Need Advice: Backpacking and Visa Issues

[13000km]

My boyfriend and I are planning to go on a year-long backpacking trip to several parts of asia, starting from Singapore and going to Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, China, Mongolia, Nepal and India.

As we began solidifying our plans to visit these countries, we realised that in most of these countries we can only stay a limited number of days (30-90) with a tourist visa, or without a visa (for countries that don't require us to get a visa).

Has anyone had experience staying in any of these countries for an extended period of time? Is it possible to renew/extend our visas while in the country, or do we have to go back to the border? Are there countries that don't allow you to stay more than the given number of days irregardless of the situation?

Also, any tips from the well travelled?
Any suggestions as to where in these countries we should check out?

Thanks!

[Silviar]

If you're on a tourist visa, I doubt there's a way to extend the time - but the visa's conditions and whether you can extend it should be clear. If you think there's a place you might want to stay longer, then I recommend exploring more visa options for those countries - some allow working holiday visas, which are usually a year long. It's really hard to give specific advice since you're including so many countries, sorry.

Any countries that you have a visa with will have their visa conditions very clearly marked - they should state whether you can renew or extend, or if you have to leave the country.

[13000km]

If you're on a tourist visa, I doubt there's a way to extend the time - but the visa's conditions and whether you can extend it should be clear. If you think there's a place you might want to stay longer, then I recommend exploring more visa options for those countries - some allow working holiday visas, which are usually a year long. It's really hard to give specific advice since you're including so many countries, sorry.

Any countries that you have a visa with will have their visa conditions very clearly marked - they should state whether you can renew or extend, or if you have to leave the country.

Yeah, so far all the stuff I've read about says that it will tell me how long I can say and whether or not I can extend it when I get it, but that also means we won't know how long we can stay in each country until right before we enter. We have briefly looked at different kind of visas and prices and number of days and stuff, but you're right it's time we look more into that.

Hmm we're looking at 30 days (too short!) for China and Vietnam, and only 15 days for Thailand. /: Those are the countries we would like to see more of, but might not be able to. ):

[mllebamako]

I would recommend looking at the Thorn Tree travel forums on the Lonely Planet website. I have found those places really helpful when I am searching for an answer. That way you could search each country specifically.

It's been a long time, but when I went to China, they were quite strict about my visa.

[13000km]

I would recommend looking at the Thorn Tree travel forums on the Lonely Planet website. I have found those places really helpful when I am searching for an answer. That way you could search each country specifically.

It's been a long time, but when I went to China, they were quite strict about my visa.

I went on the thorn tree site for two minutes and already find it helpful, thanks!

[lucybelle]

Yeah Thorn Tree. I'm on there constantly!! It's great.

[bluepotato1236]

For Malaysia, you can stay for 90days with tourist visa.. You can also extend another 30days of stay but you have to apply before the 90days ends...Sounds so exciting for the year long backpacking! :-D

[Naori]

if you are going to china you will definitely need a visa, every time you enter it is already one visa. so if you planning to leave and enter it a few times I suggest you buy the one year visa for china which allows you to enter more time.

[13000km]

Thanks guys! (:

if you are going to china you will definitely need a visa, every time you enter it is already one visa. so if you planning to leave and enter it a few times I suggest you buy the one year visa for china which allows you to enter more time.

One year...that actually sounds like a good idea. We'll have to look up how much that is, thanks! (:

[Břlle]

An impractical solution would be to do a visa-run I guess. Go to the border, cross it, buy a new visa and come back over. As for Cambodia, I'm pretty sure you can get your visa extended once.

[OliveOyl]

South America you usually just have to leave the country for X amount of days, and can go back, usually people went on vacations when their visas were ending, and then came back and got the however many days.

[Élan]

This post is old--are you still going backpacking? I am going to share some opinions about Malaysia in case you or anyone else is interested.

In Malaysia you should get 90 days, so no worries! Someone earlier posted that you can get a 30-day "special pass" extension, but I think Malaysia has been giving out less and less of these lately unless you have a very good reason.

In Malaysia, I'd recommend you go to an island. KL is fine, but it's really like any big city. I'd recommend a stay at Perhentian Island--it's my favorite! No cars, very peaceful and lots of nice people. You can scuba dive, snorkel or just hang out. It was very cheap to fly from KL to Kota Bharu, then take taxi to the shore, then speedboat to the islands. If you want a wilder island, I'd go to Langkawi. If you stay in KL for awhile, you should enjoy the food. There's some amazing Indian food here. If anyone is coming to Malaysia, I'd love to recommend specific restaurants. There's more going on there.

[13000km]

This post is old--are you still going backpacking? I am going to share some opinions about Malaysia in case you or anyone else is interested.

In Malaysia you should get 90 days, so no worries! Someone earlier posted that you can get a 30-day "special pass" extension, but I think Malaysia has been giving out less and less of these lately unless you have a very good reason.

In Malaysia, I'd recommend you go to an island. KL is fine, but it's really like any big city. I'd recommend a stay at Perhentian Island--it's my favorite! No cars, very peaceful and lots of nice people. You can scuba dive, snorkel or just hang out. It was very cheap to fly from KL to Kota Bharu, then take taxi to the shore, then speedboat to the islands. If you want a wilder island, I'd go to Langkawi. If you stay in KL for awhile, you should enjoy the food. There's some amazing Indian food here. If anyone is coming to Malaysia, I'd love to recommend specific restaurants. There's more going on there.

We are, just not anytime soon, unfortunately. Thanks for the recommendations. (: I've been to KL a number of times, most recently in March. It can be quite a lot of fun, depending on who I'm with. I do realise I spend a lot of money when I'm there though. We drove up to JB, Malacca and Negeri Simbilan last month, but there was too much driving and too little time to enjoy the sights. There was this one place, Nilai, where we got lost in a maze of streets after streets of textile stores, that was interesting. I was also in Desaru last weekend for a staff retreat, but that was uneventful, to say the least.

My favourite place by far in Malaysia is Taman Negara. We stayed near to the river and got to swim in it every day. The forest was AMAZING and the whole place was just so serene. Kota Kinabalu had that same effect on me, I would love to go back to these places again.

[Élan]

Have you been to Penang? That might a nice place to visit when backpacking instead of KL. Food in Penang >>>> food everywhere else.

I hear KK is really nice but I have never been. Unfortunately, due to my partner's job, I don't get to travel much. If you pick any island, though, I'd recommend Perhentian hands down. The little island has ton of cheap shacks for scuba divers and backpackers and one really nice, romantic resort. The large island is bigger and has more resorts for families.

[13000km]

Have you been to Penang? That might a nice place to visit when backpacking instead of KL. Food in Penang >>>> food everywhere else.

I hear KK is really nice but I have never been. Unfortunately, due to my partner's job, I don't get to travel much. If you pick any island, though, I'd recommend Perhentian hands down. The little island has ton of cheap shacks for scuba divers and backpackers and one really nice, romantic resort. The large island is bigger and has more resorts for families.

Yep I went there a couple of years ago and did a lot of water sports there! And yes, the food is AMAZING. I especially loved the street side char kuay teow. Yumm 6:

I will consider the Perhentian islands next time I'm thinking of going to Malaysia, thanks! (: