What is the difference between a business visa and a work visa?
A business visa is for short activities such as attending meetings, visiting a trade fair, negotiating a contract or visiting a partner company. It does not permit paid employment in the country you visit.
If you will be employed by an organisation abroad, you need a different visa or a work permit. We clarify the purpose of your trip in the first consultation so that you apply under the right category; applying under the wrong one wastes time and can cause problems later.
What documents are needed for a business visa?
You will usually need an invitation letter from the host company stating the purpose and dates of the visit, a letter from your own employer assigning you to the trip, and proof of who is covering the costs. Company owners typically add documents such as the trade registry gazette, a certificate of activity and a tax certificate.
For trade fairs, a registration or exhibitor confirmation strengthens the file. The exact list depends on the country and the consulate, and we prepare an up-to-date one for your application.
How do we work with companies and frequent travellers?
When a company sends several employees to the same fair or meeting, we run the applications under a single plan: shared documents are gathered once and each employee's personal file is checked individually. This takes a real load off HR and administrative teams.
For frequent business travellers we take previous visa history into account and keep each new application consistent with earlier ones. Whether a multiple-entry or longer-validity visa is issued is decided by the consulate.