Is iVisa legit? How to manage visas while bike touring

Last Updated on 18 March 2026 by Cycloscope

Visa planning for bike touring: how we manage visas when traveling. In this article, we discuss the pros and cons of third-party vs. government visa applications, plus our honest review of iVisa services.

When you travel slowly across borders by bike, visas become part of the journey whether you like it or not. Unlike short trips, you can’t just rely on a fixed itinerary. Plans change. Routes evolve. Sometimes you stay longer in a place you love, which shifts everything that comes next.

Long-distance cycling teaches you to adapt. Weather changes, routes shift, and plans evolve. Visas are just another part of that equation.

Some Visa Challenges of Long-Distance Bike Touring

Before leaving home in 2014, we had checked the entry requirements for the countries on our list. Some were visa-free, others required advance applications. We thought we had it all under control.

But once you’re on the road, things change. For example, when we arrived in Azerbaijan, we found the Uzbekistan embassy closed for some mysterious reason. When it finally reopened, they made us wait 10 days for a response—and in the end, we didn’t get the visa because of a technical issue. We should have reapplied, but since our Azerbaijani visa was about to expire, we had to divert to Kazakhstan in the middle of summer. It wasn’t fun.

If you’re planning a multi-country bike tour, it’s smart to research visa requirements early. Government websites are always the most direct (and cheapest) source of information and applications.

But things don’t always run smoothly—this was definitely true in several of the countries we visited. For example, in Tanzania and Malawi, the online application process was a nightmare, especially the payment section, which often returned a 404 error or other issues after entering card details. We had to try for an entire week, at different times of day, before the payment finally went through, and honestly, we didn’t feel very protected by the online payment system.

Not to mention that when applying on the road, you can’t always rely on a stable Wi-Fi connection.

Another issue is that the embassy of the country you need to apply to isn’t always present in your current country, and the rules are often inconsistent across embassies. I could write an entire book about the different requirements for getting a Chinese visa across Central Asia and Southeast Asia… including the time an agent in Almaty provided us with the wrong type of Chinese visa and we almost got arrested…

Tips for Managing Visas While Bike Touring

After going through these experiences, here are a few practical tips:

1. Plan ahead—but stay flexible
Check visa requirements before you leave, but expect them to change.

2. Keep digital copies of everything
Passport, photos, documents—store them securely online.

3. Apply early when possible
Processing times can vary more than expected.

4. Have a backup internet plan/local SIM card
Offline maps are great, but visa applications need connectivity.

5. Consider convenience vs. cost
Government applications are cheaper, but services like iVisa can save time and reduce stress. Also consider that when you need to apply at an embassy, you often have to stay several days in a city waiting for the outcome, and this cost (and time) should be taken into account. Especially in some parts of the world, like West Africa, you may need a short-term visa to visit a small country, but you might have to spend 7+ days in the capital waiting for a visa for the next country.

Online Visa Applications: convenience vs. cost

This last point is one of the most important. That’s when I started looking into online visa services and came across iVisa. At first, I was skeptical.

So I did what most travelers do—I searched for reviews, checked their reputation, and tried to understand how it worked. iVisa is a private company (not affiliated with any government) that has been operating since 2013, and they have a 4.3 rating on Trustpilot based on 70,000 reviews. It is very important to note that Visa approval is always decided by the government, not iVisa.

Is it the cheapest option? While government applications are usually cheaper, applying in person often means staying several extra days in a city, paying for accommodation and food while waiting for a decision.. I could complete everything from my phone, without needing to print or scan documents physically.

When you take everything into account, it can actually be less expensive—and definitely less stressful.

If you’re planning a multi-country bike tour, it’s worth checking your visa requirements early and exploring your options.

Anyone who travels knows that embassies are often open for only a few hours a day and sometimes only on certain days of the week.

So, is iVisa legit? Our experience:

Yes, in our experience, iVisa is legit. It’s a convenience tool that can make the process easier when you’re on the road. If you are planning a multi-country bike tour, it’s worth checking your visa requirements early and understanding your options. If you prefer a simpler process while traveling, you can explore applying online through the website here: www.ivisa.com