"How early should I apply?" is the question we answer most. Too late and you're refreshing your inbox at the departure gate; too early and (for some destinations) the validity window starts before your trip does. Here's the destination-by-destination answer.
The quick table
| Destination | Typical processing | Apply this early |
|---|---|---|
| Sri Lanka ETA | 1–3 days | 1–2 weeks before |
| Canada eTA | 1–3 days (often minutes) | 2+ weeks before |
| India eVisa | 3–5 days | 2–3 weeks before |
| Vietnam eVisa | 3–5 days | 2–3 weeks before |
| Ethiopia eVisa | 3–5 days | 2–4 weeks before |
| Kenya eTA | up to 5 business days | 2–3 weeks before |
| Egypt eVisa | up to 6 business days | 2–3 weeks before |
| Brazil eVisa | 5–7 days | 3–4 weeks before |
Why "typical" isn't "guaranteed"
Official processing quotes describe the happy path: a clean application in a quiet season. Three things routinely stretch them:
- Peak seasons — safari season for Kenya, December–March for Sri Lanka, Tet for Vietnam. Queues grow, decisions slow.
- Resubmissions — one photo rejection restarts the clock. A "3–5 day" visa becomes a 10-day visa the moment something needs correcting. Our rejection guide lists what gets applications bounced.
- Manual review — a small share of applications get pulled for extra checks, regardless of how clean they are. It's rare, but it's why we say weeks, not days.
The full breakdown is in our processing-times guide.
Can you apply too early?
For eTAs tied to your passport (Canada, Kenya, Sri Lanka) — generally no; validity is long or starts at entry. For fixed-window eVisas (Ethiopia is the classic case, where the 30-day validity starts on the visa, not on your arrival) — yes. Applying four months out can leave you with a visa that expires before your return flight. Two to four weeks ahead is the sweet spot for those.
Inside the safe window already?
If departure is days away, the order of operations matters: apply now, choose the fastest processing you can, and don't book anything non-refundable until approval lands. Our urgent visa service submits same-day or next-business-day, and if an existing application was rejected for a fixable reason, the error-fix service re-prepares and re-submits it.