Business Visa: Everything You Need to Know Before Applying – Requirements, Application Process, and Tips for Success

If you have anything business-related that you want to do abroad or in a foreign country, you will need a business visa to enter the country.

Whether you want to attend a conference, meet clients or explore new business opportunities abroad, you need a business visa.

The business visa allows you to legally enter another country for any business activities. Here are more things you should know about the business visa, the privileges that come with it, the types available, its requirements, and how to apply for one.

What a business visa is all about 

“A business visa is an official authorization granted by a country’s immigration authorities that allows you, a foreign national to enter the country temporarily to engage in business-related activities, like attending a business meeting, going to a conference, or negotiating a business deal, without joining the local labour market.”

With a business visa, you are only in the country for a limited period. You don’t stay permanently.

Upon concluding your activities in the country or on the expiration of your visa, you will leave the issuing country.

In addition, a business visa does not permit you to work full-time or permanently.

You can only attend meetings, negotiate deals, attend training sessions, or explore business opportunities.

Example: If you are travelling from Kenya to Canada to attend a business conference or meet a potential supplier, you will need a business visa, not a tourist visa.

Everyone can get a business visa, however, the purpose of your visit is what determines if you qualify for one.

This means that you don’t necessarily need to be a CEO, Director or anything of that nature before you can be issued a business visa.

An ordinary man can get a business visa as long as he has a justified business-related reason to enter a foreign nation.

Who needs a business visa?

You need a business visa if you are travelling for reasons like:

• Business meetings: Let’s assume you want to enter another country to discuss contracts, projects, or partnerships, you will need a business visa.
• Conferences and Seminars: You should apply for a business visa if you are attending professional events or workshops in another country.
• Business negotiations: If you want to meet with investors, clients, or suppliers to finalize a business deal, you will get a business visa.
• If you are travelling to explore business opportunities: If there is a new business you want to explore or you want to set up a new business or another branch of your already existing business, you will need a business visa.
• If you are going for training and workshops: You will also get a business visa if you are entering a foreign country to participate in business or job-related training organized by companies or professional organizations.

While on a business visa, you must remember that:

You cannot take a job or receive a salary from a company in the host country.

Types of business visas

There are many types of business visas. You will find them in different countries.

Each country has its types, however, some are common and can be found in almost every country.

The common types of business visas include:

• Short-Term Business Visa

You will get a short-term business visa if you want to visit another country briefly for business activities.

You can get it when you want to attend a meeting, conference, a business negotiation, or if you want to visit a client.

For example, if you are an IT consultant and you are invited to a three-week seminar in Germany, you will need this visa.

This visa does not allow you to take up any form of employment or work.

The visa is usually valid for just a few days to up to a few months.

Examples of short-term business visas are:

• • The U.S. B-1 Business Visitor Visa
  • Canada’s Business Visitor Visa
  • Schengen Business Visa (for Europe)

Another thing you need to know about this visa is that you will likely be asked to show proof of return plans, like a return ticket before it will be issued to you.

• Multiple Entry Business Visa

A multiple-entry business visa is the one you need if you want to travel in and out of a country many times within the visa’s validity period.

You will need this type of business visa if you have many business engagements in a particular country or region.

Instead of applying for a new visa each time, you can use the same visa and enter many times.

Examples of this visa are:

• • Australia’s Frequent Traveller Business Visa
  • U.S. B-1/B-2 Visa (when issued for multiple entries)
  • Schengen Multi-Entry Visa

Assuming you are a British manager who oversees different offices across Europe and you need to fly to Germany, France, and Italy several times a year, you can get this visa.

• Investor Visa

This is the visa you need if you want to make huge investments in the economy of another country.

Examples of this visa are:

• • U.S. EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa
  • Portugal Golden Visa
  • Australia’s Business Innovation and Investment Visa (Investor Stream)

If you want to invest in real estate, businesses, government bonds, or venture capital in another country, you will get this visa.

The good thing about this visa is that it often leads to long-term residency or even citizenship.

• Start-Up Visa

This visa is for entrepreneurs with business ideas who want to launch new businesses in another country.

The difference between this visa and the investor visa is that the start-up visa focuses more on your creativity and how the new business can create job opportunities in the country than just making investments.

Examples of this visa include:

• • Canada’s Start-Up Visa Program
  • UK’s Innovator Founder Visa
  • France’s French Tech Visa for Founders

A table showing different types of business visas and their purpose

One thing you have to remember about business visa types is that each country has different names and rules for all their types.

For example, the U.S. has the B-1 Business Visitor Visa, while Canada has the Business Visitor Visa.

What documents do you need to get a business visa?

The thing with business visas is that each type has specific documents you will submit when you are applying for them.

But even at that, some documents are general, you will submit them no matter the type of business visa you are applying for:

Documents like:

• Your international passport: It must be valid till the end of your stay in the country.
• Completed visa application form: Of course, you will fill out the application form and submit it.
• Passport-sized photographs: No matter the type of business visa you are applying for, you must submit a passport photograph.
• Invitation letter: If you are being invited, your company or the person inviting you will send you an invitation letter which you will submit with your visa.
• Business cover letter: This is where you will explain the purpose of the trip.
• Travel Itinerary: This will show the details of your travel plans.
• Proof of funds: You will submit this to show that you can fund your visit and won’t depend on the government’s help for survival when you arrive at your destination.
• Proof of business activities: Submit evidence of your intended activities in the country like conference registration, meeting schedules, or business contracts.
• Visa fee payment receipt: Proof that you paid the visa processing fee.

If you don’t want your visa to be delayed, make sure that you submit all the required documents.

How to apply for a business visa

Getting a business visa doesn’t follow a personalized procedure, it’s still the same way you apply for every other visa.

To apply:

1. Check the business visa requirements of the country you want to visit

Go to the official embassy or immigration website of the country you want to travel to and check their business visa requirements.

2. Get all the requirements together

Now that you know the requirements for a business visa in the country you want to visit, go and get all of them.

From your invitation letter, proof of funds, and the rest.

Get everything you need to apply for the visa together and arrange them in order.

3. Go and fill out the application form

With all the requirements ready, you can start the application properly.

Application is done online or offline at the country’s consolute in your home country.

For an online application, you just need to go to the country’s immigration website, look for the business visa application form and fill it out.

If you prefer an offline application, go to the embassy of the country you want to visit and get started.

4. Proceed to pay your visa fee

Before you finish the application, you will be asked to pay for the application, make sure you pay it using any of the payment methods they will list on their platform for you.

5. Attend your visa interview

Some countries, like the United States, will ask you to come for an interview.

Before you go for the interview, you have to book an appointment and wait for your chosen appointment date.

On the day of the interview, dress professionally and bring all your documents. When it starts, make sure you answer the questions correctly.

Do not make any false claims or answer a question you do not understand.

If for any reason you do not understand a question, ask the interviewer to repeat it. It is better than giving a wrong answer.

6. Wait for your visa to be processed

After your interview, wait for your visa to be processed and a decision made on it.

The wait can take from a few days to several weeks.

8. Collect your visa

If approved, your passport will be returned with the business visa stamped or attached to it.

With your visa secured, you can enter the issuing country to do your business.

While on the visa, make sure you follow its rules like, do not work – a business visa does not allow the holder to engage in paid employment.

Aside forming not working, follow other conditions of the visa.