Visas and Passports

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Dear Globetrotter:

Welcome to the 528th issue of your monthly foreign-travel magazine.

The makers of the Mobile Passport app (July ’19, pg. 13) have partnered with RushMyPassport (Sept. ’19 pgs. 2, 44) so that travelers now can use the app to renew their passports in as little as 24 hours.

American Airlines’ smartphone app now can scan the passports of international travelers when it is used for check-in, meaning travelers no longer have to show their passports to the airline’s customer service agent at the airport. This will be advantageous to those who are not checking any luggage and those who are catching a connecting international flight after a domestic flight.

An evisa for Malawi was introduced on Nov. 1. To apply for it, visit evisa.gov.mw. A recent photograph, a scan of the bio page of your passport and a letter from your accommodation or host are required. It typically takes three business days for a visa to be approved, and validity begins the day of issue.

For a US citizen, a 90-day, single-entry visa costs $75. For multiple entries, a 6-month visa costs $150 and a 12-month visa costs $250.

Travelers from 52 countries, including the US, Canada and UK, now can visit Saudi Arabia on tourist visas, introduced Sept. 27, 2019, for the first time. Evisas are available in one-month single-entry and one-year multiple-entry versions.

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Dear Globetrotter:

Travelers flying to Jamaica can eschew the traditional paper Immigration/Customs forms by filling the forms out in advance online. It is the first Caribbean island nation to offer an online Customs form.

To fill out the digital form, visit https://c5online.pica.gov.jm/apply. Flight information and the address of your accommodation in Jamaica are required.

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Dear Globetrotter:

As of Aug. 1, travelers from the US, Canada and UK, among others, are eligible for free visas upon arrival in Sri Lanka. The offer is scheduled to end on Jan. 1, 2020.