The Printt Guide to Visa Printing
Need to print a visa application form, a confirmation, or any supporting documentation? No need for a special visa printing machine here – or any printer at all, thanks to Printt.
If you’re a UK traveller, you have one of the strongest passports in the world. That doesn’t mean you can ask it to lift your luggage for you, but it does mean you can travel to 187 countries without a visa.
Whether you need a visa, or you need to fill out a visa waiver form such as an American ESTA, you’ll have to print some documents to support your travels… mostly.
First time travelling abroad? We have some more handy visa advice with the 5 things to remember when printing visa applications.
When don’t I need to print a visa?
You might be old enough to remember travelling with reams of paper in your travel bag – boarding passes, passports, and indeed, printed visa documents.
However, many countries’ visa (or visa waiver) application processes are done entirely online now – take the ESTA or the Australian eVisitor visa as examples.
For eligible travellers (and for certain types of visas), these processes are paperless. This works as the successful visa application you complete online is linked to your passport number. So, once you reach the border, you won’t need to produce a paper visa.
It can even be done from the comfort of your mobile phone (if it doesn’t run out of charge halfway through).
When do I need to print a visa?
However, even if visa printing is a thing of the past in some countries, it’s still the norm in many – and a hybrid process in others. For example:
For entry to India, you can complete an application for some visas online. If approved, you will then have to print off a confirmation letter (Electronic Travel Authorisation) to show at the border when you land.
For entry into China (under Tourist Visa L) you’ll need to print a visa application form with a photo attached, as well as supporting documents, which you will need to take to a Chinese visa processing centre, embassy or consulate. If approved, they’ll print a visa for you.
If in doubt, check your destination’s travel requirements.
Why should I print my visa?
Why should I print my visa?
Just because you don’t need to print your visa documentation, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t.
In fact, it’s good advice to print any travel document you need. That’s because you can’t always tell how your technology (or the border force’s technology) will cope under pressure.
Just ask anybody whose smartphone has died at an electronic security gate – and they haven’t printed off their boarding pass.
The same goes for visas, visa application forms and visa appointment forms.
Whilst you may not need them for your destination, having a paper copy as a backup does wonders for your peace of mind: it will stop a glitch in your tech (or theirs) from holding you up at the border.
How do I print my visa, appointment confirmation or application?
Whether you’re just getting started with the process and you need to print a visa application form, or you need to do a quick detour on the way to the airport to print your visa confirmation, you can trust Printt to do it.
Printt frees you from the hassle and expense of running your own visa printing machine at home, without sacrificing any of the convenience.
This is because you can print in a way that’s convenient for you – whether that’s clicking and collecting from your nearest Ryman whilst you print your visa photo, or opting for tracked, next-day delivery to your address (with a 30% discount if it’s your first time printing with us).
So, if you need to print a visa appointment confirmation, a visa application form, sponsorship documents or your (e) visa, make it quicker and stress-free with Printt.
Printing for business or pleasure? Whatever you need to print, we’ve got you covered with our handy printing guides.