What Is a Visa?

A visa is a travel document that allows you to enter a foreign country for a specific period of time. In most cases, you have to apply for a visa before travelling, either at an embassy, consulate, or online. Sometimes you can also obtain a visa on arrival. Visas are usually affixed onto your passport and state how long you can stay.

Most countries impose visa requirements for foreign nationals as a security measure: to keep track of who enters and to stop illegal immigration. Visas are also used as a defensive effort, stopping security risks from entering a country.

What Does a Visa Look Like?

A visa is a sticker on your passport, containing your name, picture, and the number of days you are allowed to stay in a specific country.

In some cases, visas are also issued as separate documents and are not attached to your passport – such as electronic visas, which you must print out.

Visa Types by Purpose

Some of the common visa types by purpose of travel include:

Tourist visas. Tourist visas are entry permits issued for recreational purposes. Tourist types of visas are short-term, usually valid for three months, and you cannot work while on a tourist visa. There is usually no limit to how many times you can apply for a tourist visa for the same country— as long as the embassy/consulate grants the visa; you can freely travel

Transit visas. A transit visa llows you to pass through a specific country while traveling to a third destination country. For example, if you have an Indian passport and you are travelling to Canada, but during your trip you have a layover in a Schengen country, you will need a Schengen transit visa. Usually, this type of visa is issued for 24 up to 96 hours, but it can also be issued for ten days up to two weeks—depending on which country you transit through. You have to apply for a transit visa before traveling; transit visas are not issued at the airport.

Medical visa. You can apply for a medical visa to seek medical treatment in a foreign country. Medical visas are short-term issued for the duration of the medical procedure and the patient’s recovery time. To qualify for this type of visa, you need to provide evidence from your doctor regarding your condition and proof that you have found a hospital and a doctor in your destination country who will perform the required procedure.

Working holiday visas. Working holiday visas are short-term permits that can be considered a mix of the tourist and work visas. The purpose of this visa is to allow you to explore a foreign country like on a holiday while working to support your trip financially. Most countries have restrictions on what type of work you can do and how many hours you can work. Generally speaking, working holiday visas are issued for a year or two, and you can only apply for the visa once (except Australia’s working holiday visa). To be eligible for a work and holiday visa, in most cases, you must be between the ages of 18-30.

Student visas. Student visas are issued for educational purposes and are usually valid for the duration of your study program. As a result, your study visa can last between one to four years, or even more, depending on your course. You cannot work in another country with a student visa unless your host country permits you.

Work visas. If you find work in a foreign country, you must apply for a work visa. Work visas are usually issued for long-term purposes from one up to four years, but this changes depending on your work contract. Your working visa serves as a route to a permanent residence permit in most cases.

Family reunification visas. A visa for family reunification is issued when your spouse lives and works in another country. This visa allows you to become a temporary (or permanent) resident in the country where your partner is working. Usually, a family visa is also issued to any minor children you or your spouse have.

Investment visas. An investment visa allows you to become resident in another country if you make a significant financial investment. The required investment varies (in a startup, bonds, a government fund, etc.) but the result must be the same: a positive financial impact and/or employment opportunities. In some countries, you may also acquire a visa if you purchase real estate property.

Official visas. Official visas allow you to do diplomatic work as a representative of your country abroad. Some of the most commonly issued official permits are diplomatic visas, but some countries also provide service and courtesy visas.

Refuge or asylum visas. You can apply for a refugee or an asylum seeker visa if you are being persecuted in your home country due to religious, racial, or political reasons. Every country issues their own visa to accommodate persons who have refugee status.

Digital nomad visas. To qualify for a digital nomad visa, you must meet the definition of a digital nomad. This definition varies depending on the country, but it’s usually someone who can work remotely either for a company or individual clients. To apply for this type of visa, you must find a country with a digital nomad immigration program.

Retirement visas. A retirement visa is issued to foreigners who want to retire outside of their home country. It is issued only to those that have reached their retirement age and is given in form of a residence permit. Usually, authorities require proof of sufficient funds to support yourself.

Pilgrimage visas. Pilgrimage visas are issued to people who want to complete a religious journey in another country. An example of a pilgrimage visa is the Hajj visa issued by Saudi Arabia to Muslims who want to complete the sacred journey of Hajj in Mecca. These types of visas are usually issued for a group of people rather than an individual and are valid only for the time it takes to complete the pilgrimage.