Visa Glossary

Every visa term, in plain English

Visa paperwork is full of jargon. Here's a clear A–Z of the terms you'll meet when applying — so nothing on your application is a mystery.

Accommodation Proof: Evidence of where you'll stay — a hotel reservation, a host's invitation, or a rental booking — submitted with many short-stay applications.
Appointment Letter: The confirmation of your scheduled slot at an embassy interview or a visa application centre. Bring it with your documents.
Biometrics: Fingerprints and a digital photograph collected at an application centre. Many countries reuse your biometrics for several years once enrolled.
Blank Pages: Empty passport pages needed for a visa sticker and entry stamps — usually at least two are required for a sticker visa.
Consulate: A diplomatic office, often in a city other than the capital, that handles services like visas and passport support for a specific region.
Cover Letter: A letter accompanying your application that explains your trip, itinerary, ties to your home country, and how you'll fund it. It gives the officer context.
DS-160: The online non-immigrant visa application form for the United States. Its confirmation page is required at your interview.
Dummy Ticket (Flight Reservation): A genuine, airline-verifiable flight booking held under a real PNR without full payment, used as proof of onward travel. You should never buy a paid ticket before your visa is approved.
Duration of Stay: The maximum number of days you may remain per visit, often shown as a number of days within the visa's overall validity.
e-Visa: A visa applied for and issued entirely online. You receive it by email and either print it or show it on your phone at the border — no embassy visit needed.
Embassy: A country's main diplomatic mission in a foreign capital. It represents the government and, in many cases, issues visas.
ESTA: The Electronic System for Travel Authorization — the US pre-clearance for Visa Waiver Programme travellers (including British citizens) visiting for up to 90 days.
ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation): A pre-travel clearance linked to your passport for visa-waiver travellers. It's not a full visa but must be approved before you board — e.g. NZeTA, Canada's eTA, the US ESTA.
Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS): A fee paid by people applying for certain longer-term UK visas to access the National Health Service during their stay.
International Visitor Levy (IVL): A conservation-and-tourism charge New Zealand collects from most visitors, paid together with the NZeTA or a visa.
Itinerary: Your day-by-day travel plan — dates, cities, and bookings — showing the purpose and structure of your trip.
MRV Fee: The Machine-Readable Visa fee — the non-refundable application fee paid to the US government for a non-immigrant visa such as the B1/B2.
Overstay: Remaining beyond your permitted stay. It can lead to fines, deportation, and bans on future visas — always track your allowed days.
Passport Validity (Six-Month Rule): Many countries require your passport to be valid for at least six months beyond your planned departure date. Check this before you apply.
PNR (Passenger Name Record): The booking reference for a flight reservation. A real PNR is what makes a flight itinerary verifiable by the airline and the embassy.
Port of Entry: The airport, seaport, or land crossing where an immigration officer inspects your documents and formally admits you to the country.
Proof of Funds: Evidence that you can financially support your trip — typically recent bank statements, salary slips, or a sponsor's documents.
Schengen Visa: A short-stay visa allowing travel across the 29 countries in Europe's Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. You apply through the main destination's embassy or its application-centre operator.
Single / Double / Multiple Entry: How many times you may enter the country on one visa. A multiple-entry visa lets you come and go repeatedly within its validity.
Sponsor / Invitation Letter: A letter from a host, employer, or family member inviting you and, where relevant, confirming they'll support your stay.
Sticker Visa: A visa physically affixed as a label inside your passport by the embassy or consulate, as opposed to an electronic e-visa.
Travel Insurance: A policy covering medical emergencies and repatriation abroad. Schengen applications, for example, require cover of at least €30,000.
VFS Global: A private outsourcing company that runs visa application centres and collects documents and biometrics on behalf of many governments. It is not the decision-maker — the embassy decides.
Visa: An official authorisation, usually placed in your passport or issued electronically, that lets you enter, stay in, or transit a country for a specific purpose and period.
Visa on Arrival (VoA): A visa you obtain at the destination's airport or land border on arrival, rather than in advance. Some countries also let you pre-pay it online (e-VoA).
Visa Refusal: A decision to decline your application. The notice usually states a reason; you can often reapply with stronger documents or, in some countries, appeal.
Visa Validity: The window during which a visa can be used, printed as 'valid from' and 'valid until' dates. It is different from how long you're allowed to stay.

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