unstamped) visa pages (i.e., one side of such a page, not front and back thereof) in their passport, each time entry is sought into South Africa. This includes re-entry from Eswatini. Therefore, passengers continuing on to Zimbabwe and/or Botswana are required to have four blank visa pages. These pages are in addition to the endorsement/amendment pages at the back of the passport. South African government regulations prohibit airlines from boarding passengers without the required blank visa page. For more information, please visit the South African consulate website http://www.southafrica-newyork.net/homeaffairs/tourist_visa.htm or http://www.southafrica-newyork.net/homeaffairs/
Sri Lanka - Visa Required. Passengers may obtain Electronic Travel Authorization prior to arrival. This can be obtained by visiting http://www.eta.gov.lk and paying a $35 fee. A visa may be obtained upon arrival for $40; however, wait times for processing can be lengthy. Obtaining an ETA before departure is highly recommended to expedite your entry.
Tanzania - Visa required, and all passport holders should have four entirely blank (unstamped) visa pages in their passport. Visas are available for purchase at the Kilimanjaro Airport; however, we strongly suggest it be obtained in advance at https://eservices.immigration.go.tz/visa/ to avoid long delays and ensure entry. Visas upon arrival are not guaranteed. The current fee for a visa is $100. Passengers purchasing a visa at the airport must be prepared to pay in USD (cash). Passengers traveling to Tanzania will need to provide a reference, including name, address, and phone number, for their Tanzanian visa. Click here for details. For more information, visit https://tanzaniaembassy-us.org or contact the Embassy of Tanzania, 1232 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20037, telephone (202) 884-1080. Passengers traveling to Tanzania from Kenya or another country with a risk of yellow fever must carry proof of yellow fever vaccination. Please note that the government of Tanzania prohibits travelers from possessing certain types of plastic bags when entering the country. Visit https://tanzaniaembassy-us.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/NoticeToTravelers.pdf for more information.
Turkey - Visa required. An e-visa must be obtained in advance at https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/. Immigration officials advise guests to print a hard copy of their e-visa notification and bring it with them in case of system failure. Visas are not required for sea cruise passengers who purchase shore excursions to Kusadasi and Istanbul. When entering Turkey via a land border crossing, a pre-obtained e-Visa is also required. Contact the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey at 2525 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20008, telephone: (202) 612-6700, or the Turkish consulates general in Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, or New York.
Uganda - Visa required. Visitors to Uganda must apply for a visa in advance through the Government of Uganda's website at least two weeks prior to travel. The fee for a single-entry tourist visa is $50. Passengers traveling to Uganda will need to provide a local reference, including company name, address, and phone number, for their Ugandan visa. Click here for further information. Passengers traveling on the 19-Day Kenya & Uganda Wildlife Exploration should apply for an East Africa Tourist Visa at http://evisa.go.ke/evisa.html , which costs $100 and is valid for entry into Kenya and Uganda. http://www.magicalkenya.com/visit-kenya/visa-information/
Vietnam - Visa required. A visa costs $25 and can be obtained online, by mail, or in person, with online applications being the easiest and fastest. To apply online, visit https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/web/guest/khai-thi-thuc-dien-tu/cap-thi-thuc-dien-tu. To apply by mail or in person, visit http://vietnamembassy-usa.org/page/apply-visa-person-or-mail.
Zambia - Visa required. U.S. Citizens traveling to Zambia, Botswana & South Africa Adventure should purchase the Kaza Uni-Visa for $50. The Kaza Uni-Visa allows for multiple border crossings between Zambia and Zimbabwe, as required by these itineraries. This visa can be obtained upon arrival in Zambia. Payment in cash is recommended.
Zimbabwe - Visa required. Visas for U.S. citizens can only be obtained upon arrival to Zimbabwe. U.S. Citizens entering Zimbabwe for tourism can expect to pay $30 for a single-entry visa and $45 for a double-entry visa. All information and rates are subject to change without notice. Payment in cash is recommended.