Visas: which your
The visa type is determined not by the country, but by your purpose and funding you live in. We will cover the types, the difference from a residence permit, and the common grounds for refusal.
Visa types and who they are for are eligible
One goal is often achievable through two or three routes at different costs and different consequences five years down the line.
Tourist (short-stay)
A Schengen category C visa and its equivalents: up to 90 days per half-year, with no right to work or reside permanently. Good for exploring a country and deciding whether to move. Does not convert into a residence permit on its own.
- Scouting trips, visiting family, medical treatment
Long-stay (visa D)
Not a standalone goal, but an entry route tied to a specific basis: study, work, family reunification or self-sufficient means. You enter on this visa and then apply for a resident card from within the country.
- Everyone relocating for the long term
Work
Requires an employer and, as a rule, a labour market test. The most bureaucratic path, but also the most solid: it builds qualifying residence, grants full rights, and offers a clear route to permanent residence.
- You have a job offer or an in-demand profession
Student
Full-time programmes — from language courses to master’s degrees. In many countries they allow part-time work and can be converted to a work-based status after graduation.
- The most accessible legal entry point
Digital Nomad
For those working remotely for foreign clients. Requires confirmed income. Important: this is NOT the same as a visa for living on passive income — confusing the two is costly.
- Remote work with income above the threshold
For living on your own means
No lucrativa in Spain, D7 in Portugal and their equivalents. You demonstrate savings or passive income — you cannot work in the country, but the requirements are minimal.
- Passive-income earners, retirees, and families with savings
On a visa you are a guest with a deadline. With a residence permit you are a resident — with a card, a bank account, school and accumulating work history.
Full comparison: table, qualifying period, taxes and common mistakes →
Who issues it
A visa is issued by the consulate of the destination country before you arrive. A residence permit is issued by the immigration service already inside the country, usually after entry on a D visa.
What it gives you
A visa is the right to enter and stay for a set period. A residence permit is the right to live, and, depending on the basis, also work, access healthcare and enrol children in school.
What accumulates
Days spent on a tourist visa do not count toward permanent residence or citizenship. Years on a residence permit count, and under some bases (study) only halfway.
Analyses by countries
Requirements, amounts and documents — always specific, never ’global averages’.
Spain
Mexico
Turkey
UAE
Serbia
Montenegro
Armenia
Georgia
Cyprus
Canada
Argentina
USA
China
Portugal
Thailand
Chile
Hong Kong
Why the first question is — citizenship
Not “where do you want to go”, but “which passport do you hold”. It determines the route, the timeline, and the amount.
Is a visa required at all
For some passports entry is visa-free and the permit is arranged upon arrival within the country; others require a visa before entry. This changes the full plan: in the second case a consular stage appears with its own timelines and queues.
Where you can apply
The consulate accepts documents from those legally residing in their district. For nationals of certain countries this means applying not at home but where you have legal status — and this a separate task before the main one.
Which documents will be accepted
Whether an apostille is required or not depends on the country that issued the document consular legalisation, and which authority applies it. One and the same the document set for two passports is assembled differently.
How payments work
Payment of fees, proof of source of funds, money transfer for a deposit — for some passports this is a standalone issue, that needs to be resolved before filing, not during the process.
Bilateral agreements between countries
The applicable social security agreement determines whether you can use an A1 certificate instead of a local one insurance. The double taxation treaty — how the tax year of the move will end.
Fast-track routes
Some citizenships have preferential routes: a reduced period to citizenship, simplified recognition of documents, certain programmes. This is worth checking before choosing a basis under general rules.
Specific visa arrangements change, and the country × passport table we intentionally not published — it goes out of date faster than it can be read. Tell us your citizenship — we will respond based on the current rules.