What is the Schengen Area?
	What is a Schengen Visa?
	Do I need a Schengen Visa?
	Where to apply?
	How to apply?
	Can I extend my visa?
	How much is a Schengen Visa?
	Why is travel insurance compulsory?

The Schengen area gathers 24 European countries : Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. The Schengen area is an area of free movement of persons. According to the Treaty implementing the Schengen Agreement of 14 June 1985, the 24 Member States have abolished checks on persons at the time of crossing of their internal borders. Henceforth the checks on persons is only carried out at the time of crossing of the external border of a Member State, which then acts on behalf of all of the other States of the Schengen area.

What is a Schengen Visa? Back to Top

A Schengen visa is a permit granted in the form of a sticker. It enables its holder to enter the territories of the 15 Schengen States to pay an uninterrupted visit (single-entry visa) or several visits (multiple-entry visa), whose duration is indicated on the sticker with a maximum of three months (90 days) in any half-year from the date of first entry in the Schengen area.

Do I need a Schengen visa? Back to Top

Unless you are a resident of one of the Schengen countries, you need a Schengen visa if you are a national of one of the following countries:

AFGHANISTAN ALBANIA ALGERIA ANGOLA ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA ARMENIA AZERBAIJAN BAHAMAS BAHRAIN BANGLADESH BARBADOS BELARUS BELIZE BENIN BHUTAN BOLOVIA BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA BOTSWANA BURKINA FASO BURMA/MYANMAR BURUNDI CAMBODIA CAMEROON CAPE VERDE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC CHAD CHINA COLOMBIA

COMOROS CONGO COTE D'IVOIRE CUBA DEM. REP. OF CONGO DJIBOUTI DOMINICA DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ECUADOR EGYPT EQUATORIAL GUINEA ERITREA ETHIOPIA FIJI MACEDONIA 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 MADAGASCAR MALAWI MALDIVES MALI MARSHALL ISLANDS MAURITANIA MAURITIUS MICRONESIA MOLDOVA MONGOLIA MONTENEGRO MOROCCO MOZAMBIQUE NAMIBIA NAURU NEPAL NIGER

NIGERIA NORTH KOREA NORTHERN MARIANAS ISLANDS) 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 TIMOR-LESTE TOGO TONGA TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO TUNISIA TURKEY TURKMENISTAN TUVALU UGANDA UKRAINE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES UZBEKISTAN VANUATU VIETNAM YEMEN ZAMBIA ZIMBABWE

Where to Apply? Back to Top

You must apply with the visa section of the embassy or the consulate which is responsible for your application. Processing the visa application belongs to the embassy or the consulate of the Schengen country in whose territory the main destination of the visit is situate. If the country of main destination cannot be determined, then the embassy or the consulate of the Schengen country of first entry will have to process the application. In most cases the main destination is determined by the number of days the applicant plans to stay in one of the Schengen countries. If you intend to spend an identical number of days in various Schengen countries, then the embassy or the consulate of the Schengen country of first entry will be in charge of processing the application.

If the State responsible has no diplomatic mission or consular post in a certain country, the visa may be issued by representation by the mission or post of the State which represents the interests of the State responsible in the given third country. The visa is then issued on behalf of the Schengen State that is being represented, subject to its prior authorisation.

How to apply? Back to Top

The following documentation is required:

• a passport whose validity must exceed that of the visa by 3 months
• a duly completed visa application form: see the harmonised Schengen Visa Form
• the documents supporting the purpose and the conditions of the intended trip: see table below

Can I extend my visa? Back to Top

A visa may be extended if new facts have arisen since the visa was issued. Applications to extend a visa must be 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.

How much is a Schengen visa? Back to Top

A Schengen visa costs € 60 per applicant. This compulsory fee is not refundable in case of visa denial. Schengen visas are issued free of charge to the spouse and the children under 21 years of age of a European Union citizen.

Why is travel insurance compulsory? Back to Top

Since June 2004, a travel insurance is required by the European law to obtain a Schengen visa. Visa applicants must show that they are in possession of a valid travel insurance with a minimum cover of € 30,000, or its US$ equivalent, in order to face any expenses which may arise in connection with repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical attention or emergency hospital treatment.