visa | Need a visa? Your destination determines which visa you will receive

Need a visa? Your destination determines which visa you will receive




Are you going abroad or are you a foreigner and do you want to go to a Schengen country, then sometimes you need a visa. There are different visas available depending on the destination.

A visa is an official permission to visit a country and stay in that country. Unlike a passport, a visa is generally not issued by the traveler's home country but by the country you want to travel to.

Different types of visas
A visa is generally valid for the planned trip, but each country has its own conditions and types of visa. There are tourist visas, visitor visas (for visits to family or friends), business visas, work visas and transit visas. The validity period of a visa can vary per country as well as the period within which the visa must be used. Most visas are valid for a maximum of three months and must be used within a maximum of three months from the date of issue.

A multiple-entry visa (visas multiples entrées) is a visa that can be used multiple times within the validity, in contrast to a single entry visa that is only valid for one entry. Many countries only issue single entry visas. These can often be extended or adapted on the spot for a renewed entry (eg after a visit to a neighboring country).

Which visa?
The embassy of a country determines which visa is issued. In most cases that will be a tourist visa or a business visa. The list below is general and may differ per country.

Tourist visa: for short tourist stays, both individually and in groups through a travel organization.
Business visa: for business purposes.
Transit visa: for transit at an airport, so that you can transfer to a third country. Travelers usually have to stay in the special transit area at the airport.
Work visa: to work in a country for the duration of the issued visa.
Flight Crew Visa: for the crew of an aircraft during flights.
Conference visa: to participate in a conference as a visitor or as a provider.
Family visa: for accompanying family members who live or work abroad, or to visit relatives there.
Student visa: to study at a university.
Journalist visa: for making reports, filming, photographing and reporting news as a journalist, photographer or TV maker.
Short Stay Visa: for tourist purposes for 90 to 180 days, this type of visa is used by the Schengen countries.
Long stay visa: for tourist trips from 3 to 12 months by a country.
Diplomatic visa: for official, governmental or diplomatic affairs, this visa is only issued to people with diplomatic passports.
Green Card: a Green Card (official: United States Permanent Resident Card) is an indefinite visa for the United States.
Single entry visa: valid for one entry.
Double entry visa: valid for two visits to a country.
Multiple entry visa: can be used several times within a certain period.
Exit visa: permission to leave the home country.