Schengen Visa - FAQ

A Schengen visa is a document issued by a corresponding authority, which allows its holder to travel to a signatory of the Schengen Agreement or to the Schengen Area. The Schengen Visa was introduced to make travelling faster and easier between all the EU countries that signed up for the agreement.

The Schengen Area comprises 26 member countries. Those countries are: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

The Schengen Area covers most of the European countries. The exceptions are the UK and the future signatories of the Schengen Agreement: Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Ireland. Norway, Switzerland, Lichtenstein and Iceland are also within the Schengen Area, although they are not the EU members. Citizens of the Schengen countries do not need a visa to travel to other countries within the Schengen Area. They are, however, required to get a residence permit if they intend to move their residence to another country of the Schengen Area. Also, UAE citizens only need a valid passport (for a short stay uo to 90 days) to enter any of the Schengen countries.

The fee for a Schengen visa costs 60 euros. The visa for children under 6 years is free. The fee for children 6 - 12 years of age costs 35 euros.

Two identical photos need to be submitted and only colour photos are acceptable. Photos should not be older than 6 months. Photos should be submitted in the required format (35x45mm).

You may submit a visa application 3 months before your planned date of departure.

No. Each applicant has to present its application in person.

Visa applicants are required to have medical travel insurance. Medical travel insurance is valid for all Schengen countries. The minimum coverage must be EUR 30,000.

You should first check if you really need a visa for the country you’re travelling to. In case you do, you have to apply at the appropriate embassy or consulate of the country you will be travelling to.

Please check the list of documents to be submitted upon application on our website. Bear in mind that the list of additional documents is changeable at any time. The Consular office may ask for additional required documents.

The reasons for refusing a short-stay visa must be given. In the case of long-stay visas reasons for refusal are not given, except for certain categories.

You are free to apply again for a Schengen visa if your application has been refused earlier.

Yes, you can. You are allowed to visit all the States in the Schengen area.

You cannot convert your type C multiple entry visa into type D national visa, but you can apply for a type D visa.

Type C multiple entry visa does not restrict the number of entries into the Schengen Area. However, its validity is limited to 90 days within six months. The day of the first entry into the Schengen Area counts as the first day of the validity of the visa.

The Visa applicant must present all the documents that are listed on the requirements page.

The minimum visa processing time is 5 or 10 working days, depending on the nationality of the applicant, provided that a complete visa application is submitted. Bear in mind that the process can take longer.

The following family members of EU/EEA nationals have the right of free movement (have the right to travel to EU/EEA Area) to join their family for settlement or to travel there for a short visit:

As long as you are able to prove your intention to return to your home country, because that information is really important for consular officers there won't be any problems.

Each country has different guidelines for minimum amount a person must spend per day. Here you can have a look at the reference amounts for each country.