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Schengen Visa Guide
It may come as no surprise that you can travel within Europe without a visa, making it one of the world’s largest visa-free zones. However, you do require a visa, known as Schengen visa, to enter the continent, and then travel across countries.
The visa allows a traveller to enter any country in the Schengen area. It is a short-stay visa that enables you to stay for up to 90 days for tourism purposes. The best part about the Schengen visa is that there are no border controls, and you can freely travel within the Schengen zone.
However, if you intend to work or study in one of the Schengen countries, or your stay exceeds 90 days, you must convert your Schengen visa to a national visa of that European country.
In this page, we will discuss the members of the Schengen countries, types of Schengen visas, who needs to apply for it, and more.
To apply for a Schengen visa, you need to visit their embassy or visa centre to apply for the visa you need. The steps you need to keep in mind are:
| Step 1 | Book an appointment for a Schengen visa to proceed with your application |
| Step 2 | Download the application form from their website and fill it out correctly |
| Step 3 | Submit all the required documents, along with the form |
| Step 4 | Once your documents are accepted, you will be called for an interview |
| Step 5 | Wait for a response on your visa application; it may take up to 15 days or more |
Note: Members of the European Union Parliament (MEP) adopted a report aimed at modernising the visa application process in the Schengen area, moving away from physical applications and visa stickers to a digital system. Now travellers who plan to visit the EU can apply for Schengen visa online making the visa process hassle-free.
You can track your Schengen visa application on the official websites of each EU country. You will need to fill out your visa application number and travel document number to see the process.
We have a comprehensive Schengen visa guide here which provides detailed information about the visa, how to apply, types of visa and more.
The Schengen area comprises 27 European countries, covering most of the European Union (EU) except Ireland. Although countries like Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, and Lichtenstein are not part of the EU, they still fall under the Schengen zone. The countries soon to be part of the Schengen Area are Romania, Bulgaria, and Cyprus.
These countries have officially put an end to all passport and other border controls. To explore any part of the Schengen area, you will only need a Schengen visa, after which you can roam about freely.
The Schengen visa countries are:
Every non-European citizen planning to travel to Europe needs to get this visa for a short-term stay. These are the nationalities that need a Schengen short-stay visa.
There are various types of Schengen visas, each for different purposes. Some of the visas are listed below.
This is the most popular type of visa that allows a traveller to enter the Schengen area as a tourist. A tourist Schengen visa permits a stay for a maximum of 90 days within a six-month time period. This visa is only for leisure/tourism purposes, and no traveller is allowed to work/conduct business.
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A business visa for the Schengen countries is valid for no more than 90 days. If you plan to travel to more than one Schengen country, you need to check the "multiple entry" option on the application form.
It may take up to 10 working days to respond to an application for a Schengen visa. Based on the application, the time taken for the visa to be processed may be more or less than two months.
A Schengen business visa is required to conduct business in a Schengen country with a local company or individual. For this visa, the company in the area needs to invite you and provide a copy of the invitation letter.
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A business visa for the Schengen countries is valid for no more than 90 days. If you plan to travel to more than one Schengen country, you need to check the "multiple entry" option on the application form.
It may take up to 10 working days to respond to an application for a Schengen visa. Based on the application, the time taken for the visa to be processed may be more or less than two months.
To study in one of the Schengen countries, you need to apply for a student visa which allows a short stay of a maximum of three months. If your course is longer than three months, you will need to apply for a long-stay study visa at the embassy in your home country.
Note: You cannot apply for a student visa extension from a Schengen country.
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The Schengen student visa is valid for up to three months within a six-month period. After you receive the passport with the visa, double-check the validity period and duration of stay.
It may take up to 15 working days to respond to an application for a Schengen visa. Based on the application form, the time taken for the visa to be processed may be more or less than two months.
It is not possible to get your student visa extended in a Schengen country. Instead, you will need to return to your home country and apply from there for a longer study visa.
A transit Schengen visa is for those who wish to enter the country in order to change their transport from air to sea, or change flights that have a long layover and require one to exit the airport. Before getting into details, you must know the difference between an airport transit visa and a transit visa.
This type of visa is for those who have to change flights at the airport. The Schengen visa for airport transit allows for a stopover only at an international airport. The traveller is not allowed to leave the airport’s international transit area.
But, if you need to transit through more than one airport, you do not require the airport transit visa, instead, you will need to apply for a regular Schengen C-type visa. This visa is also valid for you to leave the airport where you arrived and connect to another airport within the same country.
The Schengen visa for seafarers allows them to disembark from a ship or ferry in a Schengen seaport. This is permitted for a limited period of time until the next transport to a non-Schengen country is arranged.
A normal transit visa allows travellers no more than five days to move across more than one Schengen country on the way to a non-Schengen country. Besides that, there are also two other modes of transit visas for the Schengen area: airport and seaport.
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The airport transit Schengen visa is valid for 24 hours. To leave the airport, you will need to apply for a regular transit visa. On the other hand, a transit visa for seafarers permits travellers to stay for a maximum of five days.
The processing time for Schengen transit visas is around two weeks. But for a specific transit visa or in extraordinary situations, it may take 30 to 60 days.
The medical Schengen visa allows a traveller to enter any of the Schengen areas and receive treatment for their health. This visa is provided for a period of 90 days. However, if your treatment lasts over 90 days, you will need to apply for a National Visa for Medical Treatment. This can be done in the respective country; after this, you will be permitted to stay longer.
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A medical visa for the Schengen countries is valid for no more than 90 days. If your treatment tends to extend, you must apply for a long-stay National Visa for Medical Treatment.
It may take up to 15 working days to respond to an application for a Schengen medical visa. If there are mistakes on the application form, the time for the visa to be processed may take more or less than two months.
Apart from the business visa, there is an official visit visa for Schengen countries. Through this visa, an individual is allowed an entry permit for reasons like meetings, negotiations, consultations, exchange programs, and other events held by intergovernmental organisations.
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The Schengen official visit visa is valid for 90 days within a 180-day period. However, depending on the visit, your visa may be different and may remain valid for five days to a month, depending on the issuing embassy.
It may take up to 15 working days to respond to an application for a Schengen visa. If there are mistakes on the application form, the time required for the visa to be processed may take more or less than two months.
This visa is issued for those who plan to visit their family, friends, and relatives living in one of the Schengen countries.
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A Schengen visitor visa is valid for 90 days. However, the duration of your stay depends on the embassy or consulate issuing you the visa. If you plan to stay for over 90 days, you can apply for a visitors’ residence permit.
It may take up to 15 working days to respond to an application for a Schengen visa. If there are mistakes on the application form, the time taken for the visa to be processed may be more or less than two months.
This visa allows for a brief stay in the country for the purpose of culture, sports, and other such activities.
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Specific requirements for attending cultural, sports, or religious events |
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The Schengen visa for culture and sports is valid for 90 days within a 180-day period. However, depending on the visit, your visa may be valid for five days to a month, depending on the issuing embassy.
It may take up to 15 working days to respond to an application for a Schengen visa. If there are mistakes on the application form, the time taken for the visa to be processed may be more or less than two months.
The Schengen visa requires a series of documents. If you are planning a trip to Europe and require a Schengen visa, read the guidelines on how to prepare for your Schengen visa application from India.
| The documents needed for a Schengen visa from India: |
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Can I apply for a Schengen visa without an Indian passport?
No, you need an Indian passport to get a Schengen visa. Without a passport, you will not get a visa. If your passport is nearing expiry or damaged, you will need to apply for a new one.
Is it required to have a round-trip flight for a Schengen visa in India?
Yes, a round-trip flight is needed to get a Schengen visa. By having this, it shows that you plan on returning after a certain time. The travel itinerary must also include flight information like date, flight number, and airline name.
Will I get my documents if my Schengen visa application is rejected?
If your visa is rejected, you will receive your documents; however, some embassies may only return your passport.
For how long does the Schengen visa allow me to stay?
This depends on the type of visa you have applied for. The most common stay duration a traveller can get is a maximum of 90 days in a six-month period from the entry date. For a frequent traveller, you may get a visa valid for five years, but you cannot stay more than 90 days; hence, you need to obtain a multiple-entry visa valid for up to five years.
Can I submit a copy of documents instead of original documents?
Most embassies request original documents instead of copies, although copies of every document are also requested, like for passport, and marriage certificate, among others.
