REFERENCE · GLOSSARY
Travel glossary.
Twelve travel terms every Indian passport holder hits sooner or later — visa-on-arrival, Schengen, forex cards, stopovers. Each one explained in plain English, with the Indian-specific traps baked in.
Visa on Arrival (VoA)
A visa stamped into your passport at the destination airport when you land, no embassy visit needed.
eVisa
A visa applied for and approved entirely online before you fly — no embassy visit, but you must apply in advance.
Schengen Visa
A single visa that lets you enter 29 European countries — but you must apply through the specific country you'll spend the most time in.
Transit Visa
A visa required only because you're passing through a country's airport, not actually visiting — usually if you're leaving the international transit zone.
Visa-Free Travel
Entering a country with no visa application at all — just your passport, a return ticket, and immigration's stamp.
Passport Validity
The 'six-month rule' — almost every country requires your passport to be valid for 6 months beyond your planned departure date.
Forex Card
A prepaid card loaded in foreign currency before you travel — better exchange rate than ATM withdrawals abroad and no FX markup on swipes.
eSIM
A digital SIM activated by QR code — no physical SIM card, works on iPhone XS+ and most modern Androids.
Travel Insurance
A short-term medical + trip-disruption policy that covers you in case of hospitalization, lost luggage, or trip cancellation while abroad.
Open-Jaw Ticket
A multi-city flight booked as one ticket where you fly into one city and out of another — usually cheaper than two one-ways.
Stopover
A scheduled break in a layover — typically 24+ hours — where you actually leave the airport and spend time in the transit country.
Tourist Tax (City Tax)
A small per-night fee charged by some cities on top of your hotel rate — usually collected at check-in, not bundled into the booking.