FAQs

If you are planning on travelling to the Schengen area, and you are from one of the 103 countries on this list, you will need a Schengen visa in order to enter the Schengen area.

Third party nationals from the following entities/territories are also required to apply for a Schengen visa: KOSOVO and the PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY.

The Schengen area refers collectively to the 27 European countries united by a landmark multilateral agreement allowing free travel within and across its member states. The countries within the Schengen area have removed border control for travelers crossing between their borders. All the Schengen countries are located in mainland Europe, with the exception of Iceland and Malta.

The following countries are Schengen Agreement Member States collectively comprising the Schengen Area (listed alphabetically):

1.      Austria	15.   Liechtenstein
2.      Belgium	16.   Lithuania
3.      Croatia	17.   Luxembourg
4.      Czech Republic	18.   Malta
5.      Denmark	19.   Netherlands
6.      Estonia	20.   Norway
7.      Finland	21.   Poland
8.      France	22.   Portugal
9.      Germany	23.   Slovakia
10.   Greece	24.   Slovenia
11.   Hungary	25.   Spain
12.   Iceland	26.   Sweden
13.   Italy	27.   Switzerland
14.   Latvia

Schengen visas are valid for up to 90 days within a 180-day period. This means that you can stay in the Schengen area for a total of 90 days with a Schengen visa. However, validity is different from duration of stay. Schengen visas are generally valid for a period longer than duration of stay (i.e. 90; the number of days you are legally allowed to stay in the Schengen area). For example, say you receive a visa that is valid from January 1st 2021 until December 31st, 2021. This means that your Schengen visa is valid for entry to the Schengen area any time throughout that almost 1-year period. However, once you enter the Schengen area, your stay is limited to 90 days.

By lodging an application at the consulate/embassy of the Schengen country you will be spending the most time in. Once you have located the consulate/embassy nearest to you, you can fill out an application for a Schengen visa, which consist of various documents and forms, pay the visa fee, and (if applicable) make an appointment to submit your visa and provide your fingerprints.

The standard cost for an adult Schengen visa is 80 EUR.

Click here for a full explanation: Schengen Visa Fees.

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

Applications for Schengen visas can be submitted via at the consulate/embassy of the Schengen state where you will be spending the most time during your stay. Most countries require you to apply at the country consulate located where you reside/have residency. For example, if you are an Egyptian residing in Cairo, you should apply at the Cairo consulate of the Schengen country you seek to enter. Alternatively, if you are an Egyptian residing informally in another country, you may have to travel back to Egypt or to your country of legal residence in order to apply for a Schengen visa.

You should apply via the Schengen country where you intend to spend the most time on your trip. If you are spending an equal amount of time in two different countries, you should apply through the country you plan on visiting first.

The number of times you can enter the Schengen area depends on the number of entries specified on your Schengen visa. Single-entry Schengen visas allow just one entry to the Schengen area; double entries allow two entries; and multiple entry allow a limitless amount.

The general processing time for a Schengen visa ranges from 15-30 days. Some people receive a visa in under two weeks; in rare cases, the consulate can take up to 60 days.

To apply for a Schengen visa, you must have a valid passport/travel document, as well as legal residency/citizenship in the country where the consulate you are applying through is located.

• Different types of applicants must supply different kinds of documents. For a complete list of what to submit, click here.
  
• Most applicants must submit the following Basic Required Documents in addition to a completed and signed Schengen visa application:
  1. Valid passport.
     
  2. Photos (2 copies, passport sized).
     
  3. Fingerprints (biometric information).
     
  4. Proof of travel medical insurance.
     
  5. Flight reservation out of the Schengen area.
     
  6. Proof of subsidence (bank statement, pay slip; proof you can financially afford your trip).
     
  7. Proof of accommodation (hotel reservation; proof you have a place to stay).
     
  8. Invitation letter (if applicable).

• Yes. When you apply for a Schengen visa, you must indicate your reason for travelling, aka your purpose. The purpose you select will determine the supplemental documents you need to submit. You can choose from among the following 10 purposes:
  1. Airport transit
     
  2. Business
     
  3. Cultural
     
  4. Medical
     
  5. Official Visit
     
  6. Sports
     
  7. Study
     
  8. Tourism
     
  9. Visiting Family/Friends
     
  10. Other

If your purpose for travelling is not listed, you can select “Other” as your reason for travel. You can provide more information about your reasons for traveling in your visa application.

Depending on where you are applying from, you may be able to apply for a Schengen visa online. The general Schengen application form is available online, and some countries allow you submit an application online, through country-specific online visa portals. However, even if you apply on-line, you will almost certainly have to print out a paper copy of your online application and submit the application in person, at the consulate/embassy where you are applying.

Most consulates/embassies require you to submit your Schengen visa applications in person.

Depending on the location of the consulate/visa center you are applying through, you may have to schedule an appointment in order to submit your application. Alternatively, you may be able to drop off your application without prior arrangement, so long as you do so during normal operating hours. Contact your consulate/visa center directly to find out if you need to schedule an appointment in order to submit your application, and if you must do so in person.

• Schengen Visa Application Form is a must requirement that needs to be fully filled and signed by each applicant irrespective of the age. Each Schengen country will have their own application form even though they are all requesting the same information from the applicants. Some of them will request you to register on their online system in order to fulfill your application form while most of them will require to download it only.
• Click here to access the Schengen Visa Application Form per the country that you want to apply for.

A Uniform Visa (USV) allows you access to the entire Schengen area; to all 27 Member States. A uniform visa is therefore in contrast to a Limited Territorial Visa (LTV), which limits access to a specific Member State(s). USVs and LTVs are therefore the two categories of Schengen visas available, each describing your territorial access to the Schengen area. The category of Schengen visa you select will determine your degree of access to the Schengen area, i.e. whether you can travel to all, some, or one, of the 27 Schengen Member States.

• There are 2 types of Schengen visas, each describing the length of your stay in the Schengen zone. Both are valid exclusively for Uniform Visas (USVs):
  1. Type A (Airport Transit): Valid exclusively for transiting through airports in the Schengen area-not valid for access to any area outside of the airport.
     
  2. Type C (Short Stay): A period of up to 90 days within a 180-day period.
     

Whereas, Type D (Long Stay), a non-Schengen type of visa that can nevertheless provide access to Schengen countries. Type D is valid for National Visas only and can be valid for longer than 90 days.

A Schengen visa sticker is what you will receive if you are approved for a Schengen visa. Essentially your Schengen visa, its pasted onto one of the free pages of your passport, providing you access to enter the Schengen area.

You may have noticed a requirement for you to submit biometric information when you submit your Schengen visa. Biometric information is another way of saying fingerprints, which you must supply in order to apply for a Schengen visas. You will likely be asked to submit your fingerprints when you submit your visa application. All applicants must submit fingerprints, with the exception of children under 12 and those who already submitted fingerprints within the last 59 months.

Maybe. Nationals from certain countries who are changing planes in an airport within the Schengen zone may need to obtain a Schengen visa. If you are from one of these countries and you are changing planes in an airport located in the Schengen area and you exit the international transit area in order to change terminals, you will technically be entering the Schengen zone, and will need to obtain a Schengen Transit Visa (A) in order to transfer between international airports within the Schengen area.

If your application for a Schengen visa is rejected you have the right to an appeal. The appeal process is different for every country, but generally involves submitting a letter to the consulate/embassy where you originally applied within 3 weeks of receiving a negative decision.

No. If you apply for a visa and are rejected you do not get your money back.

No. A national visa allows you to travel only to the country that issued it-not to the entire Schengen area.

If you have a Uniform Schengen Visa from German, you can enter the Schengen area through France or any other Member State. An exception to this general rule would be if you have a Limited Territorial Visa for France, rather than a Uniform Visa. This would limit you to France and not allow you access to Germany or another Schengen state.

Yes. Family members of E.U. citizens who are not themselves citizens of a Schengen state must apply for a Schengen visa. However, family members of E.U. citizens may not require an Airport Transit Visa if they are travelling through an airport located in a Schengen state.

You need a minimum of 2 blank pages in your passport in order to have room for a Schengen visa.

Children under 6 years old do not need to pay a fee to get a Schengen visa. Children between 6-12 years old pay a reduced fee of 40 EUR (half of what an adult pays).

The travel document you submit with your application (either a passport or an official/valid equivalent) will contain your photo. In addition, you must also submit two passport sized photos. For photo requirements, click here.

Yes. All applicants, even children, must obtain travel medical insurance and submit proof of coverage with their application in order to apply for a Schengen visa. This insurance is meant to provide you with coverage in the event that you experience a medical event requiring hospitalization while you are in the Schengen area on a Schengen visa. Note, you do not need insurance if you have an Airport Transport Visa (i.e. not a Uniform Visa type - C).

It does not have to be a flight reservation, but you will need to establish your intent to leave the Schengen area within your visa validity period. Flight reservations are one of the most common ways of establishing “proof of return”, although any valid transportation method that shows you leaving the Schengen area will do.

Applicants seeking to show “proof of subsistence” (i.e. that you can pay for your trip) can submit bank statements, payslips, or other personal financial records with their application.

Yes. All people from the following countries need a Schengen visa to travel to the Schengen area, regardless of their age.