Visa on Arrival (VoA)

Visa on Arrival (VoA) is exactly what it sounds like — you fly to a country without a pre-arranged visa, and the immigration counter stamps one into your passport when you land. No embassy visit, no online application, no waiting.

For Indians, VoA is the second-easiest entry after visa-free. The trade-off: it almost always involves a fee (₹2,000–₹6,500 depending on country) and a queue at the airport that can stretch to 30–90 minutes during peak hours.

• You hand the officer your passport, return ticket, hotel booking, and cash (usually USD).
• They stamp a visa for a fixed window (typically 14–30 days).
• You walk into the country.

• Passport with 6 months validity remaining
• Confirmed return / onward flight ticket
• Hotel booking confirmation (most countries — Bhutan and Nepal don't ask)
• Cash in USD (a few countries take INR, but USD is the safe default)
• Recent passport-size photo (Indonesia, Egypt insist; others don't)

Common gotcha: the VoA stamp is single-entry on most countries. If you fly out to another country mid-trip and try to re-enter, you'll need a fresh visa.