Are visa and passport the same thing?

Visa and passport are not the same thing.

1. A passport is an official document that proves the nationality and identity of the holder. It is issued by the government of the country and is used to prove the identity and nationality of the citizen. It is a necessary document for traveling abroad;

2. A visa is a mark issued by a country’s government on a foreign citizen’s passport or other travel document, indicating that the foreign citizen is allowed or not allowed to enter, leave or pass through the country’s territory;

3. Passports and Visas They are two different documents in international travel. The passport is issued by the traveler's home government, while the visa is issued by the destination country;

4. The passport is the basic document for entry and exit, while the visa is Entry authorization for passport holders in accordance with the legal provisions of the destination country.

Functions and types of passports:

1. Proof of identity: Passport is an internationally recognized identity document;

2. Entry and exit voucher: Passport is An important document for the holder to enter and exit the country;

3. Travel convenience: some countries or regions are exempt from visas, and you can enter the country directly with your passport;

4. Diplomatic protection : The passport usually indicates that the holder can enjoy the consular protection of his or her country overseas;

5. Various types: Passports are divided into ordinary passports, diplomatic passports, official passports, etc. according to their purposes.

To sum up, passports and visas are two essentially different travel documents: a passport, as an official document proving the nationality and identity of the holder, is issued by the national government and is a basic document for international travel; A visa is an entry permit granted to a foreign citizen by a destination country. It is marked on a passport or other travel document and is used to indicate whether the holder is allowed to enter, leave, or pass through the territory of that country.

Legal basis:

"Passport and Visa Regulations of the People's Republic of China"

Article 3

Issuance of passports, The visa agencies are the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the agencies authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security at home; abroad they are China's diplomatic representative agencies, consular agencies and agencies authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Passports for persons traveling abroad on official business shall be issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or an agency authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Passports and visas for persons traveling abroad for private matters shall be handled by agencies authorized by the Ministry of Public Security.

Passports and visas for Chinese citizens traveling and residing abroad shall be processed by China’s diplomatic representative agencies, consular agencies or agencies authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Foreigners applying for a Chinese visa abroad shall be handled by China’s diplomatic representative agencies, consular agencies or agencies authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In China, applications for visas by foreign diplomatic representatives, consular offices, consular officers, and civil servants in China shall be accepted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the foreign affairs agencies authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; other foreigners holding diplomatic or official passports shall apply for visas by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Foreign affairs agencies authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or public security agencies authorized by the Ministry of Public Security will accept applications. Applications for visas by ordinary passport holders or other people coming to China for private matters shall be accepted by the public security agencies authorized by the Ministry of Public Security.