Visa

--- CONTENT ---
A visa is a confirmation – usually entered in a passport – from a foreign country that entry, transit or stay of the passport holder is allowed.

Titles
In the GDR, the term visa was common, but until 1990 the West German legislature did not use the word visa at all. Instead of “visa” until then – without distinction in the matter – the word visa was used. Especially through the Schengen Convention of 1990 and after the introduction of the uniform Schengen visa, which is valid in all contracting states, the term visa gradually entered the legislation and finally completely replaced the word visa at the end of 2011.

The development in Austria was similar. Most recently, in the original version of § 15 Abs. 2 Foreign police law 2005 (FPG) still the definition of the visa requirement, which was understood as an obligation of the third-country national to have a visa for legal entry into Austria. With the entry into force of the Foreign Rights Amendment Act 2011 on 1 July 2011, the word visa also disappeared from the Austrian legal system; the words visa waiver and visa requirement have been replaced there by visa waiver and visa requirement. However, the term visa is still used in Austrian passports.

The word visa (plural form visas, also visas) comes from the Latin (participle perfect neuter too, literally “the seen”.) In other languages, the word is derived from the Latin charta visa and is therefore also called in the singular visa (“seen paper”) and in the plural corresponding visas. These forms are occasionally also used in the German colloquial language.

Forms of visa
In most cases, the visa is issued as an entry visa, some states also require an exit visa or a visa for travel within the country (travel visa, transit visa only for immediate transit). A visa for transit through the international transit zones of one or more airports is called an airport transit visa.

Depending on the legal system of the issuing state, the visa can also be a residence permit in addition to the border crossing permit. The legal system of the issuing State also determines which authority grants the visa. The competent authority for issuing entry visas is usually a consulate and the consular department of an embassy of the respective country. Issuing at a border crossing point or airport is only permitted exceptionally in some States, while it is the norm in other States.

A visa shall be regularly affixed to the traveller’s passport or substitute passport or, in particular, if the applicant’s travel document is not recognised by the issuing State: a separate sheet for affixing the