- About the Schengen agreement
- Sorts of Schengen Visa
- Who needs a visa?
- Who is exempted from the Schengen visa requirement?
- Who needs an Airport Transit Visa (ATV)?
- Where to obtain a Schengen Visa?
- How to obtain a Schengen visa?
- How much does a Schengen visa cost?
- Can a visa be extended?
- The Schengen Information System (SIS)
In June 1985, 15 European countries agreed in Schengen (Luxembourg) to end the internal border controls of persons, when the necessary controls have been completed upon first entering one of the 15 participating countries. The advantage of such “Area of free movement of persons” is that travellers only need one visa for the whole “Schengen Area”. The 15 participating countries of the Schengen Area are:
(click on the country name to access information on embassies/consulates):
- Austria
- Belgium
- Denmark
- Finland
- France (only the European territories)
- Germany
- Greece
- Iceland
- Italy
- Luxembourg
- Netherlands (only the European territories)
- Norway
- Portugal
- Spain
- Sweden
Note that not all 15 countries are EU-countries (Iceland and Norway) and not all EU-countries are participating (UK, Ireland and the new member states).
However, following new EU-member states considered this Schengen visa, as well as the residence permits in another Member State, as equivalent to their national visa for the purpose of a transit which does not exceed five days:
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Hungary
- Latvia
- Malta
- Poland
- Slovenia
- Slovakia
Monaco allows entry on its territory without any formality to Schengen visa holders.
San Marino nor Vatican City have signed agreements with the EU about free movement of persons, and non of both are part of the Schengen area. But, thanks to bilateral agreements with Italy, as a member of the Schengen area, no controls will take place at the borders.
For Andorra, controls still take place at the borders with the Shengen area.
Taiwan nationals, holding a valid visa for all Schengen States, may also enter Switzerland and Liechtenstein free for a stay which does not exceed 90 days.
On the 21st of December 2007, following counties joined the Schengen agreement:
- Czech Republic
- Estonia
- Hungary
- Latvia
- Litouania
- Malta
- Poland
- Slovenia
- Slovakia (path: Zastupitelske urady - Slovenske zastupitelstva - Vsetky urady)
Since 29th of March 2007, also Switzerland joined the Schengen Zone
Sorts of Schengen VisaThe short-stay visa (most common Schengen Visa) allows entering the territories of the 15 Schengen States for a continuous visit or several visits. The duration may not exceed 90 days in any half-year from the date of first entry in the Schengen area. The short-stay visa is issued for one or several entries.
The single-entry visa allows one uninterrupted stay whose duration does not exceed the number of days indicated on the visa, with a maximum of 90 days.
The multiple-entry visa allows several stays on the territory of one or several Schengen States, with a maximum duration not exceeding 90 days in any half-year from the date of first entry.
The travel visa is a multiple entry visa valid for one year, and in some cases, for more than a year, with a maximum of five years, for travellers providing sufficient guarantees.
The transit visa allows travellers going from one non-Schengen State to another non-Schengen State to pass through the territories of the Schengen States. This visa may be issued for one, two or exceptionally several transits, with a duration of each transit not exceeding five days.
The airport transit visa is required from certain travellers going through the international transit area of airports, without actually entering the national territory of the country, during a stop-over or transfer between two stages of an international flight. Top
Unless you are a resident of one of the Schengen countries, citizens of countries listed below need a valid Schengen visa, to visit or transit any country in the Schengen area.
Specific rules may apply. Please contact the embassies or diplomatic missions for additional information.
| AFGHANISTAN ALBANIA ALGERIA ANGOLA ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA ARMENIA AZERBAIJAN BAHAMAS BAHRAIN BANGLADESH BARBADOS BELARUS BELIZE BENIN BHUTAN BOSNIA - HERZEGOVINA BOTSWANA BURKINA FASO BURMA BURUNDI CAMBODIA CAMEROON CAPE VERDE CENTRAL AFRICAN REP. CHAD CHINA COLOMBIA COMOROS CONGO COTE D'IVOIRE CUBA DEM. REP. OF CONGO DJIBOUTI DOMINICA DOMINICAN REPUBLIC |
EAST TIMOR ECUADOR EGYPT EQUATORIAL GUINEA ERITREA ETHIOPIA FIJI GABON GAMBIA GEORGIA GHANA GRENADA GUINEA GUINEA-BISSAU GUYANA HAITI INDIA INDONESIA IRAN IRAQ JAMAICA JORDAN KAZAKHSTAN KENYA KIRIBATI KUWAIT KYRGYZSTAN LAOS LEBANON LESOTHO LIBERIA LIBYA MACEDONIA (FRY) MADAGASCAR MALAWI |
MALDIVES MALI MARSHALL ISLANDS MAURITANIA MAURITIUS MICRONESIA MOLDOVA MONGOLIA MONTENEGRO MOROCCO MOZAMBIQUE MYANMAR NAMIBIA NAURU NEPAL NIGER NIGERIA NORTH KOREA NORTHERN MARIANA'S ISLS OMAN PAKISTAN PALAU PAPUA NEW GUINEA PERU PHILIPPINES QATAR RUSSIA RWANDA SAMOA SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE SAUDI ARABIA SENEGAL SERBIA SEYCHELLES SIERRA LEONE |
SOLOMON ISLANDS SOMALIA SOUTH AFRICA SRI LANKA ST KITTS AND NEVIS ST LUCIA ST VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES SUDAN SURINAME SWAZILAND SYRIA TAIWAN TAJIKISTAN TANZANIA THAILAND TOGO TONGA TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO TUNISIA TURKEY TURKMENISTAN TUVALU UGANDA UKRAINE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES UZBEKISTAN VANUATU VIETNAM YEMEN ZAMBIA ZIMBABWE |
Who is exempted from the Schengen visa requirement?
Are exempted from the visa requirement to enter or to transit in the Schengen area:
- the EEA nationals
- the holders of a residence permit allowing:
- Entry without visa: holders of a residence permit in one the Schengen States do not need a visa.
- Transit without visa: as from 10 July 2006, holders of certain residence permits issued by Switzerland or Liechtenstein do not require a visa to transit through the territory of the Schengen State(s) for a maximum of 5 days. The validity of the residence permits in question must cover the duration of the transit.
- the nationals of the following countries:
| ANDORRA ARGENTINA AUSTRALIA BOLIVIA BRAZIL BRUNEI DARUSSALAM CANADA CHILE |
CHINA (HONG-KONG) (1) CHINA (MACAO) (2) COSTA RICA CROATIA EL SALVADOR GUATEMALA HOLY SEE (VATICAN) HONDURAS |
ISRAEL JAPAN MALAYSIA MEXICO MONACO NEW ZEALAND NICARAGUA PANAMA |
PARAGUAY SAN MARINO SINGAPORE SOUTH KOREA SWITZERLAND UNITED STATES URUGUAY VENEZUELA |
(1) Hong Kong: the visa exemption only applies to holders of a "Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Passport".
(2) Macao: the visa exemption only applies to holders of a “Macao Special Administrative Region Passport” ("Região Administrativa Especial de Macau passport".
Who needs an Airport Transit Visa (ATV)?
1. Travellers subject to the ATV requirement by ALL States
| AFGHANISTAN BANGLADESH CONGO (DRC) ERITREA (1) |
ETHIOPIA |
NIGERIA |
Nationals of these countries are NOT subject to the Airport Transit Visa (ATV) requirement if:
- they hold a residence permit of Ireland, the United Kingdom or Liechtenstein
- or they hold a residence permit of Andorra, Japan, Canada, Monaco, San Marino, Switzerland or USA
- and guaranteeing an unqualified right of return.
The flight crews, who are nationals of a country party to the Chicago Convention, are also exempted from the ATV.
For Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, and Spain: holders of diplomatic or service passports are exempted from the ATV.
(1) For Italy: are only subject to the ATV: the nationals who are not in possession of a valid visa or residence permit for
- a Member State of the EU
- or a State party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area of 2 May 1992
- Canada, Switzerland or the United States of America.
(2) For Germany: holders of diplomatic or service passports are exempted from the ATV.
2. Travellers subject to the airport transit visa requirement by SOME States
Some travellers will be subject to the ATV requirements by some Schengen States. Please contact the embassies or diplomatic missions for additional information. Top
Where to obtain a Schengen Visa?
Processing the visa application belongs to the embassy/consulate of the Schengen country in whose territory the main destination of the visit is situated. This main destination will be determined, focusing on the supporting documents submitted by the applicant, by the number of days, the route and the purpose of the visit).
If the country of main destination cannot be determined, the embassy/consulate of the Schengen country of first entry will be responsible for application.
If the State responsible for application has no diplomatic mission or consular post in a certain country, the visa may be issued by representation by a third mission or post representing the interests of the responsible State. Top
To obtain a Schengen visa, you need to produce a number of documents to the embassy/consulate of the Schengen country you planned to visit. If planning several Schengen countries, the visa will be issued by the country where you enter the Schengen area first.
The Schengen Convention has implemented uniform rules of entry in all the Member States. In order to be granted entry in the Schengen area, following rules are applied:
- Produce one or more duly completed application form(s). You can download such form here.
- Produce a valid passport. The validity should exceed that of the visa by at least three months.
- Produce documents justifying the purpose of your visit
- Business Trip: invitation from business partner
- Training: proof of enrolment
- Tourism: proof of organised tourist trip
- Private visit: invitation from host
- Other: entry tickets, ...
- Produce documents justifying and the travel conditions
- Transport: airline ticket, train ticket, car rental
- Board and lodging: hotel reservation, lease
- Produce proof of sufficient means of existence for the duration of your stay, transit and return:
- Cash
- Travellers’ cheques
- Credit cards
- Produce proof of insurance cover of minimum € 30,000 to face expenses in connection with repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical attention or emergency hospital treatment.
- In some cases, additional information may be requested. Some Visa applicants may have to provide a proof of social ties with their country, a proof of their professional status or a parental authorisation for minors travelling without their both parents.
- Non EEA-nationals should not be a person for whom an alert (Schengen Information System) hasn’t been issued for the purposes of refusing entry.
A Schengen visa is granted in the form of a sticker affixed on a passport, travel document or another valid document. It entitles its holder to enter the territories of the whole Schengen area (15 countries) for an uninterrupted visit (single-entry visa) or several visits (multiple-entry visa). The duration is indicated on the sticker with a maximum of 90 days per half-year.
Possession of a Schengen sticker does not confer automatic right of entry. Entry will only be granted if the other conditions are met (the justification of the purpose and conditions of the trip, the means of existence, and the proof of a medical insurance). Top
Proof of sufficient means of existence
Visa applicants must produce proof of sufficient funds for their stay, transit and return. It is assessed by the Consulates according to the duration and the purpose of the intended stay, by reference to average prices for board and lodging per day in the concerned country (of main destination and/or first entry).
The proof of funds may be based on cash, travellers' cheques, credit cards or any other means, including declarations of sponsorship or letters of guarantee from hosts, where they are provided for by national law.
Daily reference amounts by country
Austria
Proof of funds assessed on a case-by-case basis
Belgium
€ 38 per day for travellers staying with a private host
€ 50 per day for travellers staying in a hotel
Applicants may present a letter of host guarantee (Formal obligation/ Engagement de prise en charge / Verklaring van tenlasteneming / Verplichttungserklärung)
Denmark
DKK 350 per day
Estonia
€ 56 per day
Finland
€ 30 per day
France:
€ 50,40 per day: equivalent to the legal minimum daily wage
€ 25,20 per day: equivalent to half the legal minimum daily wage for applicants holding an host attestation (“attestation d'accueil”).
Germany
€ 45 per day
Greece
€ 20 per day with a minimum of € 100
Amount reduced by 50 % for minor children travelling with their family
Iceland
ISK 4.000 per day, with a minimum of ISK 20.000
Italy
| < 5 days: | € 269,60 (1 applicant) | € 212,80 (2 or more applicants) |
| 6 to 10 days: | € 44,93/day (1 applicant) | € 26,33/day (2 or more applicants) |
| 10 to 20 days: | € 51,64 + € 36,67/day (1 applicant) | € 25,82 + € 22,21/day (2 or more applicants) |
| > 20 days: | € 206,58 + € 118,79/day (1 applicant) | € 27,89 + € 17,04/day (2 or more applicants) |
Luxembourg
Proof of funds assessed on a case-by-case basis
Poland
100 zloty per day
Portugal
€ 40 per day spent in Portugal, with a minimum of € 75 per entry
Netherlands
€ 34 per day
Norway
NOK 500 per day
Applicants may present a host guarantee (garantiskjema)
Slovenia
€ 70 per day
Spain
€ 30 per day, with a minimum of € 300/person
Sweden
SEK 370 per day Top
Proof of medical insurance cover
To obtain a Schengen visa you must produce proof of adequate insurance covering costs for emergency treatment, hospitalisation, urgent ambulance transportation and medical evacuation back to the home country. The insurance amount must be at least 30,000 Euro at the moment of delivery of your visa.
Extract from the Directive of the European Council of 22 December 2003:
“... applicants must show that they are in possession of adequate and valid individual or group travel insurance to cover any expenses which might arise in connection with repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical attention and/or emergency hospital treatment.
The insurance must be valid throughout the territory of the Member States applying in full the provisions of the Schengen acquis and cover the entire period of the person's stay. ...”
Click here to buy online such your legal insurance and save 5%. Top
How much does a Schengen visa cost?
A Schengen visa costs 60 € per Schengen visa application. The visa fee is charged in Euros, in USD or in the national currency of the country where the visa application is made. This legal fee is not refundable in the event of visa refusal.
Schengen visas are issued free of charge to:
- the spouse and the children under 21 years of age of an EEA national;
- children under 6 years
- pupils/students and accompanying teachers travelling for the purpose of study or educational training;
- researchers travelling for the purpose of scientific research.
Can a visa be extended?
A visa may be extended if duly substantiated by force majeure, humanitarian grounds or serious occupational or personal reasons. A visa extension may not result in the duration of the stay exceeding 90 days. The Schengen State which is competent to extend the visa is the one where the applicant happens to be when the extension is requested. Unless otherwise decided by the authority which extends the visa, the extended visa remains a Schengen visa, entitling entry to the territory of all the Schengen States for which the visa was valid at the time of issue. The authority may charge a fee for extending visas. Top
The Schengen Information System
The Schengen Information System (SIS) interconnects national files accumulating data provided and consulted by the authorities of the Schengen States. The decision to alert must be taken by the competent authorities. Schengen visa can be refused if the applicant is a person for whom an alert has been issued, even if this alert was entered by another State than the State to be visited. An alert may even be issued and visa may be refused for persons exempted from the visa requirement.
Personal data can be stored for maximum 10 years.
Any person may have access to data entered in the SIS which relate to them, by contacting the Schengen country of their choice. All involved persons have the right to look into their own particulars and have them corrected if necessary. Only the Schengen State which issued the alert shall be authorised to modify, add to, correct or delete data which it has entered. Top
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