Quick Answer: Travel History Requirements for Visa
Travel history is your record of previous international travel, shown mainly through passport stamps and visas. Some routes ask for it directly; on others it informs how an application is assessed even where no document is requested.
A record of previous travel complied with is generally helpful. A record showing overstays or refusals is not, and neither is concealing it, since authorities frequently share and check this information. Requirements.co.za is an independent information website. It is not a visa agency, embassy or government department, and nothing here is immigration or legal advice.
Who This Requirement Applies To
This guide is for applicants asked to supply travel history, and for anyone wondering how previous travel affects an application.
For dealing with a previous refusal, see Visa Refusal and Reapplication Requirements.
Eligibility Requirements
Where travel history is considered, these are the elements that matter.
Applicant type
- Previous compliant travel. Visits within permitted periods, particularly to comparable destinations, generally count in your favour.
- Overstays. A record of overstaying is a serious adverse factor and may carry formal consequences in the country concerned.
- Previous refusals. Normally must be declared where the form asks, even for a different country.
- First-time travellers. An absent travel history is not itself a refusal ground, but other evidence of ties and intent carries more weight.
- Expired passports. History in a previous passport may still be relevant, and old passports are sometimes requested.
Documents You May Need
What you supply depends on what the form asks for.
Required proof
- Current passport with visas and entry stamps.
- Previous passports where history is held in them and they are requested.
- Copies of previous visas, where specified.
- A written travel history where the application form requires one.
Steps to Apply or Prepare
Check whether the form requires a declared travel history and over what period.
Answer accurately and completely, including refusals, since concealment is treated far more seriously than the underlying issue.
Keep previous passports rather than discarding them, since they hold history you may later need to evidence.
Costs, Processing Times and Validity
There is no cost to supplying travel history. Where an adverse record exists, its effect depends on the route and the deciding authority, and is not something a third party can predict.
Common Mistakes and Delays
Common mistake
- Failing to declare a previous refusal because it was for another country.
- Discarding old passports containing relevant history.
- Assuming an absent travel history is itself a refusal ground.
- Understating a previous overstay rather than addressing it.
- Providing a history that conflicts with the stamps in the passport.
Where to Confirm Official Requirements
Confirm the requirement with the authority deciding your application. The Official Requirements Sources South Africa page links to the responsible bodies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need travel history for a visa?
Some routes ask for it directly and others consider it as part of the assessment. Check what your application form requires.
Does no travel history mean refusal?
No. It is not itself a refusal ground, though other evidence of your circumstances and intentions may carry more weight.
Must I declare a refusal by another country?
Where the form asks, yes. Concealing it is generally treated more seriously than the refusal itself.
Do I need old passports?
They may be requested where relevant history is in them. Keep them rather than discarding them.
Where can I confirm the requirement?
Confirm with the authority deciding your application.