Visa-On-Arrival Process Guide

A visa-on-arrival stamp isn't always the fast option. And one country just rewrote the list.

The queue, the form, what happens if you fill it out wrong, and how to extend your stay once you're stamped in — the on-the-ground experience of six visa-on-arrival processes that work nothing alike: Thailand, Jordan, Egypt, Cambodia, Indonesia (Bali) and Azerbaijan. For who needs a visa at all, see Visa Requirements; for how long an advance eVisa takes to process, see Visa Processing Times.

A visa-on-arrival buys you flexibility, not speed — you're filling out paperwork and standing in a line that a pre-approved eVisa usually skips. Each card below covers what the counter is actually like, what the form asks for, what happens if it's wrong, and how to extend your stay once you're stamped in.

ThailandSoutheast Asia
Expect delays
Since 15 September 2026, Thailand's visa-on-arrival scheme covers just three passport nationalities: Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia. Other travelers may qualify for a separate visa-exemption stamp or must arrange an eVisa before travel. VOA uses a signposted counter apart from the exempt/pre-cleared line, and Phuket's queue in the November–April high season can run well past an hour.
At the counter10–30 minutes off-peak; Phuket in Nov–Apr high season commonly runs 60–90+ minutes
The formTM.88 arrival form — separate from the standard arrival card — with a 4×6cm photo taken within the last 6 months, an onward/return ticket, hotel booking and proof of funds. Every arrival, VOA or not, also files Thailand's Digital Arrival Card online within 72 hours of landing
Stamp length & cost15 days, for 2,000 THB (about $55–60), cash only — the 30-day stamp belongs to the separate visa-exemption scheme, not VOA
If the form's wrongA missing document, a name mismatch or a non-compliant photo is the most common cause of delay — expect to be sent back to complete or correct the paperwork before you're stamped through
Extending your stayGenerally not extendable except for a documented emergency such as hospitalization — a 7-day emergency extension runs through form TM.7 at a local immigration office for 1,900 THB
JordanMiddle East
Straightforward
One of the more predictable processes on this list — two officers typically work the counter together, one reviewing the paperwork while the other stamps — and there's no separate form or photo requirement to fill out.
At the counter10–20 minutes combined for the visa and immigration counters
The formNo dedicated VOA form — present your passport, return/onward ticket and hotel reservation, then pay the fee
Stamp length & cost30 days, single entry, for 40 JOD (about $56), cash only — issued at Queen Alia International (Amman), King Hussein International (Aqaba) and two land crossings, but not at the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge crossing to the West Bank
If the form's wrongThere's little paperwork to get wrong beyond the return ticket and hotel booking — travelers missing either are the ones who get held up
Extending your stayA rule effective October 2025 requires registering with the Public Security Directorate within 2 weeks of entry (a 200 JOD fine if missed). Extending before the 30 days run out costs 40 JOD; staying past that shifts you into temporary-residency registration at 40 JOD plus the 200 JOD fine
EgyptNorth Africa
eVisa recommended
Egypt's VOA is less an application than a purchase — a bank kiosk in the arrivals hall sells the visa sticker for cash before you reach the immigration desk, and an officer affixes it to your passport. Since a March 2026 fee change it costs exactly the same as the single-entry eVisa, which removes the one reason travelers used to pick VOA over applying ahead.
At the counter20–60 minutes at Cairo, longest during the busy morning bank of international arrivals
The formNo application form — pay a bank kiosk in the arrivals hall for the visa sticker, which an immigration officer then affixes to your passport
Stamp length & cost30 days per entry for $30 USD cash, at Cairo, Luxor and Sharm El-Sheikh airports; a multi-entry version stays valid 6 months but still caps each individual stay at 30 days
If the form's wrongThere's no form to get wrong — the only failure mode is not having $30 in cash on you before the kiosk
Extending your stayApply at a passport/immigration office; processing runs 24–72 hours (submit the passport, return about two days later for the stamp). A 14-day grace period follows expiry before fines apply — first-tier overstay fines run from roughly 1,685 EGP up to about $100 for a stay of 90 days or less, and rise from there
CambodiaSoutheast Asia
Expect delays
Clearing a Cambodian airport on a VOA is a two-stage process — pay and collect the visa at a dedicated counter first, then join a separate passport-control queue — and both stages get noticeably busier in the November–March high season.
At the counter15–30 minutes in normal conditions; 30–60+ minutes in the Nov–Mar high season as both stages back up
The formA visa application form completed at the VOA counter, with one 2×2 inch photo on a white background and a passport valid 6+ months. Since January 2025, all air arrivals separately file an e-Arrival card online at arrival.gov.kh, up to 7 days before the flight
Stamp length & cost30 days (T-class tourist), for $30 USD cash only
If the form's wrongA missing photo or an expiring passport is what stalls travelers here — bring a spare passport photo, since the counter doesn't always have a photo booth nearby
Extending your stayExtendable once, for 30 additional days, for roughly $30–$50 through the immigration department or a visa agent. Overstaying costs $10/day, capped around 30 days, with real risk of fines, detention or a travel ban beyond that
Indonesia / BaliSoutheast Asia
Use e-VOA
The paper version and the online e-VOA cost exactly the same, but they lead to two very different arrivals — e-VOA pre-clears your payment and, with a biometric passport, opens the e-gates; the paper version means queuing twice, first to pay, then again for a manual immigration check.
At the counterPaper VOA at Ngurah Rai (DPS) can exceed 90 minutes during peak wide-body arrival banks, since it queues twice — once to pay, once at immigration. e-VOA holders using the e-gates skip the payment queue entirely
The forme-VOA is completed online in advance with a card payment; the QR-coded approval arrives by email in 24–48 hours and nothing further is filled out at the airport beyond the standard arrival card. Paper VOA is paid in cash or by card at an arrivals kiosk, which issues a sticker before immigration
Stamp length & cost30 days, for IDR 500,000 (about $32) — the same fee either way
If the form's wrongA missing onward or return ticket is the most common problem — it can mean being denied boarding at your departure airport, having to buy an onward ticket on the spot, secondary questioning on arrival, or in documented cases, deportation on the next available flight
Extending your stayApply online, pay roughly IDR 500,000–850,000, then attend an immigration office in person for a photo and fingerprints — usually about 3 visits total unless using an agent, with approval in 5–7 working days. Extends the stay by 30 more days (60 total), one time only
AzerbaijanCaucasus
eVisa recommended
VOA here is a narrow fallback, not the default route — it's limited to a short list of nationalities, and eVisa holders get dedicated fast-track gates at Heydar Aliyev International (Baku) that VOA travelers don't.
At the counter15–30 minutes under normal conditions, through the general counters — eVisa holders use separate fast-track gates instead
The formVOA is limited to a short nationality list (including Bahrain, China, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea and the UAE); a passport valid 6+ months with 2 blank pages is required
Stamp length & cost30 days, single entry, for $30 USD (Japanese nationals are fee-exempt)
If the form's wrongEligibility is the real risk — travelers outside the short nationality list simply aren't issued a VOA and need to apply for the eVisa instead
Extending your stayCan't be extended directly — you'd separately petition the State Migration Service through an ASAN service center at least 3 working days before it expires, for a temporary-stay extension of up to 60 more days

eVisa vs. visa-on-arrival

eVisa — apply before you flyVisa on arrival — apply at the airport
CostUsually the same fee as VOA, sometimes plus a small online handling fee (Cambodia adds $6)Usually the same fee as eVisa, almost always cash only
When you know you're approvedBefore you leave home — typically within a few daysOnly once you reach the counter
Speed at the airportFast — e-gates or a pre-cleared line where availableAdds a queue, sometimes two separate ones
If your paperwork is wrongCaught and fixable before you flyCaught at the counter, with your flight already behind you
Best forAny trip booked more than a few days outGenuinely last-minute travel, where you're eligible
Before you check in: rules like these change fast — Thailand changed its exemption and visa-on-arrival lists on 15 September 2026 — so confirm eligibility, fees and required documents on the destination's own immigration or e-visa site before you fly, not from any guide, including this one.

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