The document number on a US visa is the red number printed in the bottom-right area of the visa foil glued into your passport. It is eight characters long. Most are all digits, but some begin with a single letter followed by seven digits.1State.gov. Port Courtesy Handbook When an immigration form asks for your “visa number” or “visa foil number,” this is the number it wants.
How to Spot It on the Foil
Open your passport to the page holding the visa sticker. You’ll see your name, photo, birth date, visa class, issue and expiration dates, and other biographical data, all printed in black. The document number is the only figure on the sticker printed in red, which is the fastest way to find it. Look toward the bottom right.1State.gov. Port Courtesy Handbook
The format is fixed at eight characters. A typical number reads like 20345678. A number beginning with a letter reads like A2345678.1State.gov. Port Courtesy Handbook Copy it carefully when you transcribe it onto a form. A single wrong digit can delay processing or prevent a records lookup.
Don’t Confuse It With the Other Numbers
More than one number sits on a US visa sticker, and mixing them up is a common mistake.
- The visa (foil) number is the red eight-character number in the bottom-right area. This is the one forms mean.1State.gov. Port Courtesy Handbook
- The control number is an internal Department of State tracking number printed on the foil alongside the name of the issuing consular post. Forms rarely, if ever, ask for it.2Foreign Affairs Manual – State.gov. NIV Issuances
- Your passport number is reprinted on the sticker so it can be cross-checked against the passport itself. If the two don’t match, raise it before you travel.
Cross-Checking Against the Machine-Readable Zone
At the very bottom of the foil are two lines of small, densely packed characters. This is the machine-readable zone (MRZ) that scanners read at inspection. On US visas, the eight-character document number is encoded within that zone.3ICAO. Doc 9303 Machine Readable Travel Documents – Part 7: Machine Readable Visas If the red print has faded or smudged and you can’t read a character with confidence, checking the same characters in the MRZ is a reliable way to confirm what the number is.
When You Actually Need the Number
You may be asked for your visa document number when you complete immigration forms, apply for a change or adjustment of status, hand paperwork to an employer or school, or review your own travel history. Immigration agencies use the number to tie a current application to prior visa records.
One case trips up many travelers. On the CBP I-94 website (i94.cbp.dhs.gov), retrieving your most recent I-94 arrival record uses your passport number, not your visa number. But when you apply for a provisional I-94 and hold a visa, the site does ask for your visa number, and it specifies the red number on the visa foil.4Homeland Security. I-94/I-95 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
If Your Visa Is Damaged, Lost, or Stolen
Foils can fade, peel, or tear in a heavily used passport. If part of the red number is still legible, try the MRZ cross-check described above before giving up on it.
If the visa is completely unreadable, lost, or stolen, you cannot get a replacement inside the United States. You need to report the situation by email to the consular section at the US Embassy or Consulate that issued the visa. The report should include your full name, date of birth, place of birth, US address, and a statement of whether the visa was lost or stolen. Include a copy of the visa if you have one.5Travel.State.Gov. Lost and Stolen Passports, Visas, and Arrival/Departure Records
A new visa has to be applied for in person at a US Embassy or Consulate abroad, with a written account of the loss and a copy of any police report if it was stolen. One consequence to know about: once you report a visa as lost or stolen, it is permanently invalid even if you later find it. You still have to apply for a new one.5Travel.State.Gov. Lost and Stolen Passports, Visas, and Arrival/Departure Records
While you’re inside the United States with a lost or damaged visa, you can stay for the full period of admission shown on your entry stamp or paper I-94. Leaving the country still requires a valid passport, and re-entering the US will require a new visa.5Travel.State.Gov. Lost and Stolen Passports, Visas, and Arrival/Departure Records
If You Traveled on ESTA Instead
If you entered the United States under the Visa Waiver Program, you don’t have a visa foil at all. You have an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) approval, which carries an application number rather than a traditional visa number. Customs and Border Protection recommends printing the ESTA response page so you have that number on hand.6CBP. Frequently Asked Questions About the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) and Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) If a form asks for a visa number and you traveled under ESTA, the application number from that approval is what you have.