Business visa
A business meeting can't be postponed. We build a professional, fast and flawless file, so you can travel with peace of mind.
- Meetings · trade fairs · conferences
- Urgent files handled
- Multiple-entry visas
- Type of stay
- Short
- Multiple entries
- Multi
- Leaving soon?
- Urgent
The business visa is a short-stay visa: it does not allow you to work for an employer there.
Regular travellers can apply for a multiple-entry visa, with justification.
We prioritise files tied to a fixed event date.
Understanding the business visa
Travelling for your business, without working there
The business visa covers short business trips: meeting partners, negotiating a contract, visiting a trade fair, attending a conference or training. In the Schengen area it is a short-stay visa (90 days maximum in any 180 days); in the United States it is the "B1" part of the B1/B2 visa; in the United Kingdom these activities fall under the visitor visa.
A key point that is often misunderstood: the business visa does not allow you to hold a job or be paid by a company in the country you visit. If you plan to work there, you need a work visa — we guide you from the first consultation.
What makes a business file strong is consistency between the company sending you, the one receiving you and the exact purpose of the mission. The consulate must understand in a few minutes who you are, why you are travelling and who is paying.
Trips covered
Meetings and negotiations
Meetings with customers, suppliers or partners, contract signings, site visits.
Trade fairs, congresses and training
Attending a trade fair, an international conference or a short training course.
Missions for your company
A trip ordered by your employer or on behalf of your own company.
Documents to prepare
Identity and travel
Generally:
- Valid passport with blank pages
- Application form and photos meeting the standards
- Flight and accommodation reservations
- Travel insurance (€30,000 minimum for Schengen)
From the company
To prove the mission:
- Invitation letter from the company or organiser in the country you visit
- Mission order from your employer, stating the dates and who covers the costs
- Registration for the trade fair or conference
- Business registration and articles of association if you run a company
Finances and ties
To reassure the consulate:
- Personal or company bank statements
- Employment contract and payslips
- Business correspondence, invoices or contracts with the partner
- Travel history and previous visas
Your application, step by step
- 1
Mission brief
Dates, place, host company, purpose of the trip: we frame the project in one consultation.
- 2
Letters and supporting documents
We tell you exactly what the invitation letters and mission order must say.
- 3
File check
Full check and form filling.
- 4
Appointment and submission
Booking the appointment and submitting at the visa centre or embassy.
- 5
Tracking
Follow-up until the decision and advice for your next trips.
Points to watch
A business file is judged on its consistency
In a business file, the consulate compares everything: the letterhead of the invitation, the job title on your contract, the event dates, the balance in your account and who is paying for the trip. A single inconsistency is enough to raise doubts.
We review these documents as a consular officer would, and point out what needs fixing before submission — not after a refusal.
- An invitation that is too vague, with no precise purpose or dates.
- A mission order that doesn't say who covers the costs.
- An activity that looks like a job there (to be avoided with a business visa).
- Repeated trips with no proof of real business activity.
What Fatma Travel does for you
Analysis of your situation
First, we study your profile, your plans and the destination country to choose the right visa and spot the weak points in the file.
Tailor-made document list
You receive a clear list, adapted to your case and checked against the official requirements in force — nothing unnecessary, nothing forgotten.
Document-by-document check
We review every document: consistency of dates, amounts, names, translations. This is where most refusals are decided.
Forms and appointments
We fill in the forms with you and help you get an appointment at the visa centre or embassy.
Interview preparation
If there is an interview, we prepare you for the usual questions so you can answer clearly and confidently.
Follow-up until the decision
We stay reachable until the consulate replies, with a French-speaking team in Brussels and in Burundi.
After a refusal
We analyse the reasons for the refusal and advise you: appeal, a better-documented new application, or another strategy.
Frequently asked questions
Can I work with a business visa?
No. The business visa allows occasional business activities (meetings, trade fairs, negotiations), but not holding a job or being paid by a company in the country you visit. For that, you need a work visa.
Can my company apply for me?
The application and fingerprinting are done in person. However, we can coordinate with your company and your partner to obtain compliant letters.
I travel often: can I get a long-validity visa?
A multiple-entry visa may be granted to regular travellers who have used their previous visas correctly. We help you apply for it and justify it.
My trade fair is in three weeks. Is it still possible?
Often yes, but it depends on available appointments. Contact us immediately: we check availability and prepare the file as a priority.
Other visa types
Tourist visa
Schengen, United Kingdom, USA, Canada…
Short stays for holidays, family visits and tourism. Usual processing time: 5 to 15 days.
Learn more : Tourist visaFamily visa
Europe, Africa, worldwide
Family reunification, sponsorship. Support for complex files.
Learn more : Family visaStudent visa
Belgium, France, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Higher education: help with universities and admission.
Learn more : Student visaWork visa
Europe and international
Employment contracts and expatriation.
Learn more : Work visaResidence visa
Europe and worldwide
Settling long term: long-stay visas and residence permits.
Learn more : Residence visa
Let's prepare your business trip
Tell us about your plans: we assess your file and tell you clearly which documents to gather, the timelines and the cost of our support.