5 Things to Know About Business Travel Visas

Travel records were broken in 2023, at least in Europe, as people who had sat on their hands for three years during the pandemic—in many cases, by hunkering down, opening their wallets only to invest in additions to their homes—returned to the skies. Nearly three billion nights were spent at tourist accommodations in Europe in 2023, and overall travel in 2024 is expected to surpass 2019 levels. With requirements for proof of COVID vaccinations suspended, remote work showing few signs of abating, and blended work-and-leisure travel (cutely known as “bleisure” or “workations”) having emerged as the way we live now, more and more of us are becoming digital nomads—and global citizens.

For frequent business travelers, the rules around visas remain top of mind. “Processing times have certainly become the most-talked-about issue, after many years of navigating whether or not a traveler would actually be allowed to travel due to the various stages of the global pandemic,” says Ray Rackham, senior vice president of thought leadership and public policy at CIBT. “Whereas the conversation had been centered on when travel will return to pre-pandemic levels, the conversation now is about how travelers—who are indeed traveling more—will be able to travel with speed and agility, irrespective of the need to have a visa.”

Visa requirements for various countries are rarely static, as they are subject to diplomatic and political winds. “The moment that something happens, and there’s some kind of dispute for whatever reason, it’s one of the first tools that comes out of the tool belt—they either stop or delay” their visa-issuance policy, Rackham says.

For example, Turkey dropped its visa requirement for North America travelers (for up to 90 days) at the end of 2023. The opposite also happens. Five years after Brazil dispensed with its visa requirement for U.S. visitors, it is on track to reinstate it on April 10, 2024.

Here are five things to know about visas:

1. If you’re traveling for both work and pleasure to a country that requires either a business visa or a tourist visa, opt for the business visa. In general, a business visa requires more paperwork than a tourist visa, such as a business cover letter, but you don’t want to be caught breaking the rules—it could throw your whole trip into disarray. Even securing a tourist visa may require you to present your travel itinerary, including your proof of stay and return flight.
2. U.S. citizens staying in Europe’s 27-nation Schengen area for up to 90 days (within a 180-day period) do not require a visa for work or leisure.
3. Regarding heavily traveled countries in Asia, a visa is not required for entry into Japan for tourism or business; South Korea requires a visa only for business; and China and Thailand require a visa for both purposes.
4. In some countries, you can obtain a visa upon arrival, which can sometimes take minutes (and a small fee). Check the U.S. government’s travel website or CIBT's visa page to find the requirements for your destination.
5. If you need either type of visa, always make sure that your passport has at least two to four blank pages. If not, it’s time to apply for a new passport. According to the U.S. State Department, you cannot have extra pages added to your passport.