How We Managed Visas for 12 Countries During the SAS 1 Million Points Challenge

When I first heard about the SAS 1 Million Points Challenge, I was extremely excited. A million miles? I could practically fly anywhere. But as the travel junkie in me got carried away, I quickly realized that the most important part of this challenge wasn't just booking flights. It was securing visas. We didn't have a US visa, and honestly, it would've made things so much easier. But hey, where's the fun without a challenge?

The timeline was tight. From October 8 to December 31, I had to figure out if I could get all the necessary visas and actually travel to all these places. Countries in the Schengen zone require a good 10+ days just for processing, and on top of that, there was the challenge of balancing work, costs, and leaves for both me and Shruti.

I spent a few days mapping out a tentative plan, trying to figure out which countries these airlines were based in and where they flew. FlightConnections.com became my best friend for figuring out routes and understanding what was possible within the given timeframe. I also found tons of useful sample itineraries on FlyerTalk and WhatsApp groups like the Magnify community, which made a huge difference.

After all the research, I realized Schengen was a must-have. Non-negotiable. Without a Schengen visa, I couldn't even think about this challenge. More than five airlines were flying in Schengen territory, so if I missed this visa, I'd be missing out on a huge chunk of the challenge.

So, I decided to tackle the Schengen visa first. Little did I know, this was just the beginning of what would become an unexpected and, at times, chaotic journey through visa applications. (I wrote about why we signed up for the challenge in a separate post.)

Important Note: This guide shares our experience during the SAS EuroBonus Challenge and is in no way a recommendation for obtaining visas. Please consult the respective embassies, consulates, or trusted visa agents for accurate and updated guidance. Visa requirements may have changed by the time you're reading this.

1. Schengen Visa

The Schengen visa was a must-have, as more than five of the airlines in the challenge operated within Schengen territories. Without it, we couldn't proceed, so we went for this first.

Here's what we encountered:

• Appointment booked: Oct 15
• VFS appointment: Oct 22
• Call from the consulate: Oct 23 (They needed our actual marriage certificate, not just an affidavit)
• Marriage certificate submitted: Oct 30
• Passport with visa delivered: Oct 31
• Visa validity: 45 days, multi-entry
• Total cost (per person): ₹11,119 (including French visa fee, VFS fee, and courier charges)

Schengen was a dealbreaker for us, and I booked our first flight at 1 AM on Nov 1 for the same day. I'd never booked an international flight on the same day before. Crazy, but necessary.

The Schengen application itself was a whole saga. We applied through France (faster processing), went through VFS BKC, got hit with an unexpected request for our marriage certificate (the affidavit we submitted wasn't enough), scrambled to get the actual certificate, and finally received the visa on Oct 31. A huge thanks to the French consulate for allowing us to submit the missing document instead of rejecting the entire application.

2. Australia Visa

This visa was essential not only for Australia but also for our London transit. The UK requires either a US, Canadian, Australian, or New Zealand visa just to transit airside, even on the same PNR. With Virgin Atlantic (a UK-based airline) being part of the challenge, we had to get this sorted.

A friend with vast experience in travel suggested we try the Australia visa instead of the UK transit visa. The process was simple: just an online submission of documents, and I was able to complete it in one sitting.

We submitted the application on Oct 20, and Shruti received her visa by Oct 30. I didn't get mine until Nov 18, though we had submitted everything at the same time. The difference seemed to be just a few minutes in the payment process, but it delayed mine significantly.

• Visa fee: ₹11,000
• Visa validity: 3 years, multi-entry
• Processing time: 15-16 days (but can vary, as I found out)

3. Hong Kong PAR (Pre-arrival Registration)

While waiting for our French visa, I started finding countries where the visa process was simpler. Hong Kong was one of them, thanks to its straightforward online process. The only challenge was entering my travel history, which I'm not sure was fully required, but I filled it out anyway.

Once the form was completed on Oct 26, we got our Hong Kong PAR approval instantly. Valid for 6 months, it was free and came as a multi-entry visa. Extremely helpful since, at this point, we hadn't even booked a single flight yet.

• Visa type: Multi-entry
• Cost: Free
• Processing time: Instant

4. Taiwan ROC

Taiwan was on our radar due to China Airlines, a SkyTeam member. Since both of us held Japan visas, we were eligible for the Taiwan ROC visa under the special condition for Japan visa holders. All we had to do was enter our Japan details, and it was generated instantly.

At immigration, we only needed to show our Japan entry stamp, which we had from the previous year. Smooth process, no issues.

• Visa type: Multi-entry
• Cost: Free
• Processing time: Instant

5. Malaysia (No Visa Required)

In a stroke of luck, Malaysia offers visa-free entry for Indians until Dec 31, 2026. No visa required, just the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC). Quick, straightforward process. I did it on Nov 1 and got approval instantly.

• Cost: Free
• Processing time: Instant (upon MDAC submission)

6. Indonesia Visa on Arrival

Indonesia is another easy one. eVisa or Visa on Arrival (VoA) are available for Indians. Since we had a connecting flight in Jakarta the next day, we initially planned to transit without entering the country. But we couldn't do that since our flight was scheduled for the next day, so we opted for the VoA.

• Visa type: Visa on Arrival
• Fee: 35 USD (~₹3,000)
• Processing time: Immediate upon arrival

7. China 24-Hour Transit Visa

China's transit visa rules are different from most countries. Even for transit passengers, you're required to cross immigration. Thankfully, they offer a 24-hour transit visa free of cost, which lets you leave the airport. We didn't take advantage of this, as our connection time was too short to explore the city.

With China Eastern and Xiamen Air both being China-based airlines, this transit visa helped us a lot. To be on the safer side, we made sure our routing was always "Country A, China, Country B" both times.

• Visa type: 24-hour transit visa
• Cost: Free
• Processing time: Instant upon arrival

8. South Korea: Jeju Island (Visa-Free)

We absolutely didn't have time for a South Korea visa, and since Korean Air is based out of South Korea, I didn't want to complicate things with a City A to Seoul to City B connection, which would add unnecessary flight costs.

Thanks to FlightConnections, I found a Korean Air flight from Jeju to Tokyo. Jeju Island is visa-free for all nationalities, so we took advantage of that. The only important thing to remember is not to have any transit stop anywhere else in South Korea, as that could invalidate the visa-free status.

We spent a few hours on Jeju Island before continuing our journey.

• Visa type: Visa-free (Jeju Island only)
• Cost: Free
• Note: No stopovers in mainland South Korea

9. Japan Visa (5-Year Multi-Entry)

We already had a Japan visa, a 5-year multi-entry one, and it turned out to be an absolute lifesaver. Not only did it serve as a great exit point, but it also helped us secure Taiwan and Mexico visas. Having this visa in hand was a major time-saver and made our travel logistics significantly easier.

You can read the full details of how we got our Japan visa for ₹500 in a separate post.

• Visa type: 5-year multi-entry
• Cost: Already obtained before the trip

10. Vietnam eVisa

Having been to Vietnam in 2022, we were familiar with the eVisa process. Back then, it took us about 5 days to receive it, so we weren't too worried. Vietnam Airlines was one of the SkyTeam airlines in the challenge, so we needed this sorted.

While I had checked online and confirmed that we could stay in the international transit area, I didn't want to risk it. I'd heard some extremely frustrating stories from 2022 about passengers being denied boarding to Vietnam from Mumbai due to a port of entry change. So, we processed the eVisa just to be safe.

• Visa validity: Single entry
• Cost: ₹2,200
• Processing time: 4 days (submitted Nov 3, received Nov 7)
• Note: We exited the airport since we had the visa, even though there was a Vietnam Airlines desk in the transit area

11. Mexico (Visa-Free with Japan Visa)

Mexico offers visa-free entry for Indians who hold certain visas, and a Japan visa is one of them. There's a chaotic Emirates story behind how we got to Mexico, but that's a separate post. We got our Mexico entry free of charge at the airport on Dec 7, all thanks to our Japan visa.

• Visa type: Visa-free entry (with Japan visa)
• Cost: Free
• Processing time: On arrival

12. Saudi Arabia (Visa on Arrival)

Saudi Arabia was never on our radar initially. But when one of our Turkish Airlines flights was cancelled, we couldn't make it to our Jeddah to Mumbai flight via Saudia (a SkyTeam partner for the challenge). We had to enter Saudi Arabia and rebook.

Thankfully, Saudi Arabia offers a visa on arrival for Indians under certain conditions, one of which is having a Schengen visa with a Schengen entry stamp. Since we had both, we were eligible.

• Visa type: Visa on Arrival
• Visa validity: 1 year, multi-entry
• Cost: ₹8,885
• Processing time: On arrival (Dec 13)

Summary

Total visa cost: ₹36,085 per person

Here's how it broke down:

• 4 full visas: Schengen (₹11,119), Australia (₹11,000), Vietnam (₹2,200), Saudi Arabia (₹8,885)
• 1 transit visa: China (free)
• 5 visa-free entries: Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Jeju Island, Mexico (all free)
• 2 visas on arrival: Indonesia (₹3,000), Saudi Arabia (₹8,885)

Securing entry to 12 different countries for the SAS challenge and planning the entire itinerary in such a short span was an unforgettable experience. It pushed our limits and enriched our travel journey, adding invaluable lessons along the way. If you're planning something similarly ambitious, start with your Schengen visa early, get a Japan visa if you can (it unlocks so many other countries), and don't underestimate how much time visa processing can eat into your planning window.