If you are traveling primarily to conduct business, you should apply for a Schengen business visa.

What is a Schengen Business Visa?

  • Schengen Business Visa is a kind of short stay (Type C) visa allowing you access to the Schengen area for up to 90 days within a 180-day period for business purposes.

Required Documents for Schengen Business Visa

  • In addition to the Basic Schengen Visa Application Requirements, to apply for a Schengen Business Visa, you will need to supply documents conveying information about the business you intend to conduct in the Schengen area, as well as information relating to the business connection between the relevant business entities in your resident country and your intended destination country (the country you are traveling to do business in), including the following:
    1. Copy of the valid trade license of the company in your resident country.
    2. Invitation letter from the company/authority in your destination country, including their complete address, also presenting the nature and length of the travel period, and/or:
    3. Information on the event/trade fair/congress you will be joining in your destination country, including detailed information regarding the host/event organizer, including their complete address, event length, and justification for your participation.
    4. If fair observer: relevant information on trade fair you will be attending, in the form of tickets/confirmation letter/invoice indicating valid status as trade fair exhibitor.
    5. Materials expressing the state of trade relations between your country of residence and the country in which you will be conducting business.

Eligibility: Who Can Apply

  • Nationals of a third country excluded from visa-free access or visas on arrival to the Schengen area who have a legitimate, valid, and documented reason for entering a Schengen state to conduct business are eligible to apply for a Schengen Business Visa.

How to Apply for Business Schengen Visa

  1. To apply for a Business Schengen Visa, determine the Schengen country where you will be spending the most time on your trip. You will apply for the Business Schengen Visa through that country’s consulate.
  2. Select “Business” as the purpose of the journey.
  3. Determine how many “Entries” to the Schengen area you need.
  4. Gather your Basic Required Documents and the documents required for a Business Visa.
  5. Fill out your Schengen Visa Application Form. Different Schengen countries provide different ways of accessing applications; you might have to use an online application portal or fill out a print application by hand.
  6. Pay the application fee (standard fee for adults is 80 Euros). You will likely have to submit a service payment with your visa application. This is a separate cost from the visa fee, which you will likely pay in person, at your subsequent interview appointment at a Visa Application Center. Please note that these fees are non-refundable.
  7. Submit your application.
  8. Schedule an interview appointment. Interviews are conducted in person either at the embassy or the consulate of the country you are applying to, or at a Visa Application Center associated with the consulate of the country you are applying to.

When to Apply for Schengen Business Visa 

  • You should apply for a Business Schengen Visa at least 15 days prior to the day you intend to travel, and no earlier than 6 months before you leave.

Where to Apply 

  • You should apply for the Schengen Visa through the embassy or the consulate of the country you are travelling to in the Schengen area, or through a Visa Application Center associated with the consulate of the country.
  • Suppose you are traveling to multiple countries in the Schengen area. In that case, you should apply through the embassy, the consulate or the associated Visa Application Center for the country in which you will spend the most time. And in case you plan to spend an equal period of time in those multiple countries, then you need to apply at the embassy, the consulate or the associated Visa Application Center of the country where you will arrive first.

Processing Time for Business Schengen Visa

  • The processing time for a Schengen Business Visa is generally about two weeks (15 days). In rare cases, consulates can take anywhere from 30-60 days to render a decision on an application.