A passport and a visa have distinct roles during international travel. Learn about these two terms, their uses and differences to help you know what is required before traveling internationally.
Travelling requires a lot of different documents and each one of them as its role. If you are confused about what does a passport and visa do on your travel process, you're at the right place. These two documents are crucial yet people sometimes get confused what does they actually do.
So, here are the key differences of passport and visa you need to know.
What is a passport?
A passport is an official document which is used to identify the holder and his or her citizenship. It has your photograph, name, address, age, nationality, etc.
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What is a visa?
Visa is an official authorization given by a foreign country to the tourist or visitor as a permission to enter, stay, move or transit through their country.
Who issue them?
Passport is issued by the government of your homeland while visa is issued by the foreign country you are visiting.
How long are they valid?
Passport is normally valid for 5-10 years while a visa validity are usually shorter depending on the type of visa. It can be between 30 days to 5 years and can be extended under some criteria.
What are the types of passport?
In India, there are 4 different types of passport issued. it is based on the type of holder they are issuing the passport for. It includes:
- Blue or Normal Passport - Type P, it is for the normal citizen for tourism, education and business.
- White Passport - Type S, it is for the government officials like IAS or IPS.
- Diplomatic Passport - Type D, it is made for high-ranking diplomats, government officials other than in 2nd category.
What are the types of visa?
India offers more than 20 visa category including tourist, business, education, work, transit etc with division of regular visa and e-visa. Few visa categories in India are as follow:
- Tourist Visa
- E-Visa
- Medical Visa
- Student Visa
- Transit VIsa
- Work Visa
- Journalist Visa
- Film VIsa
- Business Visa
- Conference Visa
- Project Visa
- Research Visa
- Entry (X) Visa
- Diplomatic Visa
- Missionary Visa
Now, you know the roles of your travel documents - passport and a visa along with its type in India. They are crucial part of your travelling from one country to another.
While there may be some visa free country for Indian travellers as well as some emergency e-visa or visa on arrival.
