# How to afford visas (and such)on long distance vagabond (low money) travel



## Kabukimono (Jun 22, 2012)

I read around the web - how long distant travelers with empty or near empty pockets gradually make their way around the globe. This fills me with a very healthy envy but sparks my travel button at full throttle. 
my curiosity though has always been how the hell do they manage to scrape together all the money for visas in the necessary amount of time. On top of that - what if the country you have just crossed over into is rather poor and there is no option of earning money (work, busking, pannin, etc) what do you do then? Stuck somewhere, where to get out you need a visa and with no way to earn money...

I have traveled around, vagabonded, etc. so I'm no newbie. But the thought of the above - scares the living fuck out of me. 

Any thought's on this??

K.m


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## Thoreau (Jun 22, 2012)

Thats why you always need some emergency money in a bank account, wich you can only use for real emergencies, or call someone to transfer some to you. If that fails you should contact your embassie/consulate in that country, they will help you out and then you pay them later.
Going far away withouth a backup plan can be dangerous.
Happend to me once on a short trip, not too far away, didnt look for a job either, but had some backup money


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## Deleted member 363 (Jun 22, 2012)

Work in rich countries and live in poor countries. That is how you make your money strech.

Also, some passports are gold. UK, Canada, USA, Austrailia, EU, and a handful of others allow for free visas or visa on arrival in over a hundred countires. I have U.S. passport, and I´ve never spent a dime to enter or leave a country. 

Quoting *Henley Visa Restriction Index - Global Ranking 2006*
1. Finland 130
1. Denmark 130
1. United States 130
2. Ireland 129
2. Sweden 129
2. Germany 129
3. United Kingdom 128
3. Italy 128
3. France 128
3. Japan 128
4. Spain 127
4. Norway 127
4. Switzerland 127
4. Belgium 127
5. Netherlands 126
6. Luxembourg 125
6. Austria 125
6. Canada 125
6. New Zealand 125
7. Portugal 123
8. Singapore 122
9. Malaysia 120
9. Iceland 120
9. Greece 120
9. Australia 120
10. Liechtenstein 116
11. Korea, Republic of 115
13. Hong Kong 110
14. Chile 109
18. Israel 104
19. Hungary 101
19. Argentina 101
20. Brazil 99
21. Mexico 98
28. Croatia 84
34. Romania 73
37. South Africa 65
40. St. Kitts & Nevis 62
46. Dominica 52
46. Turkey 52
55. Taiwan 42
62. United Arab Emirates 35
62. Russian Federation 35
64. Serbia and Montenegro 32
65. Saudi Arabia 31
67. Thailand 29
71. India 25
71. Bosnia and Herzegowina 25
72. Egypt 24
75. Jordan 21
78. China 18
78. Korea, Dem People's Republic 18
79. Pakistan 17
81. Iraq 15
82. Iran 14
83. Afghanistan 12


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## Kabukimono (Jun 22, 2012)

oh wow ... that visa restriction! I had no idea how many countries I don't need a visa for.

I guess the true definition of vagabonding can only be applied when within a non-visa requiring country. Because if you have cash stashed away for emergencies. At least for me - it defies the point of vagabonding.


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## Rover Damn (Jun 22, 2012)

Get deported its the fast way home!


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## Kabukimono (Jun 22, 2012)

Rover Damn said:


> Get deported its the fast way home!


That would defy the purpose. I'm talking in the sense of long term/long distance travel - not to get sent back.


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## Thoreau (Jun 22, 2012)

Kabukimono said:


> oh wow ... that visa restriction! I had no idea how many countries I don't need a visa for.
> 
> I guess the true definition of vagabonding can only be applied when within a non-visa requiring country. Because if you have cash stashed away for emergencies. At least for me - it defies the point of vagabonding.


 
depends on how emergency it really is, if you are lets say, sick, no cash and in a regular lack of food, its enough emergency for you at leasts to visit an hospital or seek help from the locals, wich in turn may send you to an hospital anyway, and then they start asking for papers, thats where the fund comes in. At that point you cant vagabond anywhere else properly :s


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## Kabukimono (Jun 23, 2012)

Yeah true, but there's ways round that. If you have no money, short on food and you need medical assistance - The Red Cross springs to mind - they don't charge you  I mean I'm comfortable with saying that I think vagabonding around the world is possible apart from the visas. 
Everything else there is a way round it and a solution to it.


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## Deleted member 363 (Jun 23, 2012)

Thoreau said:


> depends on how emergency it really is, if you are lets say, sick, no cash and in a regular lack of food, its enough emergency for you at leasts to visit an hospital or seek help from the locals, wich in turn may send you to an hospital anyway, and then they start asking for papers, thats where the fund comes in. At that point you cant vagabond anywhere else properly :s


 
Do your homework though. Some countries still have visa requirements, but they are on arrival. Also, there can be ways to get around reciprocity fees, and the such. For example, chile has a $130 reciprocity fee, but they only charge you if you enter through Santiago.


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## Kabukimono (Jun 23, 2012)

Oh yes, definitely. Homework is a must! Same as trying to cross Tajikistan from Iran - there's only one place from where they issue you a four day transit visa. 
When it comes to South America I don't have an issue as I hold a Spanish passport - thing is getting there (working on that though)
It's not something that I will be doing right this moment, soon I hope; it was more something I had on my mind and wanted thoughts/opinions/experiences.


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## WanderLost Radical (Mar 12, 2015)

KC9 said:


> Work in rich countries and live in poor countries. That is how you make your money strech.
> 
> Also, some passports are gold. UK, Canada, USA, Austrailia, EU, and a handful of others allow for free visas or visa on arrival in over a hundred countires. I have U.S. passport, and I´ve never spent a dime to enter or leave a country.
> 
> ...



What exactly does those numbers mean? The number of days you can stay in without needing a visa?


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## Deleted member 363 (Mar 22, 2015)

Its how many countries each passport holder can enter without getting a visa ahead of time.


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