Here are visa categories around the world that you need to know
To be authorised to stay in a different country, one must possess a visa, which is a legal requirement for entering and staying in a foreign nation.
A visa is a permit issued by a government that allows foreign nationals to live in, enter, or work in that country for a specific purpose and duration.
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Every country has different types of visas, which are mostly dependent on the traveller’s purpose.
Common types of visas
To start with, tourist visas are mostly issued to an individual who travels to visit family and friends, for leisure, or just wants to visit the country for tourism purposes.
With this visa type, travellers are not allowed to work in the country.
A business visa is mostly used by foreigners to attend conferences and meetings abroad and does not allow for employment.
International students admitted to foreign schools, universities, or colleges are issued a student visa. However, it is prudent to note that this visa allows students to work part-time.
A work visa, on the other hand, allows foreigners to secure employment in another country. However, conditions vary depending on the type of job and the host country’s regulations.
Transit visas are issued to travellers passing through one country en route to another.
Governments also issue medical visas to foreigners who are sick and need to enter another country to seek medical treatment.
US family preference visas
In the United States, foreigners moving to the country are also issued a different type of visa, which is mainly given to citizens and green card holders to support their relatives who are living there permanently. These visas include the F1, F2A, F2B, F3 and F4.
The F1 visa is basically intended for unmarried individuals aged 21 years or over who are related to US citizens, as well as their dependents, while the F2A visa is issued to spouses and unmarried children under 21 years of age, primarily to green card holders.
The F2B visa is issued to unmarried individuals aged 21 or over who are lawful permanent residents. An F3 visa, on the other hand, is usually issued to married US citizens and their spouse and children under 21.
The US also issues F4 visas to siblings of US citizens, primarily if the citizen is at least 21 years old.
It is worth noting that the European Union (EU) has introduced a new data collection system at the border points, which it will now subject travellers, including Kenyans, to from October 12, 2025.
The new system, called the Entry/Exit System (EES), is a digital system meant to slowly replace manual passport stamping with biometric registration.
According to the EU official website on travel technical standards, the EES is expected to be fully rolled out by April 10, 2026, meaning that by this date, all non-EU travellers entering or leaving the Schengen zone will have their data digitally captured.
“In the event one is travelling without a visa, the facial image and four fingerprints will be taken, and if one is travelling on a Schengen visa, only the facial image will be collected since fingerprints will already have been recorded during the visa application,” the EU explained.
Kenyans are advised to check with their airlines or embassies before they travel to find out the procedures that will be put in place at their specific points of entry.
The system will be introduced at all external border crossing points in 29 European countries, marking a shift from the paper-based travel records to more advanced digital files that contain detailed personal and biometric data.
“Effectively, the system will affect all non-EU nationals, including Kenyan passport holders who travel to the Schengen Area for short stays of up to 80 days within 180 days,” the travel notice reads.
