Schengen visa: Requirements and application procedure

The Schengen visa or a C-Type visa is only valid for short stays for up to 90 days. Schengen visas are typically valid for 90 days. But, frequent visitors to the Schengen area can obtain Schengen visas valid for one, two or five years.

The continent of Europe is comprised of 51 countries. Of which, 26 countries are part of the Schengen agreement. Schengen agreement abolished internal borders between these 26 countries.

A Schengen visa is a unified visa for short stays (up to 90 days) for these 26 countries in Europe. Therefore, a Schengen visa is the only visa you will need to travel to any of these 26 countries.

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Schengen visa countries

The following are the 26 countries that you can travel using a Schengen visa.

1. Austria
2. Belgium
3. Czech Republic
4. Denmark
5. Estonia
6. Finland
7. France
8. Germany
9. Greece
10. Hungary
11. Iceland
12. Italy
13. Latvia
14. Liechtenstein
15. Lithuania
16. Luxembourg
17. Malta
18. Netherlands
19. Norway
20. Poland
21. Portugal
22. Slovakia
23. Slovenia
24. Spain
25. Sweden
26. Switzerland

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SCHENGEN VISA REQUIREMENTS BY NATIONALITY

Minimum passport validity required to enter the Schengen area

Passport must be valid for at least 3 months from your planned departure from Schengen area.

Example: If your trip is from Mar 10 to Mar 20, your passport must be valid at least until Jun 20.

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Visa EXEMPT nationalities

90-day entry

1. Albania
2. Andorra
3. Antigua And Barbuda
4. Argentina
5. Austria
6. Australia
7. Bahamas
8. Barbados
9. Belgium
10. Bosnia Herzegovina
11. Brazil
12. Brunei Darussalam
13. Bulgaria
14. Canada
15. Chile
16. Colombia
17. Costa Rica
18. Croatia
19. Cyprus
20. Czech Republic
21. Denmark
22. Dominica
23. El Salvador
24. Estonia
25. Finland
26. France
27. Greece
28. Granada
29. Guatemala
30. Honduras
31. Hong Kong
32. Hungary
33. Iceland
34. Ireland
35. Israel
36. Italy
37. Japan
38. Kiribati
39. Latvia
40. Liechtenstein
41. Lithuania
42. Luxembourg
43. Macao
44. Macedonia (FYROM)
45. Malaysia
46. Malta
47. Marshall Islands
48. Mauritius
49. Mexico
50. Micronesia
51. Moldova
52. Monaco
53. Montenegro
54. Netherlands
55. New Zealand
56. Nicaragua
57. Norway
58. Palau
59. Panama
60. Paraguay
61. Peru
62. Poland
63. Portugal
64. Romania
65. Saint Kitts and Nevis
66. Saint Lucia
67. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
68. Samoa
69. San Marino
70. Serbia
71. Seychelles
72. Singapore
73. Slovak Republic
74. Slovenia
75. Solomon Islands
76. South Korea
77. Spain
78. Sweden
79. Switzerland
80. Taiwan
81. Timor-Leste (East Timor)
82. Tonga
83. Trinidad And Tobago
84. Tuvalu
85. United Arab Emirates
86. United Kingdom
87. United States of America
88. Uruguay
89. Vanuatu
90. Vatican City
91. Venezuela

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Visa REQUIRED nationalities

90-day entry

1. Afghanistan
2. Algeria
3. Angola
4. Armenia
5. Azerbaijan
6. Bahrain
7. Bangladesh
8. Belarus
9. Belize
10. Benin
11. Bhutan
12. Bolivia
13. Botswana
14. Burkina Faso
15. Burundi
16. Cambodia
17. Cameroon
18. Cape Verde
19. Central African Republic
20. Chad
21. China
22. Comoros
23. Congo (Dem. Rep. of)
24. Congo (Republic of)
25. Côte d’Ivoire
26. Cuba
27. Djibouti
28. Dominican Republic
29. Ecuador
30. Egypt
31. Equatorial Guinea
32. Eritrea
33. Ethiopia
34. Fiji
35. Gabon
36. Gambia
37. Georgia
38. Ghana
39. Guinea
40. Guinea-Bissau
41. Guyana
42. Haiti
43. India
44. Indonesia
45. Iran
46. Iraq
47. Jamaica
48. Jordan
49. Kazakhstan
50. Kenya
51. Kyrgyzstan
52. Kuwait
53. Laos
54. Lesotho
55. Lebanon
56. Liberia
57. Libya
58. Madagascar
59. Malawi
60. Maldives
61. Mali
62. Mauritania
63. Mongolia
64. Morocco
65. Mozambique
66. Myanmar
67. Namibia
68. Nauru
69. Nepal
70. Niger
71. Nigeria
72. North Korea
73. Oman
74. Pakistan
75. Papua New Guinea
76. Philippines
77. Qatar
78. Russia
79. Rwanda
80. Sao Tome And Principe
81. Saudi Arabia
82. Senegal
83. Sierra Leone
84. Somalia
85. South Africa
86. South Sudan
87. Sri Lanka
88. Sudan
89. Suriname
90. Swaziland
91. Syria
92. Tajikistan
93. Tanzania
94. Thailand
95. Togo
96. Tunisia
97. Turkey
98. Turkmenistan
99. Uganda
100. Ukraine
101. Uzbekistan
102. Vietnam
103. Yemen
104. Zambia
105. Zimbabwe

IMPORTANT
Palestine and Kosovo are not recognized by at least one Schengen member state. If you are a Palestinian or Kosovo national, please inquire at your nearest Schengen consulate for visa requirements for your passport.

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SCHENGEN VISA APPLICATION PROCESS

Check if you need a tourist visa to travel to the Schengen area in the “Visa requirements by nationality” section above. Alternatively, you can check your visa eligibility and requirements at any of your nearest Schengen member state consulates.

Schengen visa applications can be submitted up to 180 days in advance. Visa application is a 4 step process

1. Fill your Schengen visa application form 14076-02 (online or offline)
2. Schedule an in-person appointment (at the consulate or visa agent such as VFS Global)
3. Appear in person to submit your visa application and documents
4. Pick up your original passport with approved visa

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Validity of Schengen visa

The Schengen visa is usually valid for 90 days. But if you are applying for your Schengen visa for the first time, you may likely be issued the visa valid for exactly the number of days you have asked for.

Example: If your itinerary is 12 days, you may be issued the visa valid for exactly 12 days.

As a first-time visa applicant, I suggest adding a few extra days to your itinerary so you will get a few extra days on your visa validity. That way, you can have some flexibility in your travel plans.

If you are applying for your Schengen visa for the second or third time, you may likely get the visa valid for 90 days.

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Rules for obtaining Schengen visa valid for 1, 2 or 5 years

• To obtain a 1 year Schengen visa, you must have obtained and used 3 Schengen visas within the last 2 years
• To obtain a 2 year Schengen visa, you must have obtained and used a 1 year Schengen visa within the last 2 years
• To obtain a 5 year Schengen visa, you must have obtained and used a 2 year Schengen visa within the last 3 years

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Where to apply for your Schengen visa?

Most tourists plan to travel to more than one country during their Europe trip. Since the Schengen visa is valid for 26 countries, you must first determine your Schengen country of application. This helps you greatly in avoiding visa delays and refusals.

Follow the below guidelines to determine your Schengen country of application.

1. If you plan to visit only one Schengen country, you must apply for your Schengen visa at the consulate of that particular country.
   • Example: If you are traveling to Spain only, then you must apply for your Schengen visa at the consulate of Spain in your city.
2. If you plan to visit several Schengen countries, you must apply for your Schengen visa at the consulate of the country of your main destination (the country where you will be spending most days).
   • Example: If your itinerary is 10 days of which 4 days in Spain and 6 days in France, then you must apply for your Schengen visa at the consulate of France in your city since you will be spending more time in France.
3. If you intend to visit several Schengen countries but do not have a main destination (same amount of days in each country) then you should apply for your Schengen visa at the consulate of the country of your first point of entry.
   • Example: If your itinerary is 10 days of which you will be spending 5 days in the Netherlands first and after that 5 days in France, then you must apply for a visa at the Consulate of Netherlands in your city since the Netherlands will be your first port of entry.

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Documents required for Schengen visa

The following documents are required for your Schengen visa.

1. Filled and signed Schengen visa application form (online or downloadable from the consulate page)
2. Original passport
3. Copy of the visa/residence permit if applying in a third country.
   • Example: If you hold an India passport and applying in the US, you must provide a copy of your US visa
4. One recent passport size photo
5. Round trip flight reservation
6. Hotel bookings for the entire duration of stay
7. Proof of health insurance
8. Last 3 months bank statement
9. Last 3 months salary slips
10. Original signed employment letter
11. Cover letter with a detailed itinerary

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Schengen visa photo requirements

The photo must be 4.5cm x 3.5cm. That is, 4.5cm high and 3.5 cm wide. The face must be 3.2 to 3.6cm or 70-80% of the photo.

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Travel health insurance for Schengen visa

It’s MANDATORY to submit travel medical insurance for Schengen visa. You must attach a certificate of travel health insurance in the Schengen area or worldwide with 100% coverage with no deductibles or co-pays.

It must have a minimum coverage of €30,000 EUR for medical, hospitalization, emergencies and repatriation services.

You can purchase travel insurance on insurance aggregators such as listed below. Some insurance providers will let you cancel and get a refund if your visa is denied. You must request a denial letter from the consulate and submit it to the provider for a refund.

A few insurance providers and aggregators

• MAWISTA
• Insure my trip (For travelers from the US and worldwide
• Insurance pundit (For travelers from India)

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Schengen visa fee

The Schengen visa fee is approximately €80 EUR. This fee must be paid in the form of a bank money order. The visa fee is non-refundable and it will not be returned if the visa is not granted or withdrawn.

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Schengen visa processing time

Schengen visa processing can take from 15 calendar days to 45 calendar days.

You must apply for your Schengen visa no later than 15 days prior to your travel. Otherwise, your application will not be accepted.

You can apply for your Schengen visa up to 6 months in advance. So, apply as soon as you can to avoid delays, refusals and disappointments.

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Apply in person

There is a plan to implement online systems of Schengen visas. But as of now, the Schengen visa can only be applied in person.

Filling the application form can be online or offline depending on the Schengen country. After this, you must schedule an appointment via the consulate website to submit your visa application and documents.

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Apply through visa/travel agency

You can apply for the Schengen visa through a visa/travel agency in some countries. Travel agencies that offer vacation packages to Europe usually are allowed to apply for the visa on your behalf.

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Priority visa service

There is no priority visa service. In case of emergency travel, you can go straight to the consulate to check if they can accept your application without an appointment.

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Customer service

There is no dedicated customer service. You can call/email the consulate where you applied for the visa if you need to know the status of your application.

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Application withdrawal

There is no official procedure to withdraw an application. You can call/email the consulate if you intend to withdraw the application.

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ENTRY AND EXIT PROCEDURE AT THE AIRPORT

Period of stay in Schengen area – the 90 days/180 days rule

Non-EU Passport holders who are visa EXEMPT or REQUIRED are authorized to stay in the Schengen area for up to 90 days within a period of 180 days. This “90 days in any 180 days” applies to all short-stay visitors to the Schengen area.

• Stays in EU countries that are NOT part of the Schengen area (Bulgaria, Croatia, Ireland, Romania, Cyprus and the United Kingdom) are not counted in assessing the period of stay.
• Stays in non-EU countries that are part of the Schengen area (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) are counted in assessing the period of stay compliance with the 90 days / 180-day rule.
• Both the day of entry and day of exit are counted in the calculation.
• The 180 days period is referenced backwards from the day of checking.
• A simple rule of thumb is, if you are out of the Schengen area for a continuous period of 90 days allows you for a new stay of 90 days.

You can use the Schengen calculator to determine the number of days you are allowed to stay in the Schengen area. Here is the manual on how to use the Schengen calculator.

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Starting your trip

Most airlines do not let you check-in online if you need a visa to travel to the destination country. If you check-in online or at the airport, either way, make sure to arrive at the gate a bit early and see the airline staff. They sometimes have to go through the visa requirements again, verify the documents and put a “Docs Ok” stamp on your boarding pass.

Make sure your passport is valid for at least 6 months from the day of travel.

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Entering the Schengen country

You do not need to fill any arrival/departure card on entering the Schengen area. Do not panic if your flight attendant did not give you an arrival/departure card on your flight in.

At the immigration, you will generally be asked about your final destination, places you will be visiting and the number of days you are planning on staying. You might also be asked if it is your first time in Europe.

The immigration officer will stamp your passport with arrival airport. The number of days you are allowed to stay will not be marked in your passport.

As always, carry a copy of your return ticket and hotel booking just in case. If you are traveling on a one-way ticket, don’t forget to get proof of onward ticket.

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Exiting the Schengen country

You must go through passport control on exiting the Schengen area. You will not be asked any questions unless you have overstayed your visa. Passport control is fairly quick, about 10-15 minutes depending on the airport.

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SUMMARY

Europe is usually the first choice for most first time international travelers. It’s a dream for most people to visit Europe at least once in their lifetime. Europe has such an impeccable beauty, history, art, and cuisine.

Schengen visa requirements are clear and fairly easy to understand. An appointment can be made online but application submission must be done in person. Applications can be submitted up to 180 days in advance.

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