What are the different types of visas?
Most visas fall into a few categories set by your purpose of travel: visitor, business, transit, student, work, long-stay and family, plus online authorisations such as e-visas.
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The main visa categories
Purpose of travel is what puts you in a category. Read the destination's own description before you apply, because names and limits differ from country to country.
| Category | What it is for | Typical length of stay |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor or tourist visa | Holidays, sightseeing, visiting friends and family | Often up to 30 to 90 days per entry |
| Business visa | Meetings, conferences and negotiations, with no local employment | Often up to 90 days per entry |
| Transit visa | Passing through a country or changing terminals on the way somewhere else | A few hours to a few days |
| Student visa | Enrolled study at a recognised school or university | The length of your course |
| Work visa | Paid employment, usually with a sponsoring employer | The length of the contract, often renewable |
| Long-stay or residence visa | Living in a country beyond the short-stay limit | More than 90 days, often a year at a time |
| Family or spouse visa | Joining a partner or close relative who lives there | Tied to your sponsor's status |
| Digital nomad visa | Remote work for an employer or clients outside the country | Commonly a year, renewable in many schemes |
| E-visa | The online version of a visitor, business or transit visa | The same as the paper visa it replaces |
| Visa waiver or travel authorisation | Pre-screening for nationalities that do not need a full visa | Short visits, commonly up to 90 days |
Read more about a specific type
- What is a transit visa and do I need one for my layover?
- What is a long-stay visa and when do I need one?
- What is a multiple-entry visa and how does it work?
- What is a Schengen visa and which countries accept it?
How to choose the right category
Start with why you are going and how long you want to stay, then match that to the categories the destination publishes. If two categories look close, the stricter reading is usually the safe one.
Then check whether your nationality needs a visa at all. Rules change and depend on your citizenship, so confirm on the official government source for the country you are entering, and treat no visa as a guarantee of entry.
Important: visa fees are normally non-refundable, and applying in the wrong category can mean paying again from the start. Confirm the category on the official portal before you submit anything.
Most visitor and long-stay applications ask for proof of accommodation for your travel dates. A free-cancellation hotel booking on trip1, payable in 120+ cryptocurrencies through CoinGate, covers that without locking in your plans.
Types of visas - FAQ
There is no official list of seven, but most visas fall into seven broad categories set by your purpose of travel: visitor or tourist, business, transit, student, work, long-stay or residence, and family or spouse. Many countries add a digital nomad visa, and e-visas or travel authorisations replace the paper visa for some nationalities. Names and limits differ by country.
It is a US work visa for specialty occupations: jobs that need specialised knowledge and at least a bachelor's degree in a related field, or its equivalent. You cannot apply for it yourself, because a US employer has to file a petition with USCIS. New H-1B visas are capped at 65,000 a year, plus 20,000 for people with a US master's degree or higher.
A visitor or tourist visa, or the e-visa or travel authorisation the destination offers instead. Many nationalities need no visa at all for a short holiday, so first check what your passport needs on the destination's official immigration site. Visitor visas commonly allow 30 to 90 days per entry, depending on the country.
The category is decided by your purpose of travel, and it controls how long you can stay and whether you may work or study. Applying in the wrong category can mean starting again and paying a second time, because visa fees are normally non-refundable. If two categories look close, choose the stricter reading and confirm on the official portal before you submit.