All you need to know about Schengen Visa

What is Schengen Visa?

What is the Schengen Area?

A Schengen visa is a document issued by the appropriate authorities to the interested party for visiting/travelling to and within the Schengen area. The Schengen area is comprised of 26 countries that have agreed to permit unrestricted movement of people within this area as an individual country. Of the 26 countries bound by the Schengen agreement, 22 are part of the European Union and the other 4 are part of the European Free Trade Association.

Schengen area covers a major chunk of European countries, except for the United Kingdom and countries such as Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, and Ireland. However, there are countries that are not part of the EU like Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, and Lichtenstein yet they do belong in the Schengen area and cherish the free movement policy.

The Schengen Member States are:

Schengen Country

Not in Schengen but can visit with Schengen Visa

Austria

Serbia

Belgium

Turkey

Czech Republic

Sao Tome and Principe

Denmark

Romania

Estonia

Montenegro

Finland

Macedonia

France

Kosovo

Germany

Gibraltar

Greece

Georgia

Hungary

Cyprus

Iceland

Croatia

Italy

Columbia

Latvia

Bulgaria

Lithuania

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Luxembourg

Belarus

Malta

Andorra

Netherlands

Albania

Norway

Poland

Portugal

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Liechtenstein

What is a Limited Territorial Validity Visa(LTV)?

Depending on the nature/purpose of the travel, there are several types of a Schengen visa issued by the designated embassy/consulate.

The Limited territorial validity visas (LTV) allow you to travel only in the Schengen State that has issued the visa or in some other cases, in the certain Schengen States specifically mentioned when applying for the visa. Apart from these Schengen countries, this specific visa is invalid to any other Schengen country not specified prior.

What is a Uniform Schengen Visa(USV)?

The Uniform Schengen Visas (USV) permits the visa receiver to transit or reside in Schengen Area Member Countries without leaving the Schengen area for a certain period but to a maximum of 90 days, every six month period starting from the date of entry. For Example: If your itinerary is something like this: Paris-London-Brussels-Amsterdam, then a Uniform Schengen Visa won’t work, as you are leaving the Schengen Area to travel to London, which is not part of the Schengen Area.

What is a Multiple Schengen Visa(MSV)?

The Multiple Schengen Visas (MSV) permits the visa receiver to transit or reside in Schengen Area Member Countries even if they have left the Schengen Area and are re-entering it. The Visa is provided for a certain period but to a maximum of 90 days, every six month period starting from the date of entry. For Example: If your Itinerary is something like this: Paris-London-Brussels-Amsterdam, then you will have to apply for a Multiple Schengen Visa, as you will be going out of the Schengen Area and will be returning again.

Documents required for Schengen Visa:

The Visa application form completely filled and signed.

One recent passport size photo, full-face capture with a light background.

The passport as well as all the copies of your previous visas, valid for at least three months prior to your departure is required. The passport must have at least two blank pages.

Round trip reservation or itinerary with dates and flight numbers specifying entry and exit from the Schengen area.

The travel health insurance policy is to be secured, covering any medical emergency with hospital care and travel back to one’s native country due to medical reasons.

Proof of accommodation for the whole duration of the intended stay in the Schengen area.

Proof of sufficient means of subsistence during the intended stay in the Schengen area.

When applying for a Schengen visa, in order to travel to one or more of the Schengen zone countries, there are some requirements one has to fulfill prior to filling the application form. If you are planning to travel to more than one Schengen country, you must apply at the Embassy/ Consulate of the country you will be staying the most in, in terms of the number of residing days or the country where you have a definite purpose of staying. In case if he/she does not get an answer, the individual should apply to the Consulate of the country he/she is going to land first. Once you are issued multiple-entry visas, you will be able to travel to all the Schengen zone countries as well as other countries you have planned for the time permitted on the visa. When applying for the visa personally hand the required documents to the embassy/consulate at least 15 days prior to your departure since that is the estimated time needed for the bureaucratic process taking part in the corresponding institution. Every Schengen country shares more or less the same requirements in issuing a visa to a party.