The vast majority of trip videos start at the airport gate. The actual trip doesn’t really get going until weeks beforehand at a visa website or an agent’s desk, and that’s where the avoidable mistakes are made.
Why I’m writing this before you book anything
I did that trip from Dubai to Japan last year, and the thing that pulled it was the prep I did prior to even leaving home.
Before you go on any international trip to any country, you have to be a lot more careful about the sorts of problems and situations you could potentially run into, as you’re not in your home city where you can just ring your family and have them come over and sort things out for you. You’re on your own in that respect, so you do need a contingency plan. You have to travel with care and be extremely aware of the local rules and regulations and the government advice that’s available on the official tourist website of that country. It’s sensible to take a local guide who’s reasonably priced and who can actually take you through and protect you from various forms of scams.
I’ve seen a lot of people who will go and watch the ‘lifestyle’ of various countries on YouTube and then think they’re going to go and visit those countries. The reality is that what you see on video is absolutely nothing like what actually goes on in the real world. The one rule of thumb is to always turn on your camera when you’re making a deal with a local in any country as a record of that deal. If you can, in certain situations, you can even record yourself as proof if it’s subsequently said that it was never promised to you. There are loads of bad apples in many countries, but not all of them are bad. There are a lot of good people and a lot of very friendly people too.
The rest of the article then goes on to apply that passage to four separate instances: the visa, the local deal, the hotel, and the immigration desk.
A Dubai address doesn’t decide your visa
The general assumption is that living in Dubai means there’s one Dubai process for all. There isn’t. Whether or not you actually need a visa at all is very much a function of your passport (your nationality), and your UAE residence will determine where and how you apply.
Confirm it with both the Japanese embassy/consulate that deals with your application and with the visa section of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs website in the same week that you apply. The requirements are in a state of constant flux. An old blog post (this one being a case in point) is merely a starting point and in no way a source.
Real visa help versus a look-alike
Before you pay anyone to handle paperwork, hold what they show you against these attributes:
- Requirements: a bona fide source will be one that is on the embassy’s published list of documents. A fake/look-alike will either be a more general list or will include documents that the embassy has not in fact asked for.
- Fees: the government fee and the agent’s service fee are both shown as separate lines. A look-alike will give you one combined number and won’t break it down.
- Approval: only the consular office can give that. Anyone who says they’ll give you approval is, in fact, selling you something else.
- Timing: processing times will, of course, be in line with the embassy’s published guidance. A promised fixed date is a very big red flag.
- Business identity: a real business address, a license number you can check with the licensing authority, and a phone line that will, in fact, get answered. A lookalike is a chat handle and a payment link.
- Your docs: you know who has your passport copies and why. Think very carefully before sending them to a number you can’t trace.
For my own application, I used the Japan visa service in Dubai. That’s it, really, that’s just the fact of my trip. Not in any way a pass for anyone else to use that service. Run it through the list above in the same way as you would any agent.
Here is what my own application looked like in practice:
The documents that you’ll need to submit as part of your visa will be supplied by the authorities, and you’ll then need to submit them to your own local authorities or service provider. As I’m based here, the rules are in a constant state of flux, so there is no one document that you’re required to submit as part of your visa. It will be different depending on the rules in force at any particular time, so you should also check with your embassy. The fees and charges associated with the visa will, of course, also be subject to change from time to time.
Take a screenshot of every requirement page (with the date on it) as the pages do change, and a dated screenshot will settle any argument as to what you were actually told.
What a bad deal looks like next to a good one
The vast majority of local helpers are quite fine. The ones that don’t follow a fairly predictable pattern: a friendly offer, a rather vague promise, and then a price that comes up later.
The dodgy version is someone at a heritage site selling you “special access” or some sort of activity for a small fee. There’s no total stated, no inclusions, you pay cash at the end, and the total you end up with is more than anything at all that was mentioned. You’ve got absolutely nothing to go on.
The good version of that is that you simply ask for the full price, what it includes, how long it lasts, and where it ends before you pay. You film that conversation or get it in writing. You then check with the site’s own ticket office or tourist information desk to confirm that it’s genuine.
Filming rules vary from country to country and from location to location, with some sites having restrictions on photography. Film the agreement and the price, not the onlookers, and stop if you’re asked to.
Hotels: lock the price before you arrive, check it again when you leave
Keep the booking confirmation (with total price and taxes) as a screenshot and printout. At check-in, confirm the total is correct. At check-out, go through the bill line by line against that confirmation before you hand over your card. If there are any extras, then raise them with the desk at the time (it’s a lot harder to do once you’ve left).
Then there’s Plan B. Shortlist a second hotel in the same area prior to your flight and check its cancellation terms so that if you end up with a bad room or an unforeseen charge, you don’t find yourself with no option at all.
At the immigration desk
Keep your passport, your visa, your hotel confirmation, and your onward ticket all in one folder (on paper and on your phone). Just answer the questions honestly and simply.
If you feel you have been treated in an unfair manner at the border or at an office, remain calm. Note the time, the location, and the officer’s name if possible. Ensure your embassy contact details are saved offline.
Use the free official help first
Official tourist websites and tourist information centers are free, and many countries will have published safety advice and areas to avoid. You should check the entry requirements and local laws on the official website first, before you go, and then, of course, proceed with your journey.
If you need a guide, then get an affordable local one. Use the free public services (public transport, free maps, etc.) before the paid private ones, as it all adds up, and that saving will pay for your backup plan.
What I’d tell a friend flying out next month
After doing this trip once, here is my verdict:
Last year I was in Dubai with my wife and my baby. I had my Japan visa, and in effect, I just wasted 15 days. We did lots of things, it was a great experience, it was absolutely brilliant. We were all very well prepared with our plans in place. If for some reason we’d come up against racism or any issue with the local authorities, we were already booked into our hotel at the actual price. I’d strongly recommend anyone traveling to any country to go and read the regulations and guidance on the country’s own website prior to actually setting off.
You can also look at various well-known YouTubers (Passenger Paramvir was my inspiration in the travel space). By watching his videos, I learned an absolutely massive amount about how to travel safely. I’m not in any way promoting any particular YouTube channel here, just some general info. I’ll always go for the free services that are available in any country (the government ones), such as public services, etc., for any reasonably priced things that might assist in reducing your travel budget. Rather than spending your money on personal expenses, you can, in fact, increase your travel budget.
Everything above is free or inexpensive to do, and each one costs less than the mistake it prevents.
