How to Read a Visa Sticker: Entries, Validity and Codes
By Ishaani Reddy (Ishaani Reddy writes about the consumer-protection side of travel — DGCA passenger rights, OTA refund policies, hidden fees, dynamic-currency-conversion traps and the seven kinds of booking mistakes that quietly drain Indian travel budgets.) · Published · 9 min read
Most Indian travellers squint at the visa sticker, see a bunch of dates and abbreviations, and assume it's probably fine. It often is — but sometimes it isn't, and not catching an error before you fly can mean a missed trip or a refusal at immigration. Let me walk you through exactly what each field means.
TL;DR — The Fields That Actually Matter
A visa sticker has about eight to ten fields. The ones you must check the moment you get your passport back are: the validity dates (FROM / UNTIL — these bound the window in which you can use the visa), number of entries (01 = single entry, 02 = double, MULT = multiple), duration of stay (how many days you can actually be in the country per visit), and your name and passport number (make sure these match). Everything else is administrative or informational. If any of these look wrong, contact the consulate or VFS immediately — errors can and do happen, and it's much easier to correct them before you fly than at an immigration counter in Frankfurt.
The Basic Layout of a Visa Sticker
Visa stickers are not fully standardised across countries, but most share a common structure. Let me use a Schengen visa as the reference since it's the most common long-haul visa Indian travellers deal with — and because the Schengen format is actually quite standardised across all 27 member states.
A Schengen visa sticker typically has these labelled fields:
- VALID FOR: which countries or area the visa covers (usually 'Schengen States')
- FROM / UNTIL: the validity window — these are the outer dates within which you can travel
- TYPE OF VISA: C (short stay, up to 90 days), D (national long-stay), or others
- NUMBER OF ENTRIES: 01, 02, or MULT
- DURATION OF STAY: the maximum number of days you can stay per entry (or in total for a single-entry)
- ISSUED IN / ON: the issuing consulate city and the issue date
- NUMBER: the visa number (a long alphanumeric string — keep this, you may need it for future applications)
- SURNAME / NAME: your name as it appears on your passport
- PASSPORT NO: your passport number — check this carefully
- Remarks / Annotations: sometimes additional conditions
Below all of this is a machine-readable zone (MRZ) — two lines of numbers and letters at the bottom of the sticker. This is what the immigration scanner reads at the border. If it's smudged or damaged, it may not scan correctly.
What 'Validity' Actually Means — and How It's Different from Duration of Stay
This is the most commonly confused pair of fields, and getting them wrong has real consequences.
Validity (FROM–UNTIL): This is the window in which you are permitted to enter. If your visa says VALID FROM 01 JUL 2026 TO 31 JUL 2026, you must make your first entry into the Schengen area between those two dates. You cannot enter before July 1st or after July 31st.
Duration of Stay: This is how many days you can actually spend in the country per entry (or in total). A visa might say DURATION 30 DAYS. That means you can stay for up to 30 days — but if the validity window is also 31 days, you need to enter on day 1 and have 30 days from that entry. If you enter on day 10 of the validity window, you still only get 30 days of stay from that entry date, which would take you past the UNTIL date. You cannot stay beyond the UNTIL date regardless of how many duration days you have left.
In short: the UNTIL date is an absolute ceiling. Your stay cannot extend past it, even if your duration of stay days haven't run out. This surprises a lot of first-timers.
For a multiple-entry visa, the duration is usually per entry. 'MULT / 90 DAYS' on a Schengen means you can enter multiple times within the validity window, staying up to 90 days total across all entries (the 90/180 rule then applies separately).
What Do the Entry Codes Mean? (01, 02, MULT)
Simple enough once you know the key:
- 01 (single entry): You can enter the country once. If you exit — even for a day trip to a neighbouring non-Schengen country — you cannot re-enter. The visa is used up. This is the most common outcome for first-time Schengen applicants.
- 02 (double entry): You can enter twice within the validity period. Useful if you're doing a trip that has you leaving Schengen briefly (say, a side trip to UK or Turkey) and coming back in.
- MULT (multiple entry): You can enter as many times as you like within the validity period, subject to the duration of stay and 90/180 constraints. This is what frequent travellers aim for.
One thing that catches Indian travellers off guard with a single-entry Schengen: if your trip includes a cruise that stops in a non-Schengen port (say, Montenegro or Morocco), getting off the ship may technically count as exiting Schengen. Verify this with the consulate or shipping line before you sail.
What Is Visa Type 'C' vs 'D'?
For Schengen visas, Type C is a short-stay visa — the standard tourist/business visa that allows up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Type D is a national long-stay visa, issued by a specific country for stays longer than 90 days (study, work, family reunion). Type D visas are country-specific and do not automatically give you access to other Schengen countries the way a Type C does, though holders of a valid Type D can in some cases travel within Schengen for short periods — the rules here are specific, so verify.
For Indian travellers doing a holiday or short business trip, Type C is what you'll have. If you see Type D on your sticker and you applied for a tourist visa, something has gone wrong — contact the consulate.
Other countries have their own type designations. UK visas, for example, are stamped with 'Leave to Enter for [X] months' endorsement at the border rather than a pre-trip type code on the sticker. Know your destination's system.
Errors on the Visa Sticker: What to Do
Visa sticker errors are rarer than you'd think, but they happen. A mistyped passport number, a wrong date, even a misspelled name can cause trouble at immigration. When you get your passport back from VFS, check the sticker against your actual passport details before you walk out.
Things to verify immediately:
- Your full name as on your passport (surname first, then given name — the sticker format may show them separately)
- Your passport number (a single digit transposition is easy to miss and will cause scanner errors)
- The FROM and UNTIL dates — do they match your planned travel?
- Number of entries — did you apply for multiple entry but see '01'? (This is normal if it wasn't granted, but confirm it's intentional)
- Duration of stay — is it the same as what was approved?
If anything looks wrong, don't travel on it hoping it'll be fine. Contact VFS or the consulate immediately. Most errors caused by the consulate can be corrected, but it takes time, so catch it early. If the error is in your application (you mistyped your passport number on the form), you may need a fresh application — which is why triple-checking the form before submission matters.
Annotations and Special Remarks on the Sticker
The 'Remarks' or 'Observations' field on a visa sticker sometimes has additional conditions. Common annotations include:
- 'Territorialement limité' or 'Limited Territorial Validity (LTV)': Your visa is valid only for specific countries, not all Schengen states. This can happen in unusual circumstances (last-minute visas, certain humanitarian situations). If you see this and you were expecting a full Schengen, ask the consulate.
- 'For official travel only' or similar: Self-explanatory — seen on official/diplomatic visas.
- Annotation about valid travel document: Some stickers note that the visa is only valid when used with the specific passport it's in (relevant if you've renewed your passport — your old visa may still be valid but you need to carry both old and new passports to travel).
If the remarks field has something you don't understand, ask VFS or the consulate before you travel. Ignorance of a condition is not a defence at immigration.
For more on visa logistics — like what to do if you miss a biometrics appointment — see the VFS biometric appointment rescheduling guide. And if you're planning to travel to multiple European countries, the multi-country Europe visa guide covers the broader strategy. Our visa tool also shows entry requirements by destination.
Frequently asked questions
My Schengen visa says valid until August 31 but my duration of stay is 30 days. If I enter on August 15, can I stay until September 14?
No. The UNTIL date is an absolute ceiling. If you enter on August 15 with a duration of 30 days, you must leave by August 31 — you cannot stay past the UNTIL date even if your 30 days haven't run out. You'd have 16 days of actual permitted stay, not 30. Plan your entry accordingly, or apply for an extension (which is a separate process and not guaranteed).
I have a single-entry Schengen visa. Can I take a day trip to Switzerland from France?
Switzerland is a full Schengen member, so moving between France and Switzerland within Schengen does not count as an exit. Your single-entry visa is fine for this. However, if you cross into a non-Schengen country — say, taking a day trip to Serbia, Montenegro, or UK — you will be exiting Schengen, and a single-entry visa will be used up. You cannot re-enter with the same visa.
My passport number on the visa sticker has a typo. What should I do?
Do not travel on it. A wrong passport number on the sticker will not match the MRZ scan and can cause immigration problems. Contact VFS or the issuing consulate immediately with your passport and point out the discrepancy. If the error was made by the consulate, they typically correct it without charging you again. If the error was on your application form, you may need a fresh application — another reason to always triple-check the form.
My old visa is still valid but I've renewed my passport. Can I use the old visa?
Generally yes — most countries accept an expired passport containing a valid visa, provided you carry both old and new passports when you travel. This is standard practice. However, a few countries have specific rules, and airline check-in staff sometimes question it. It's worth carrying a printout of the relevant embassy guidelines for your destination country to show if asked.
What does 'MULT' on a visa sticker mean for the 90/180 rule?
MULT (multiple entry) means you can enter and exit the Schengen area as many times as you want within the visa's validity period. But you're still bound by the 90/180 rule: across all your entries combined, you cannot spend more than 90 days in the Schengen area in any rolling 180-day window. The MULT designation doesn't override this limit — it just removes the per-entry restriction.