Difference Between Visa and Permit

Travelling internationally is not nearly as easy as it used to be a few decades back. The passport was first introduced in 1920 and ever since then the procedures related to travelling to another country have been getting tougher all the time.

In order to go overseas, one must possess permission to do so. It is known as a Visa and one can get the visa if they requirements for it are fulfilled and the counselor at the consulate or the Embassy is satisfied that there are no other motives for your travel from the ones that you have already mentioned.

Related to international travel, we also hear another term which is called the permit. Visa and permit are often used together and though they have a similar meaning, they are certainly not one and the same.

There is a difference in the meaning in each country when it comes to the term permit. However, the visa is the permission for you to be able to visit the country from which the visa has been issued. It is a proof that the consulate or the embassy in your local country finds you to be a suitable candidate to visit their home country.

On the other hand, the permit is generally the permission or the stamp that the immigration department puts on your passport allowing you to enter the country. An immigration officer can refuse entry despite of someone holding a visa if he or she finds that the person may have no intention of returning to their home country.

Instructions

  • 1

    Visa

    Visa is permission that a person can visit a foreign country. It is issued by the consulate or embassy and is stamped on the passport though there are certain cases in which the visa is issued on a separate paper.

    Every country has certain requirements without which it will not grant a visa. There are various kinds of visas including visit, employment and study. The two main categories though are immigrant and non-immigrant visa.

    - Image Courtesy:  nostate.com

  • 2

    Permit

    A permit is the permission to enter the country. It carries on it the details of your status though it may not be understandable to people who are not related to the immigration and law enforcement departments.

    The permission to enter a country on non-immigration visa is generally for a specified amount of time. In some countries, the term permit is used for a visa with which you can work in that country on temporary or permanent basis.

    - Image Courtesy:  commons.wikimedia.org

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