There are several ways to obtain a visa. You can apply online, go directly to the consulate or, in some countries, apply at the border.
If it's easier to prepare your visa in advance, it may be cheaper to buy it locally. Depending on your destination, you'll need to find out what's most cost-effective for your trip. But beware: at some borders, you may be asked to pay a baksheesh (or bribe) directly or indirectly:
- longer waiting time
- controls / advanced searches
- claim to have lost one of the entrusted tickets
- consider the visa invalid unless accompanied by a ticket
This is particularly the case in certain African and Asian countries, such as Cambodia, Laos, Togo, Tanzania and many others. Travel blogs are full of these kinds of experiences.. Don't think that worries only happen in faraway places: the border between Serbia and Kosovo is well known for this..
Baksheesh, an ancient practice in many countries around the world
An immigration officer is present at every border, to accompany you as you cross. He or she will check your papers, such as your passport and visa, it is he who carries out the customs control and, if need be, handles the transactions if, for example, you decide to take your visa on the spot. And just as you're quietly waiting for everything to be in order so that you can pass the control counter, you realize that the employee is asking you for money for adjacent services - in other words, he asks you for baksheesh.
Baksheesh is a practice that has existed for hundreds of years. The word, of Persian origin, means both "gift" and "tip". Baksheesh is therefore a request for money for a service rendered. However, while it may seem natural to tip for a waiter's thoughtfulness and kindness, it's not, it's hard to take the pill when a policeman asks for a bribe to get away with speeding, whether it's real or not.! That's the problem with baksheesh: you're not sure whether you're being duped, or whether it's a genuine service rendered.
How to avoid baksheesh?
When you decide to apply for your visa on the spot, you'll need to use your wits to avoid baksheesh. After all, you're only supposed to pay for your visa, nothing else. And that's no mean feat! Baksheesh has now become so commonplace that it's extremely bad form not to comply with the demands of the immigration officer who asks for it, and you'll have to pay it yourself. the latter can make crossing the border much more difficult if you don't pay.. Indeed, he is in a position of power: if you don't pay baksheesh, he can deny you access to the border country.
Unfortunately, the best way to go fast (and agents know this) is to pay what you're asked. You'll be sure to cross the border without complication. You can refuse to pay, but then you'll have to fight the authority represented by the immigration officer to assert your right.
Some bloggers have used a few sometimes daring techniques:
- type a scandal unscrupulous immigration officers like discretion and won't necessarily understand or want you to get carried away.
- fake a call to the embassy pretending to know someone high up in the embassy can sometimes be useful
- have just the change you need The fact that some agents accompany passengers to cash dispensers makes it impossible to give them change they don't have.
- wait You have to be patient for several hours and hope to wear them down, even if some countries have several problematic checkpoints in a row (Laos, Cambodia).
- have an electronic visa The main reason the country offers this option is to avoid attempts at corruption at the border. Some officials pretend to consider the document valid only after they have given a ticket, which sometimes postpones the problem.
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