Visa Types & Application Guides

Tourist Visa

A tourist visa is for genuine leisure travel under the destination’s visitor rules; it does not normally authorise work, residence or long-term study. The correct route may be a consular visa, eVisa, electronic travel authorisation, visa on arrival or visa exemption. Nationality, passport type, residence country, destination, entry point and activity determine which option applies. A commercial site’s label does not prove eligibility.

Family and Friends Visit Visa

A family and friends visit visa is a temporary visitor route; it does not normally permit residence, employment or joining a family member permanently. The file should explain who is being visited, the genuine relationship, where the applicant will stay, who pays and why the visit is temporary. A relative’s citizenship or residence permit can support the host’s identity but does not automatically create a right to a visitor visa.

Business Visa

A business visa or business-visitor route usually covers limited activities such as meetings, negotiations, conferences or site visits; it does not automatically permit local employment or delivering unrestricted services. The permitted activity is more important than the job title. An overseas employee attending meetings may qualify as a visitor, while the same person installing equipment, filling a local role or working for a client can need work authorisation. Check the destination’s detailed

Family Reunification Visa

A family reunification visa is normally a long-stay or residence route for joining a qualifying family member; it is not the same as a short family visit visa. Eligibility depends on the destination and the sponsor’s citizenship or immigration status. Spouses or partners, minor children, parents and dependent relatives are treated differently. Some systems apply income, housing, health-insurance, language, age or dependency tests. The sponsor may need to begin the process inside the destination

Work Visa

A work visa is a legal route for employment or another authorised professional activity; a tourist or ordinary business-visitor visa normally does not permit taking local employment. The legal route can depend on occupation, salary, qualifications, labour-market tests, employer sponsorship, contract duration and whether the applicant is transferred within a company. Highly qualified, seasonal, shortage occupation, health-care, researcher, self-employed and intra-company routes can have different

Erasmus Visa

The cooperation of higher education institutions, students and academics in different countries within the framework of this cooperation for a short period of time

Trade Fair Visa

A trade fair trip commonly uses a business-visitor or event purpose, but exhibitors, stand staff, technicians, speakers and direct sellers can face different immigration rules. A fair ticket alone does not prove that every planned activity is permitted. Visiting to research products, meeting suppliers, promoting an overseas business, building a stand, selling goods, taking orders, giving paid services and working for the organiser are different activities.

Cultural Visa

Cultural Visa, Concerts, Theatres, Cinema Film Screenings, sports competitions, congresses, seminars in the country of travel.

Health Visa

A Health Visa is a type of application that must be made by applicants who want to receive treatment temporarily in a country other than their own country for medical treatment.

Seminar Visa

Seminar visas are a type of visa that can be obtained by people who have a letter of acceptance to an event, an invitation letter, a participant certificate or a ticket.

Sports Visa

“Sports visa” is a purpose description, not one universal category; the correct route depends on whether the person competes, trains, trials, works, performs for pay or supports an athlete. Athletes, coaches, officials, medical staff, technical staff and spectators can require different routes. Amateur participation, professional competition, trials, short training and contracted employment should not be treated as the same activity. Prize money, appearance fees, salary and local club contracts

Internship Visa

Internship Visa, to gain information about one's professional life and career or to gain professional experience by doing an internship abroad.

Transit Visa

A transit visa may be required even when you stay in the airport. Check passport, airside or landside transfer, baggage, route and final-destination documents.

Which Type of Visa Should You Apply For?

The correct visa category depends on what you will do at the destination, how long you will stay and whether you will perform work or receive payment. Two people travelling to the same country can require different permissions: a holidaymaker may need a tourist visa, an employee attending meetings may use a business route, and a person carrying out work for a foreign employer may need a work permit or national visa.

Choosing a category only because its appointment appears easier can lead to refusal, an unaccepted file or a new application fee. Define the genuine main purpose first, then verify the matching short-stay or long-stay route on the destination authority's official website.

Purpose	Route to review	Core evidence
Holiday or personal sightseeing	Tourist visa	Credible itinerary, accommodation, funding and return ties
Meetings, trade fairs or client visits	Business visa	Invitation, employer letter, business relationship and expense plan
Short visit to family or friends	Family and friends visit	Relationship, host status, address and funding
Work for a foreign employer	Work visa	Employment contract, sponsor or work-authorisation process
University, language school or long programme	Study visa	Acceptance, course length, finances and accommodation
Airport or land transit to another country	Transit visa	Connected tickets, baggage arrangements, route and entry needs
Planned medical treatment	Medical visa	Hospital acceptance, treatment plan, costs and payer

Short-Stay and Long-Stay Visas

Short-stay routes cover temporary activities such as tourism, meetings and private visits. In the Schengen Area, a short stay is generally limited to 90 days in any 180-day period. Visa validity and permitted stay are different: read the start and end dates, number of entries and authorised days together.

Employment, family reunification and long study normally require a national visa, residence permit or separate authorisation. Entering as a tourist does not create a right to work or settle. The country, actual activity and intended duration must point to the same route.

Tourism, Business and Work Are Different Purposes

Tourism is a personal visit with no productive activity at the destination. A business visit may include meetings, contract discussions or attending a fair. Installation, production work, recurring client service or duties for a foreign employer can cross into work authorisation even when the traveller is paid in Türkiye.

An invitation letter does not determine the category by itself. The invited activity, the traveller's job, the daily schedule and what will actually happen at the destination should be assessed together.

Family Visit Is Not Family Reunification

A family or friends visit is temporary and includes a plan to leave at the end of the authorised stay. Family reunification is a long-term route to live with an eligible family member and may involve requirements for the sponsor's status, income, housing, language or civil records.

Five Checks Before Selecting a Category

Activity: describe exactly what you will do at the destination.
Duration: determine whether the stay is short or long term.
Work relationship: check whether you will provide labour or services.
Invitation or acceptance: make sure the supporting document matches the route.
Official channel: verify the category and procedure with the competent authority.

Once the category is clear, use the visa countries directory for country-specific passport, appointment, biometric, fee and document rules, including the Schengen main-destination and 90/180-day framework.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if one trip has two purposes?

The main reason and activity that occupies most of the trip normally guide the category. Secondary activities should not be hidden; ask the competent authority if the routes overlap.

Can I work with a business visa?

Meetings or fair attendance may be permitted, but productive work, technical installation or regular service can require work authorisation. The label “business” is not a general right to work.

Is Schengen itself a visa purpose?

Schengen is a common short-stay area. The application still explains a purpose such as tourism, business or private visit; long-term study and work remain subject to national rules.

Is consultancy mandatory?

No. Applicants may use official channels themselves. Private support is optional and cannot guarantee an appointment, processing time or approval.

The pre-application form can help identify preparation steps. It is not an official application or consular appointment.

Visa Types and Application Guides