Visa Processing Times

From near-instant, to several months.

How long each kind of entry permission takes to come through, from a near-instant travel authorization to a full consulate visa that can run to several months. Which category applies to a given destination is entirely a function of your own passport — that answer lives on Visas, where picking your passport groups every destination by exactly what it needs. This page answers the question underneath it: once you know the category, how long should you expect to wait, and how far ahead should you apply?

Always verify before travel. Processing times, availability and fee amounts change frequently — sometimes with 30 days' notice. Confirm at the official government portal for your destination before applying. How long a specific application takes still depends on the destination's own system and your circumstances, but the category itself — eVisa, ETA, visa on arrival, or a full consulate visa — is the strongest predictor of the wait, and that holds regardless of which passport is applying.
Travel authorization (ETA)
A short online pre-travel form — not a visa — for destinations that only ask visa-exempt visitors to register in advance. UK ETA, Australia's ETA (601), NZeTA and the EU's upcoming ETIAS are all this shape.
The fastest category by design: usually minutes to 72 hours, often near-instant. Fees vary — UK ETA, Australia ETA, NZeTA and ETIAS are paid — so apply through the issuing government's official site as soon as your plans and passport are settled.
MINUTES–3 DAYS
eVisa
A full visa applied for entirely online, without a consulate visit — the standard route for destinations like Vietnam, Egypt and India.
Typically approved in hours to a few business days. A handful run slower — India's e-Tourist Visa and Bhutan's operator-mediated process can take closer to a week; Brazil's eVisa routinely runs ~10 working days — but as a category, eVisas are built to be fast. They are not usually expeditable, so leaving one to the day before departure is the single most common way a trip gets delayed at check-in.
HOURS–1 WEEK
Visa on arrival
No advance application at all — the visa is issued at the airport or land border, often against a cash fee and a passport photo.
There's no "processing time" to plan for; the real variable is how long the queue is at the specific port of entry. Arriving on an overnight flight alongside several others can mean an hour or more at the counter — bring the exact fee in cash and a spare photo regardless.
AT THE BORDER
Full visa (consulate or embassy)
A visa arranged in advance through the destination's own consulate or embassy — the slowest category, and the one most destinations that "require a visa" outright fall into.
Typically 1 to 4+ weeks, sometimes longer during peak season or after a policy change, and sometimes requiring an in-person appointment, biometrics or an interview. Some destinations also cap how far in advance you're allowed to apply — check both ends before you plan around it.
1–4+ WEEKS

or, no process at all

Visa-free
No paperwork at all — for passports that don't need one, the country is simply a destination like any other on the itinerary.
Nothing to apply for. The only thing worth checking ahead of time is your passport's remaining validity (commonly 6 months beyond your travel dates) and whether the destination requires a free arrival card filed online before landing.
NOT REQUIRED
Planning tips