Move planning worksheet
A checklist of questions to answer before applying for a long-stay visa in Asia. Print this page or copy it into your own notes. It is general information, not legal or immigration advice, and it holds no figures of its own: take every number from the official page for your visa and your post.
1. Where you will apply
- ☐ Which embassy or consulate covers your place of residence? Its own checklist is the one that counts; posts differ.
- ☐ Do you need to be a resident of that post's country or territory, and what proof does it name?
- ☐ Does your post need a police certificate, from which country, and how recent must it be?
2. Money
- ☐ Which income or savings figure does the visa's official page state, and over what period?
- ☐ Where does your income come from, and does the visa allow that source?
- ☐ What are the government fee, any service fee, and the cost of required documents?
3. Documents and insurance
- ☐ Passport validity and blank pages for the whole stay.
- ☐ Employment contract, client contracts or portfolio, as the post requires.
- ☐ Health insurance: required cover amount, whether the country must be named, and the start date.
4. Timing and renewal
- ☐ Stay per entry, total validity, and whether and how it can be extended.
- ☐ Processing time at your post, and the date you need an answer by.
- ☐ What happens if you are refused: is there an appeal, and is the fee refundable?
5. Before you commit
- ☐ Re-read the official page on the day you pay; rules change without notice.
- ☐ Write down the date you checked each requirement and the URL you checked it at.
- ☐ Ask the embassy in writing about anything the page leaves unclear.
Not sure which visa fits? Try the visa eligibility finder, or browse every visa we track and the dated rule-change timeline.