What is a Visa? What is a Passport? Comprehensive Concepts from A to Z for You

What is a Visa?What is a Passport? ? These are questions that Vietnamese people often search for a lot before going abroad. In this article, we will provide the most standard definitions of visa and passport for readers to understand clearly. Furthermore, we also provide all the concepts related to visa and passport for you to understand better.

Image of Vietnamese passport

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What is a Passport?

Passport or calledpassport is a document issued by the government to its citizens to confirm identity. This is the document that allows you to leave the country and have the right to re-enter after your trip for tourism, business, or study abroad ends.

Information on the Passport includes full name, date of birth of the citizen, portrait photo, nationality, and signature along with the date of issue and expiration date. Simply put, a passport is considered an international ID. When you want to travel internationally, the first thing to do is apply for a passport.

What is a Visa?

Visa (Visa or entry visa) is a type of certification issued by the government of a country to foreigners who wish to visit their country for a certain period of time. Usually, a visa is issued by stamping the passport. In some countries, visas are attached to the passport rather than stamped.

Image of visa in passport

What is the difference between Visa and Passport? Distinguish between Passport and Visa?

These are two completely different concepts, but Vietnamese people often confuse visa and passport as one because they often go together and are both used for going abroad. We will point out the differences to help you avoid confusion: - A passport is usually bound as a booklet and is issued by the competent state agency of the country of which the recipient is a citizen. A visa is issued by the country you are about to visit and is only issued to non-citizens of that country.

- Hộ chiếu thường được đóng thành quyển và do Cơ quan Nhà nước có thẩm quyền của quốc gia mà người được cấp là công dân. Còn visa là do quốc gia bạn sắp đến cấp và chỉ cấp cho người không phải là công dân nước đó.

- Passport is issued first. You must have a passport to get a visa. Some countries only require a passport for entry, and you don't need a visa.

For example, if Mr. Hung, a Vietnamese citizen, wants to travel to the US for 1 week:
- The Socialist Republic of Vietnam issues a passport to Mr. Hung with a validity of 10 years.
- The United States of America will issue a visa to Mr. Hung with a validity of 7 days.

The example above helps you understand better, right? The passport is issued by Vietnam, while the visa is issued by the US. Usually, applying for a visa is much more difficult than getting a passport. If you travel to developed countries like the US, Europe, Japan, or South Korea, obtaining a visa requires many conditions.

Some concepts related to visa and passport

What is visa exemption?

Visa exemption is a policy where a country allows certain special individuals priority entry and exit without regard to the purpose of travel.

If you are granted visa exemption, you will not need to apply for a visa for a period ranging from a few months to a few years. Whether you are visa-exempt or not depends on your passport.

There are only 48 countries in the world that Vietnamese citizens can visit without needing an entry visa. For all other countries, you will need to apply for a visa to enter, and success is not guaranteed.

A passport is indispensable when traveling abroad

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What is a multiple-entry visa?

This is a visa that allows you to enter multiple times without reapplying. Each time you enter, the holder of this visa is allowed to stay for a certain period. You are still allowed to stay even if the visa expires on the same day.

What is a single-entry visa?

This type of visa allows you to enter only once. If you leave the country and wish to re-enter, you must reapply for a visa.

What is a transit visa?

A transit visa is used to pass through one country on your way to another country. The validity of a transit visa is usually limited to a short period, from a few hours to ten days.

What is a Regular Passport?

A Regular Passport (Popular Passport) is issued to all citizens of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Those who travel, work, or study abroad will be issued this passport. The procedure is very simple, you only need to provide your ID card and household registration to get it. This passport is valid for 10 years for citizens aged 14 and above. For children aged 09-14, it is valid for only 5 years and cannot be extended. For children under 09 years old, they must use the same passport as their father or mother. This passport is green.

Passports are issued to Vietnamese citizens for going abroad

What is an Official Passport?

An Official Passport (Official Passport) is a type that is only issued to government officials and employees for official business abroad. This passport is valid for 5 years and allows travel to all countries. With this passport, you will not need to apply for an entry visa and will be prioritized to go through a special lane. This passport is dark blue.

What is a Diplomatic Passport?

A Diplomatic Passport (Diplomatic Passport) is issued to high-ranking government officials for official business abroad. The passport is valid for 05 years from the date of issue and allows travel to all countries. Holders of this passport are visa-exempt and receive priority entry. This passport is red.

What is a student visa?

This is a type of visa issued to students or those who need to study. Therefore, there will be certain restrictions for those applying for a visa in this category. Holders of a student visa are only allowed to perform certain jobs. A student visa is only valid during the period of study abroad.

What is a settlement visa?

A settlement visa is issued to individuals who are eligible to enter and settle in that country. This visa is only issued to foreigners, not to citizens of that country. Most people who want to live or work abroad long-term will need to apply for this type of visa.

A passport is an essential item when you go to the airport

What is an immigration visa?

An immigration visa is issued to individuals who wish to immigrate to the issuing country. Those eligible to receive this type of visa will be eligible for future permanent residency.

What is a short-term visa?

A short-term visa is a visa for entering a country for a specific period. The duration of the visa issued will vary depending on the purpose of the visit. This type of visa is issued for the following purposes: tourism, business trips, work, business, medical treatment, study abroad, exchange programs, sports competitions, diplomacy.

What is a visa card?

A visa card is not related to a visa, but it is also a concept you should be aware of when traveling abroad. A visa card is an international payment card issued by a transnational financial organization to serve customers for cross-border shopping without the need for currency exchange. Banks are merely distributors and processors of transactions for customers.

The simplest way to distinguish between Visa and Passport

After reading this, you must have understood What is a visa and what is a passport?and related concepts. We will update related knowledge about visas and passports in this article. Wishing you a wonderful trip abroad!