What is a Schengen Visa?

Author: Pick Ross

Schengen refers to the EU passport- free zone covering half of the European countries. To visit any of the Euro countries for a short stay, you need to apply for a Schengen visa allowing a person to travel to any member of the Schengen Area up to 90 days for tourism or business purpose.

There are many travel companies who help you to get a visa if you book your European tour packages with them.

This is the most common visa to apply for European people. The holding person can enter any European country and travel easily. One of the best things of a Schengen visa is there are no boundaries within the zone.

If you are planning to study, live or work for a short-term period in any of the Schengen countries, then getting this visa is the right way. In the year 2018, more than 14 million people applied for Schengen visa to travel around Europe.

The visa allows crossing the borders between Austria, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxemburg, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and The Netherlands.

Who can apply to Enter Europe?

Nationals belonging to third countries, which have not received a visa- liberalization agreement with Schengen member, need to obtain the visa.

Travel documents for Non-EU Nationals

To apply for Schengen Visa, there are certain documents you need to carry.

  • Valid Passport- Should be issued within the last 10 yrs. and should be valid for 3 months after the date intended to leave the EU.

  • Schengen Visa- If you are a national of any of the third countries

Other than these, you also need otter documents including- sufficient funds, proof of accommodation, how long you intend to stay, round-trip airline ticket, etc.

You must carry travel insurance that will cover the trip. In case of emergencies in the Europe trip, the travel insurance will cover the expense. The insurance must be €30,000 worth. You need to present this document while applying for the visa.

Many countries will also ask for the proof of funds you have to complete the trop. If you provide complete documents demanded by the authorities, then the process of getting a Schengen visa completes faster.

You can apply for the Schengen visa when you have below reasons to visit in any of European countries-

  • Business purposes

  • Visiting friends and family

  • Tourism and holidays

  • Cultural and Sport events

  • Airport transit and Transit for seafarers

  • Official Visit

  • Medical Reasons

  • Short-term study

Schengen Visa Options

Before you apply for a Schengen Visa, you should know the category of visa you can apply for. Some of the categories you can apply for are -

  • Category A - This category is an airport visa catering for an individual not staying in Schenge visa country or transferring during the journey.

  • Category B - This is a transit visa and only lasts for five days. It gives the individual travelling between two non-Schengen visa countries opportunity to travel in the Schengen area.

  • Category C - This category visa allows individuals to stay in Schengen visa country for three months. The visa covers travel within the Schengen cities for 90 days. However, you cannot immigrate using this visa but able to make several trips.

  • Category D - This category is combined with category C because it is a national visa allowing individuals to travel from a non-Schengen visa country to the Schengen area. However, you will need to obtain residency once you enter the respective state.

How to Apply for a Schengen Visa to Enter Europe?

If you want to enter Europe and want to apply for a Schengen visa, then you need to figure out for what purpose you need to travel. If you are travelling for a reason, then you need to put together all your travel plans. This includes how many days you will be in the zone, activities involved and countries you are visiting.

Process to Apply for the Schengen Visa

The process involved in applying for a Schengen visa will be simple if you have all the documentation including Schengen travel insurance. Many travel and tour companies offer online assistance to individuals who want to apply it online. Right from the online document submission to other essentials, everything is done online.

Alternatively, you can visit the nearest office of the consulate to get the work done with all the document submission. Regardless of how you apply, the total days required to complete the process will take around 5-10 days.

Using Professional Service

If you have planned to visit any of the European country or city for a short period and need a Schengen Visa, then you will need professional service.