PLAYING THE RECIPROCITY GAME WITH VISAS

Do you ever wonder how our government’s visa policies toward foreign tourists affect us? You find out in a very personal way when you need to get a visa to enter a country that offers the same treatment to U.S. nationals who want to travel there.

While assisting clients with travel on a South American tour to Chile, Argentina and Brazil, we were made aware of the current additional fees being charged by each country.

Chile does not require a tourist visa, but when you land in Santiago Airport, the American and Canadian passengers are sent to a separate line to pay a special entrance fee of $140 per person (it keeps going up!) before passing through Immigration. You will only need to pay this fee once as long as your passport remains valid. If it is due to expire in less than two years and you plan to return to Chile in the future, you might want to renew your passport prior to your trip in order to take advantage of the full 10 year validity.

Argentina has always been an easy country to visit with no visa or entry fee requirements, thus making it an excellent South American cruise hub. However, beginning in 2013 U.S. citizens will be required to go online and pay the peso equivalent of $140 to enter Argentina. This receipt must be printed out and carried with your passport in order to enter the country.

Brazil requires a tourist visa for visits up to 90 days, which is presently available for $185 and is valid up to 10 years. Due to the length of time waiting in line at a Brazilian Consulate, both for the drop-off and return pick-up of your passport, you may opt to pay a visa service $65 to handle the processing for you, although you will also pay the round trip FedEx fees to send your passport.

With tourism being a source of significant income for most countries, it would seem logical for governments to encourage visitors, who spend much more once they are in the country, to come, instead of discouraging them with complex visa applications and high fees.

What are your thoughts? Do you avoid traveling to countries with high visa or foreign visitor entrance fees?