visa
Americannoun
-
visas
plural
verb (used with object)
-
to give a visa to; approve a visa for.
-
to put a visa on (a passport).
noun
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an endorsement in a passport or similar document, signifying that the document is in order and permitting its bearer to travel into or through the country of the government issuing it
-
any sign or signature of approval
verb
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to enter a visa into (a passport)
-
to endorse or ratify
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of visa
1830–40; < French, short for Latin carta vīsa “the document (has been) seen”; vīsa, feminine past participle of vidēre “to see, look at”
Explanation
A visa is a permit to enter a specific country. Without a visa, you might not be able to travel where you want. While you may know Visa as the name of a credit card company, a visa is a little different: it's an official authorization to enter a country. This is different from a passport, which is a type of identification geared toward international travel. A visa is a more specific form of authorization, allowing you to travel to a certain country. A visa may only last for a certain amount of time, and different countries have different standards for granting a visa.
Vocabulary lists containing visa
"Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began" by Art Spiegelman
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Greetings, World Traveler! — List 3
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Viewing Current Refugee Crisis Through an Anne Frank Lens
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Some are still waiting for a visa, but Momand said that 15% have had their visas cancelled or have not yet applied for one.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said Galeano was detained because he overstayed his tourist visa, which gave him permission to remain in the U.S. only through 2019, and encouraged Galeano to self-deport.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
Under the new regime, visa holders who need more time will have to file formal applications with the federal government, subjecting themselves to additional background checks, biometric vetting, and other bureaucratic hurdles.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
For foreign visitors, the new rules call for punishing those who provide false information in visa applications.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
“His visa is for three months, so he’ll be here for a while.”
From "Amina's Voice" by Hena Khan
Most were education visas, which observers say are used by Russia to disguise its employment of North Korean workers because United Nations sanctions ban Kim regime workers from earning income abroad.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
A backlog of applications from the UK for working holiday visas would continue to be processed slowly after a record 80,000 applications -- a matter that is under discussion with the UK government, he said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
Alex Nash, from Montreal, said closer ties would clear away the obstacles of work visas and permits.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
One recent initiative of this type relates to the visas held by international students, researchers and scholars, and journalists.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
A twenty-nine-year-old Korean American, she helped Shin manage his money, visas, travel, medical care, and behavior.
From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden
Theirs was not an official military mission such as the Dutch or Swiss had accredited to the Control Council, but simply a purchasing mission with passports visaed by the Soviet occupation authorities.
From Time Magazine Archive
Hereafter peasants who may wish to move in from the country to Rovigno must apply for a permit 15 days in advance and have it visaed by the Chief of Police.
From Time Magazine Archive
Last week, for the first time since the War, Dutch frontier guards allowed Germans to enter the Netherlands without having their passports visaed.
From Time Magazine Archive
His cautious employers had merely supplied him expense money and instructions to have his passport visaed for England, France and Germany.
From Time Magazine Archive
A minute later the passport had been visaed!
From The Gambler by C. J. Hogarth
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
