A business visa covers short work-related visits such as meetings, trade fairs, seminars, training and contract negotiations. It does not allow employment in the destination country: your employer at home keeps paying your salary.
Two documents carry the file: the host company’s invitation letter and your own company’s assignment letter. Trade fair and seminar visas are specific forms of the same application.
Who can get a business visa?
Business visas are issued to company owners, managers and employees assigned by their employer. What matters is a genuine link to an active business at home and a concrete business reason for the visit.
Freelancers and new companies can apply too, but correspondence, orders, invoices or contracts that prove the commercial relationship strengthen the file.
What must an invitation letter contain?
It should be on the host company’s letterhead and state the host’s name, address and contact details; the guest’s name, passport number and position; the purpose and dates of the visit; who covers the costs; and the name, title and signature of an authorised person.
Some countries require a specific form or official endorsement. Dates must match your flight and hotel bookings.
Which company documents are required?
Typically an assignment letter on letterhead, a current certificate of activity, trade registry records, tax registration and a signature circular. Employees add social security records and recent payslips.
If the company pays, add the company’s bank statements; if you pay, add your own. Many files include both.
What is needed for a trade fair or seminar visa?
For a fair, the entry ticket or visitor registration replaces the invitation; exhibitors add the stand contract and proof of payment. For seminars and conferences, the organiser’s registration confirmation or invitation is the key document.
The event’s subject should clearly relate to your company’s activity or your profession, and dates must match your bookings.
Can you work on a business visa?
No. A business visa only allows business visits. Working for a local employer or being paid locally requires a work permit and the appropriate national visa. Short installation or service assignments may need separate authorisation depending on the country.
Are business visas issued for multiple entries?
They can be. Applicants who travel regularly for business and have used previous visas correctly may receive longer multiple-entry visas. In Schengen this is a cascade: short visas first, then validity of one, two and up to five years.
Stating the ongoing relationship and planned visits in the invitation supports the request, but the decision rests with the consulate.