Schengen Visa is the official authorization for people who wish to travel 27 Schengen countries. Before starting what is Schengen visa, let us explain Schengen Area under European Union so you better understand the visa guide and enjoy your stay later on.
What is Schengen?
Schengen is a free zone that covers 27 European countries making it the largest free travel area in the world. Schengen agreement is one of the main achievements of European Union that allows 1.25 billion people each year to travel freely between Schengen area countries.
Schengen Area:
The
Schengen area also known as Schengen zone covers:
·
27 countries (23 EU and 4 Non EU)
·
4 Million square kilometres of area
·
420 million of population
 |
| Schengen Countries Map |
Schengen Countries:
The
new list of Schengen visa countries includes 27 countries adding Croatia who
became the newest member that join on January 1, 2023.
1.
Austria
2.
Belgium
3.
Czech Republic
4.
Croatia
5.
Denmark
6.
Estonia
7.
Finland
8.
France
9.
Germany
10.
Greece
11.
Hungary
12.
Iceland
13.
Italy
14.
Latvia
15.
Lithuania
16.
Luxembourg
17.
Malta
18.
Netherlands
19.
Norway
20.
Portugal
21.
Poland
22.
Slovenia
23.
Slovakia
24.
Spain
25.
Switzerland
26.
Sweden
27.
Liechtenstein
As per official website of EU, the Bulgaria and Romania are currently in the process of joining the Schengen area. After successful agreement, the Schengen country list will increase to 29.
EU
Countries not issuing Schengen Visas:
1.
Bulgaria
2.
Cyprus
3.
Ireland
4.
Romania
Non-Schengen Countries issuing Schengen Visas:
1. Switzerland
2. Norway
3. Iceland
4. Liechtenstein
Schengen Visa:
A
Schengen visa is the short stay visa that allow person to travel 27 Schengen
countries for 90 days within 180-day period.
The
Schengen visa is basically an authorization issued by a Schengen state, allows the
person to enter, visit and leave the Schengen zone from any of Schengen
countries without being subject to border checks.
Types of Schengen Visa:
There
are 3 types of uniform Schengen visas:
1.
Airport Transit Visa (Type A Schengen Visa)
2.
Short Stay (Type C Schengen Visa)
3.
Long Stay (Type D Schengen Visa)
Type
A Schengen Visa:
Type
A is an Airport transit visa allows travellers from certain countries to
transit through any airport in the Schengen Zone without entering the Schengen
country.
Type C Schengen Visa:
If you are looking to visit one or more European countries for tourism, business or any of below purposes, you need to apply for Schengen visa type c. This is the mostly applied visa to enter Schengen and EU countries also called Schengen tourist visa. The available type c Schengen visa categories are:
·
Tourism
·
Visiting Family, Friends or Relatives
·
Business Purpose
·
Short Study and Research Purpose
·
Film crew, Cultural and Sports events
·
Official visit
·
Medical Treatment visit
·
Airport Transit
·
Transit for seafarers
Schengen Visa Duration for Type C:
Type C is the short-stay Schengen visa allowing traveller to stay in any of Schengen area for less than 90 days or up to 90 days maximum within 180 days period starting from the date of entry.
How
long can I stay in Europe on Schengen Visa?
Visa
duration is subject to the purpose of visit, the Schengen consulate can issue a
single entry
visa, double entry visa and a multiple entry visa after reviewing the type
C Schengen visa application. The maximum legal stay is 90 days (3 months).
Single-entry
visa allows to enter Schengen area once, code “1” will be printed on visa
sticker so the holder always know that once i exit the country, I cannot enter
on this visa again. In simple words, if you leave the Schengen, the validity of
your type c single entry visa become invalid and expire.
Double Entry Visa (Code 2):
Type
c double entry visa means you can enter Schengen zone twice in given validity
period. Code “2” will also be printed on visa sticker so the holder know that he/she
can enter one more time even leaving Schengen area. Upon leaving for the second
time, this visa becomes expire.
Multiple Entry Visa (Code MULT):
You
are lucky if you are getting the Schengen visa with multiple entries (MULT code
on visa sticker) as it allows you to enter and leave Schengen areas as many
times as you want. But keep in mind that the visa validity (authorization) is
valid for 90 days only (3 months maximum). Once the visa duration ended, you
must leave Schengen territory.
Requirements for Schengen Visa Application:
If
you wish to apply for Schengen visa or looking for visa to Europe, you must
first look at the list of required documents, you will need to provide and
submit:
·
Schengen Visa Application Form
·
Valid Passport
·
Two Photographs
·
Round Trip Travel Itinerary (Air Ticket)
·
Travel Insurance (€30,000 - €50,000
coverage)
·
Hotel Booking or Proof of Accommodation
·
Bank statement (Proof of financial means)
·
Visa Application Fee Receipt (optional)
We recommend you to purchase
travel Insurance from AXA
or Europ Assistance
whereas you can book hotel with www.booking.com
How
much is Schengen Visa Fee:
The Cost of Schengen
Visa is €80 for adults and €40 for children between the age of 6 and 12.
Kids under the age of six, holders of diplomatic passport, family members of EU
and EEA nationals are exempted from Schengen visa charges.
How to Apply for Visa to Schengen?
To
apply for Schengen visa, first choose the visa type you wish to apply, than you
need to contact nearest Schengen embassy or consulate in your country. You will
need to book a visa appointment either directly through consulate websites or
through VFS
global and BLS International
(world largest visa outsourcing and technology service providers).
Once you have successfully booked the Schengen visa appointment, try to gather all the required documents mentioned above including the most important Schengen visa application form which you can get directly from respected consulate website or through the visa service providers including vfs and bls.
Who
need Schengen Visa to travel EU?
ETIAS is the official travel authorization for visa-exempt travelers to 30 EU countries, citizens
of some countries need to follow full visa process in-order to enter Schengen whereas
there are countries whose citizens are not required to apply Schengen visa. list is properly categorized at https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/who-needs-schengen-visa/.
If
your application is approved, you will obtain a visa sticker
to paste on your travel document, currently EU is issuing paper sticker which
is going to end soon as the Europa.eu announced the digitalisation
of the visa procedure including creating a new visa application platform.
As
stated above, new Schengen visa sticker will be issued in digital format with
2D barcode, cryptographically signed to reduce security risks related to
counterfeit and stolen fake Schengen visa stickers.
News Source: https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en
Type D Schengen Visa:
Type
D Schengen visa also known as National long stay visa allows person to study,
live and work for more than 90 days. It can be issued for multiple entries up
to 1 year, 3 years and 5 years validity.
1 Year Multiple Entry Visa:
If
you have used 3 Schengen visas in past 2 years, you can apply for type D visa. You
can enter any of Schengen area for 90 days over each 180 days period.
3 Year Multiple Entry Visa:
If
you have used 1 year multiple entry visa for past 2 years, you can apply for
this 3 year visa but you need to show proof of your previous trips in documents
form.
5 Year Multiple Entry Visa:
You can get 5 year Schengen visa, if you have lawfully used 3 years multiple entry visa for past 3 years. The 90/180 rules apply on all multiple entry visas.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What are the Non-Schengen
and Non-European countries to enter on Schengen Visa?
The
good news is that there are 17 non Schengen countries now allowing foreign
citizens to enter and visit their countries by just showing the Schengen visa. The
list of non-Schengen and non-European countries is:
1.
Albania
2.
Antigua and Barbuda
3.
Belarus
4.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
5.
Bulgaria
6.
Colombia
7.
Northern Cyprus
8.
Georgia
9.
Gibraltar
10.
Kosovo
11.
Montenegro
12.
Mexico
13.
North Macedonia
14.
Romania
15.
Serbia
16.
Sao Tome and Principe
17.
Turkey
What are the Non-Schengen
European Countries to enter on Schengen Visa?
Bulgaria,
Romania and Cyprus are European countries but are still not in Schengen zone
however, people having valid Schengen visas can visit these 3 countries.
A brief guide on Schengen visa including list of Schengen countries with Schengen visa requirements is completed. Wishing our readers a happy Schengen journey in advance. For FAQs and latest information on Schengen area, you can visit European Union official website or leave comments for instant replies.