Where Is My Visa Number on My Passport

If a form asks for your U.S. visa number, look at the visa page inside your passport, not the page with your name and passport photo. On the visa foil or stamp, find the short red number near the lower-right corner. In most cases, that is the number the form is asking for.

Where to find the U.S. visa number in your passport

Open your passport and look for the page with your U.S. visa. The visa may look like a large sticker, foil, or stamp with your photo, personal details, visa type, and dates.

Then check the lower-right part of that visa.

The number you need is usually:

• Printed in red
• Near the lower-right corner
• A short code, often eight characters
• Made up of digits in most cases

The exact design of the visa can vary. Some details may look different depending on when and where the visa was issued. The most useful clues are its color and location: red printing near the lower-right corner of the visa itself.

A quick way to remember it:

> Visa page + lower-right corner + red printing = likely visa number

Don’t start with the passport page that shows your photograph, full name, passport number, and date of birth. That is the passport identification page. It is separate from the U.S. visa page.

What the U.S. visa number usually looks like

A U.S. visa number is generally a short red code. It is usually eight characters long and is most often all numbers.

For example, a visa number might look like a short string such as:

`12345678`

That is only a visual example, not a number to copy into a form.

The number may be easy to miss because a U.S. visa contains several lines of text, dates, labels, and other codes. Some information may be printed in black, while the visa number is printed in red. The number may also appear smaller than the rest of the text.

When asking what does a visa number look like, focus less on the exact digits and more on the pattern:

1. Find the U.S. visa foil or stamp.
2. Move your eyes to its lower-right area.
3. Look for the short red number.
4. Check that it is printed on the visa, not elsewhere on the passport page.

If a number is in another part of the page or is printed in a different color, don’t label it as the visa number just because it is the only number you can see.

How to identify the red number in the lower-right corner

The lower-right clue is the easiest way to avoid mixing up the visa number with other information.

Hold the passport page flat and look only at the visa’s own borders. The number is usually close to the bottom and toward the right side of the visa. It may sit apart from the larger blocks of personal information.

Try this visual check:

• Is it on the visa foil or stamp?
• Is it close to the lower-right corner?
• Is it printed in red?
• Does it look like a short code, often eight characters?

If the answer to these questions is yes, you have likely found the U.S. visa number.

Be careful with nearby numbers. The visa may also show dates, a passport number, a case-related number, or another identifier. A number’s position matters. A red number in the lower-right area is the main visual match to look for.

You may need good light to see it clearly. If the number is hard to read, enlarge a clear photo of the visa page for your own viewing. Check every digit carefully, since similar-looking characters can be easy to confuse.

Visa foil, visa stamp, and the passport page where it appears

People use several names for the document placed in the passport. You may hear it called a visa foil, visa stamp, visa sticker, or simply a visa.

For this lookup, these names point to the same basic place: the U.S. visa attached to a passport page.

That page is not usually the passport identification page. Instead, it is the page that contains the U.S. visa details. It may include information such as:

• Your photograph
• Your name
• Visa category
• Visa issue and expiration dates
• Passport or personal information
• Other printed numbers and codes

The visa number belongs to this visa page. It does not refer to the passport number printed on the identification page.

This difference matters when a form says “visa number on passport.” The wording can make it sound as if you should search the passport’s main information page. For a U.S. visa, search the page containing the visa foil or stamp instead.

How to find the visa number in an older passport

A passport renewal does not always mean the visa is in the newest passport. If you have renewed your passport, check whether your U.S. visa remains in the older one.

Look through the older passport for the page with the U.S. visa. Once you find it, use the same visual method:

• Find the visa foil or stamp.
• Go to its lower-right corner.
• Look for the red short number.
• Use that number if the form asks for the visa number connected with that visa.

You may have two passports in front of you. One may be the current passport, while the other contains the visa. That can make the search confusing, but the visa number still comes from the visa page where the visa was issued.

Don’t use the current passport number simply because it appears in your newest passport. The passport number and visa number are different pieces of information.

U.S. visa examples and B1/B2 visa questions

A simple U.S. visa example would show a large visa foil inside the passport, with a short red code near its lower-right corner. That red code is the visual detail to use when identifying the visa number.

The visa category may appear elsewhere on the same page. For example, a visa may show B1/B2. This describes the visa category printed on the visa. It does not, by itself, tell you which number is the visa number.

This is also why searches about a “B1/B2 card” can cause confusion. A card, confirmation document, or other paper connected with travel may show its own numbers. Those numbers should not automatically replace the number printed on the U.S. visa in your passport.

If a form asks for the visa number, go back to the visa foil and check the red number near the lower-right corner. If the form asks for a different item, follow the exact label shown on the form rather than choosing a number based only on its length.

Visa number versus other numbers printed on the visa

A U.S. visa can contain several numbers. The most common mistake is choosing a number because it is large, easy to read, or located near the top of the page.

The visa number is generally identified by three features:

• It is printed on the visa itself.
• It is usually red.
• It is near the lower-right corner.

A control number may also appear on the visa. The terms “visa number” and “control number” can be confusing because both may look like short strings of digits. Don’t assume they are the same number just because both appear on the visa.

When a form specifically asks for the visa number, use the red lower-right number that matches the visual description above. When it asks for a control number, read the form’s wording carefully and look for a field or label that matches that request.

The same rule applies to other codes, dates, and passport details. The number’s location and color are more useful than guessing from the number alone.

What to do if you still cannot identify the number

Start the search again from the visa page, not the passport information page. Then check the lower-right corner of the visa for red printing.

If you still can’t tell which number is correct, use this checklist:

1. Confirm that you are looking at the U.S. visa foil or stamp.
2. Make sure you are checking the passport where the visa was issued.
3. Look near the visa’s lower-right corner.
4. Search for a short red code.
5. Check whether it is usually about eight characters long.
6. Compare the form’s wording with the labels and numbers on the visa.

If the visa is in an older passport, keep that passport nearby while completing the form. Don’t replace the visa number with your current passport number.

And if the form asks for a control number, passport number, or another specific identifier, treat that as a separate request. The labels matter.

For more plain-language guides, browse the site for practical answers to the everyday questions that come up when you’re filling out forms, checking documents, or getting ready to travel.