visa

Word family

• vised
  adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While 'visa', 'passport', 'entry permit', and 'entry clearance' all relate to international travel, they refer to different documents and steps. A 'passport' is the identity booklet that proves your nationality — you must have one before you can get anything else. A 'visa' is the official permission (usually a stamp or sticker) added to your passport that allows you to enter a specific country. 'Entry permit' is a broader term that can refer to any form of permission to enter a place, not necessarily a stamp in a passport. 'Entry clearance' is a UK-specific term for pre-travel permission obtained from a British embassy before you depart. In everyday usage: 'I need to renew my passport before I can apply for a US visa.' A visa holder has a visa; a passport holder has a passport. You carry a passport, but you are granted a visa.

Common collocations

Etymology

The word 'visa' comes from modern Latin 'charta visa', meaning 'paper that has been seen'. The Latin verb 'videre' (to see) produced 'visus' (seen) and then 'visa' (things seen). In diplomatic practice, an official would 'see' or examine a document and mark it as approved. The term entered English via French in the 19th century as international passport controls became standard.