Historical Visa Applications

Visa applications are the formal requests submitted by individuals seeking permission to enter, transit, reside in, or exit a country. Unlike visas themselves, which are the official endorsements granting permission, visa applications capture the applicant’s personal details, reasons for travel, supporting documentation, and sometimes references or affidavits. They are crucial historical sources for genealogical and migration research, offering insight into applicants’ family circumstances, occupations, and political or refugee status.

They can be identified by headings such as “visa application,” “demande de visa” (French), “Antrag auf Visum” (German), “solicitud de visado” (Spanish), “заявление на визу” (Russian), “申请签证” (Chinese), or “ビザ申請” (Japanese). Applications typically request the applicant’s name, birth details, nationality, residence, passport number, occupation, intended destination, purpose of travel, and sometimes health information or family status. They may include attached documents such as photographs, affidavits of support, medical certificates, and financial statements.

In appearance, visa applications often take the form of printed forms filled in by hand or typed, beginning in the late 19th century. Earlier examples may be handwritten petitions addressed to diplomatic authorities. In the 20th century, many applications included attached photographs. Some were filed in registers, others survive as loose files within diplomatic or immigration fonds.

Countries across the world developed visa application procedures in the late 19th and 20th centuries as the modern passport-visa system solidified. France and Britain introduced visa applications during the Napoleonic and post-Napoleonic periods. Russia and the Ottoman Empire required them by the 19th century. The US formalized applications with the Immigration Act of 1924, making visas mandatory for most immigrants. By the mid-20th century, nearly every country required written visa applications, often processed through embassies and consulates abroad.

Languages reflect the issuing authority: English (UK, US, Canada, Australia), French (France, Belgium, colonies), German (Germany, Austria), Spanish (Spain, Latin America), Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil), Russian (Russia, USSR), Chinese (China), Japanese (Japan). Multilingual forms were common in border regions and colonial contexts.

Keywords by Country Language

Visa applications became increasingly standardized in the late 19th century. France and Britain required them for foreigners during the 19th century. Russia used them alongside exit visa procedures. The US implemented formal visa applications after 1924. Most Latin American countries required them from the late 19th century onward. China and Japan introduced modern visa application processes in the early 20th century. Today, visa applications exist both as physical forms and online submissions.

Visa applications are preserved in diplomatic and consular archives, foreign ministry archives, national archives, and immigration authorities. For example, the US National Archives (NARA) holds visa application case files in RG 59 (Department of State). The UK National Archives holds Foreign Office and Home Office visa application records. The French Archives diplomatiques preserves visa applications in consular fonds. Russian archives include NKVD/MVD visa application files. Colonial-era applications are often found in administrative archives in Africa and Asia.

Inventory codes: US NARA files visa applications under RG 59, Visa Case Files. The UK National Archives lists them in FO (Foreign Office) and HO (Home Office) series. The French Archives diplomatiques catalogues them in MAE Visa fonds. The Russian State Archive inventories them in police and foreign ministry fonds.

Natural Group

Visa applications should be organized by diplomatic mission or immigration authority and by chronological order. The natural grouping is by embassy or consulate, reflecting how applications were processed. For digitization, all visa applications from a given mission and year should be kept together in the same folder, with supporting documents and final visa decisions included.

Descriptive Metadata

Date: Date of visa application submission (YYYY-MM-DD).

Locality: Example — US Consulate, Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France.

Creator: Applicant (for authorship) and issuing authority (for custodianship), e.g., US Consulate in Marseille.

Volume: Archival register or file reference (e.g., RG 59, Visa Applications, 1939, File 4723).

Title: Visa Application of [Full Name], [Year].

Custodian Reference ID: Archival reference code (e.g., NARA RG 59, Visa Case File 4723).

Sensitive/Private Data

Visa applications frequently contain sensitive information, including health certificates, political or refugee status, racial classifications (in colonial or wartime contexts), and affidavits of financial support. These are generally restricted under modern privacy laws for 75–100 years (GDPR in EU, US Privacy Act, Russian and Chinese archival laws). Historical applications older than 100 years are typically open.

References

National Archives and Records Administration (US). “Visa Case Files, RG 59.” Accessed August 2025. https://www.archives.gov

The National Archives (UK). “Foreign Office and Home Office Records.” Accessed August 2025. https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Archives diplomatiques (France). “MAE Visa Applications.” Accessed August 2025. https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr

Russian State Archive. “Visa and Exit Application Fonds.” Accessed August 2025.

National Archives of Japan. “Visa Application Records.” Accessed August 2025. https://www.archives.go.jp

National Archives of China. “Qianzheng (Visa) Application Files.” Accessed August 2025. http://www.saac.gov.cn