Applicants for Schengen visas are required to submit multiple supplemental documents and materials (for a complete list of required documents, click here). In general, the specific documents that you submit will depend on the type of Schengen visa you are applying for and what country you are applying to. However, no matter how you apply or where you apply to, you will have to fill out a Schengen visa application form.
What is the Schengen visa application form?
The Schengen visa application form is a document you must fill out and submit as part of your Schengen visa application. The form is described as “harmonized”, meaning it is the same format for every country and for every applicant. The form is comprised of 32 questions, and its purpose is to collect your biographical information, including your name, address, and date of birth, as well as basic information about your intended trip, such as where you are staying, how you plan on supporting yourself, and the type of visa you are requesting. Not all the questions will apply to you; some you may not need to fill out.
Where to access the form
How you access your Schengen visa application is determined by where you are applying from. Some consulates will allow you to apply and submit an application online, through an e-portal. Others will simply provide you a link to the harmonized form, which you can download and print out.
Filling out the form
Each of the 32 Schengen visa application form questions are explained below:
1. Surname (Family name):
Begin by writing down your surname. This is also known as your family name, or last name. This is your current surname (i.e. your legal name) and should match the name that is on your passport.
2. Surname at birth (Former family name(s)):
If you were born with a different family name than your current surname, enter it here. For example, if your last name changed when you got married, enter the name you had before you got married (i.e. the name you were born with).
3. First name(s) (Given name(s)):
Enter your first name. Again, this should be your complete first name, and should match the name on your travel document (passport). If you normally go by a shortened version of your first name (i.e. a nickname), make sure to enter your full legal first name, not your nickname.
4. Date of birth (day-month-year):
Enter the day you were born in order of Day, month, year. For example, if you were born on October 2nd, 1969, you would enter: 02/10/1969.
5. Place of birth:
Enter the city where you were born.
6. Country of birth:
Enter the country where you were born.
7. Current nationality:
Nationality at birth, if different:
Other nationalities:
Enter your current nationality. If the nationality you have now is different from the nationality you were born with, you must enter your original nationality as well. If you hold multiple nationalities, you must enter those as well.
8. Sex:
Check either the “male” or “female” box to indicate your sex.
9. Civil status:
Check one of the following boxes to indicate your current civil status; i.e. whether or not you are married (or were married previously) or are in some other legal relationship. The box options are: single, married, registered partnership, separated, divorced, widow(er). If none of the above boxes apply to you, select: other (please specify).
10. Parental authority (in case of minors) /legal guardian (surname, first name, address, if different from applicant’s, telephone no., e-mail address, and nationality):
You only need to fill this out if you are applying as a minor (i.e. if you are under 18). If you are a minor, you will need to supply the above biographical and contact information for your parent/legal guardian.
11. National identity number (where applicable):
You only need to fill this out if you come from a country that supplies its citizens with a national identity number. If you don’t come from one of those countries, leave this blank, or write n/a (not applicable).
12. Type of travel document:
Check one of the following boxes to describe your type of passport. The options are Ordinary passport, Service passport, Official passport, and Special passport. If you are not a diplomat or other official, you likely have an ordinary passport. If none of the above boxes accurately describe your passport, or if you have some sort of non-passport travel document, select “other travel document,” (please specify), and then describe it in the space provided.
13. Number of travel document:
Almost all passports/travel documents have a number. If you have a passport, your passport number will be located on the inside pages, usually on the same page as your photo.
14. Date of issue:
This is when your passport (or travel document) was issued. If you have a passport, your date of issue will be located on the inside pages, usually on the same page as your photo.
15. Valid until:
This is when your passport is valid until. If you have a passport, its “valid until” date will be located on the inside pages, usually on the same page as your photo.
16. Issued by (country):
Enter the country that issued your passport. This information can also be found on your passport, sometimes under the title “authority” rather than “issuer”.
17. Personal data of the family member who is an EU, EEA or CH citizen if applicable
You only need to fill this out if you have a family member who is a citizen of the European Union, the European Economic Area, or Switzerland. If you are, you should provide their first and last name, date of birth, nationality, and travel number/ID card.
18. Family relationship with an EU, EEA or CH citizen if applicable:
Check one of the following boxes to describe the nature of your relationship with your family member who is a citizen of one of the above places. If none of the above boxes accurately describe your relationship to this person, select “other” (please specify).
19. Applicant’s home and email address and telephone number:
Enter the address where you are currently living, even if the address is temporary. Provide a working email address and telephone number; make sure you enter these numbers correctly so that you can be reached in the event you need to provide more information.
20. Residence in a country other than the country of current nationality:
If you have residence in a country that is different from the country you are a national of, select the box “yes”. If it is a resident permit or equivalent, fill in the country in the provided space. If it is not, you must still fill in the country it’s for in the provided space; for both options you must put the also put the date it’s valid until.
21. Current occupation:
- If you are working, enter your current profession.
- If you are not working because you are in school, put “student”.
- If you are a family member of an EU, EEA or CH citizen, you don’t have to fill this question out.
22. Employer and employer’s address and telephone number. For students, name and address of educational establishment:
- If you are working, give your employer’s contact information. Whoever is looking over your application may contact the person whose number you provided in order to verify the information you provided, so make sure you provide their correct contact information.
- If you are not working because you are a student, fill in the name and address of your school.
- If you are a family member of an EU, EEA or CH citizen, you don’t have to fill this question out.
23. Purpose of the journey:
Select the boxes which best describes your reason for travelling. Your options are: Tourism, Business, Visiting family or friends, Cultural, Sports, Official visit, Medical reasons, Study, Airport transit. If none of the above boxes accurately describe why you are travelling, select: “Other” and write down your reason. You should select the box which best describes your primary reason for travel. For example, if you are travelling primarily to undergo a medical procedure, but you are also seeing friends and family, you should select “Medical reasons”. However, if you are travelling for two equally important reasons, such as for cultural and sports purposes (say, for example, you are going to participate in a soccer tournament and then a cultural event) you should select both “Cultural” and “Sports”.
24. Additional information on purpose of stay:
If there is more information about your reason for travelling that you think is relevant, you can enter it here in the space provided.
25. Member state of main destination (and other Member States of destination, if applicable):
Here is where you will enter the country that is your primary destination in the Schengen area. This is the place you will be spending the most time on your trip, and it may be different from your Member State of first entry. In most cases, this will also be the state whose consulate/embassy you are applying through, as most applicants for Schengen visas are instructed to submit their application through the consulate/embassy of the country where they will be spending the most time on their trip. For example, if you are travelling mainly to visit friends in Germany, but you are entering the Schengen Area through France, you will enter “Germany” as your main destination.
26. Member of state of first entry:
This is where you are entering the Schengen area for the first time on your visa period. For example, if you receive a Schengen visa and you fly from Egypt to France, and this is the first time you enter the Schengen area on that visa, your state of first entry will be France. As noted above, sometimes the Member State of first entry is different from the Member State of main destination. For example, even if you are only planning on transiting through a French airport on your way to spend 80 days in Germany, you must still put France as your Member State of first entry.
27. Number of entries requested:
- This is where you will enter the number of times you wish to enter and exit the Schengen area on your Schengen visa during your visa validity period.
- A single-entry Schengen visa means you are allowed just one entry into the Schengen area. Should you leave the Schengen area for whatever reason, your visa will have been utilized, and therefore rendered invalid.
- Unlike the single entry, the Double Entry Schengen Visa allows you to leave the Schengen area and re-enter it. It is therefore valid for two entries into the Schengen area.
- A multiple entry Schengen visa allows you to enter, leave, and renter the Schengen area as many times as you want.
Intended date of arrival of the first intended stay in the Schengen area:
Intended date of departure from the Schengen area after the first intended stay:
This is the (intended) date of the first time you enter the Schengen area and the date of the first time you leave the Schengen area post entry. Regardless of whether or not you intend to return to the Schengen area after you exit (i.e. whether you have a single entry visa or a double/multiple entry visa) you will still need to put down the date you intend to leave it for the first time. Therefore, if you plan to enter the Schengen area March 1st 2021, and you intend to leave it on April 2nd 2021 to go to a non-Schengen country (even if it’s just for a day, and you plan to return to the Schengen area right after) you must put your intended date of entry as March 1st, and your date of departure from the Schengen area as April 2nd.
28. Fingerprints collected previously for the purpose of applying for a Schengen visa:
Fingerprints are known as “biometric information”, and their collection is a standard part of the Schengen visa application process for any applicant over 12 years old. Check the box for either “Yes” or “No” depending on whether or not you have submitted fingerprints before when applying for a previous Schengen visa. If you have previously submitted fingerprints for a Schengen visa, check “Yes”, and put the date you submitted them (if you can recall it) as well as the sticker number of the visa you received (if you indeed received one) when you submitted your fingerprints. If you have previously submitted fingerprints for a Schengen visa application (within the last 10 years), you likely will not need to resubmit them because they are already in the Schengen system. Please note, if you have previously applied and submitted fingerprints in pursuit of a national visa for a Schengen state (but not a Schengen visa) you will still need to submit fingerprints.
29. Entry permit for the final country of destination, where applicable:
You will need to provide proof that when you leave the Schengen area you will be approved for entry in the non-Schengen country you are entering. This stipulation is particularly relevant if you are leaving a Schengen state to enter a non-Schengen country where you do not have citizenship or residency in. If this is the case, you may have to provide an entry permit to that country you intend to enter.
Issued by/valid until:
If you do have an entry permit, you must write down which country issued it and the date it’s valid until.
30. Surname and first name of the inviting person(s) in the Member State(s). If not applicable, name of hotel(s) or temporary accommodation(s) in the Member State(s):
- If you are being invited to the Schengen area by someone who lives there, you must supply his or her name, address, and contact information. Alternatively, if you intend to stay in a hotel, you must provide that hotel’s name, address and contact information. To summarize; you must provide the name and contact information of whoever you are staying with (or wherever you are staying) in the Schengen area. If you are planning on staying with several people in several states, try to put all of their names and addresses/contact info down. Otherwise, write down the name of the person/place where you will be staying the longest throughout your stay.
- If you are a family member of an EU, EEA or CH citizen, you don’t have to fill this question out.
31. Name and address of inviting company/organisation (Surname, first name, address, telephone no. and e-mail address of contact person in company/organisation):
- If you were invited to a Schengen state by a company or organisation (as is often the case for those applying for a Schengen visa for Business purposes) you will have to provide the name of the company, address, and complete contact information.
- If you are a family member of an EU, EEA or CH citizen, you don’t have to fill this question out.
32. Cost of living during the applicant’s stay is covered:
- This question is meant to determine how you are going to financially support yourself during your trip in the Schengen area.
- If you will be paying for your trip yourself, you should select the box “by the applicant himself/herself, and then select one or multiple of the 5 means of support (such as cash and credit card). If none of the 5 boxes accurately describe how you will pay for your trip, select the box “other” and specify how you intend to cover your costs in the space provided.
- If someone is helping you pay for your trip, you should select the box “by a sponsor (host, company, organization)”.If the person who paying for your stay is the person who invited you on the trip (i.e. the person you listed as your host in box 31), or if the company/organization who is paying for your stay is the same organization/company who invited you on the trip, please specify this in the space provided, and select the box: “referred to in field 30 or 31”. Then select your mean(s) of support (cash, credit, etc).
When you have reached the end of the application, you will be asked to sign the form (or if you are a minor, your parent/guardian will sign it) and also provide where and when you are signing it (i.e. the country you are in and the time). If you sign the form, you are signaling you have read and consent to the information outlined in several paragraphs, which attests to, among other things, your knowledge of the fact that you won’t get your money back if your visa is rejected, your consent to the collection of your fingerprints and other personal data/information, your assertion that the information you provided is correct, and that you will not exceed your allowed time in the Schengen area under the terms of your visa. If you read and consent to all the terms and conditions of the application, you should sign and submit it, along with the rest of your application!
Guidance on Required Docs