The visa validity is the window of time you have to enter the country before your visa can no longer be used, whereas the duration is how long you may stay in the country once you’ve entered.


The duration of stay is the amount of days/months/years that you can stay in a particular country once you have entered with a valid visa. For example, a 30 day visa will allow you to stay in the country for 30 days, even if you arrive on the day your visa expires (not that we recommend this!).

It’s important to note the difference between validity and duration of stay. Your visa may be valid for 3 months, but this doesn’t mean that you can stay for 3 months. The duration of stay and number of entries you can make depends on which visa you apply for.

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