VISAS FOR CENTRAL AMERICA CRUISE

I plan to take a sea cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles, calling in port in Colombia; Panama; Costa Rica; Nicaragua; and Mexico. Do I need visas to visit any of these countries? I do have a valid US visa. Does Mexico allow South Africans entry on a US visa? — Rayan Rughubar

Of all the countries on your itinerary, the only one for which you need a visa is Colombia. The e-visa applications are done online through the Colombian embassy in Pretoria. You can find the requirements at pretoria.consulado.gov.co. Select the “Trámites y servicios” dropdown menu and click on “Visa”. Allow plenty of time to do the application.

You could also use a visa handling agency such as Blade Express Visa Services (phone 011-656-8044) to apply for you.

While South African-passport holders usually require visas for Mexico, you are in luck. According to the Mexican embassy, if you hold a valid US visa — regardless of your nationality — you will not need a visa. Its website states: “Travellers who wish to visit Mexico (regardless of their nationality or itinerary), holding a valid, multiple-entry visa for the United States of America, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom or the Schengen Space countries DO NOT need to apply for a tourist, business or transit Mexican visa”. The information was updated on November 15. See embamex.sre.gob.mx/sudafrica/index.php. According to passportindex.org, Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua are visa-free for South African-passport holders for up to 90 days (180 days in Panama).