Important Travel Document Information – Please Read
If you are heading to Europe from a nation that does not have a visa-free travel agreement, you have to apply for a Schengen Visa.
You do not require a separate Schengen visa for every nation you plan to visit inside the Schengen area. If you want to visit many countries within the Schengen Area, you only need to apply for a visa in the country where you will spend the most extended amount of time. If you plan to remain in each country simultaneously, you need to apply for your visa at the consulate of the country you wish to visit first.
Schengen Visa Options
You can apply for either:
- Schengen Transit A-Visa
- Short-Stay Schengen C-Visa
- Long-Stay National D-Visa
Schengen C-Visa
The brief stay The Schengen visa is the most prevalent. It is granted by a Schengen nation’s visa services (embassies, consulates, and authorized external providers). It permits the bearer to remain or travel freely in the Schengen region for up to 90 days within 180 days.
It is required for citizens of some nations. Examine the Schengen visa entrance criteria to see whether you need a visa in category C.
Depending on the purpose of your journey, the Schengen visa category C for short stays might be:
- A single-entry visa (“1” on the visa sticker) entitles its bearer to a single entrance into the Schengen region. If you leave the region, your visa becomes invalid, even if its validity term has not yet expired. In a word, every departure is irreversible!
- A double-entry visa (“2” on the visa sticker) permits its bearer to enter the Schengen region twice during the visa’s validity term. You may thus exit and re-enter the Schengen region throughout this time frame. When you leave the region a second time, your visa expires.
- A multiple-entry visa (« MULT » on the visa sticker) permits its bearer to enter and exit the country an unlimited number of times. This authorization is valid for no longer than 90 days within 180 days.
Schengen / National D-Visa
The national visa is the Schengen visa for long-term stays, type D. Visas are required for foreigners who desire to study, work, or reside in a Schengen nation for more than 90 days (up to 1 year). It permits its bearer to travel and remain in the Schengen region for up to 90 days during the course of 180 days and for the duration of the visa’s validity.
The travel objectives that may support a category D visa application are:
- tourism or personal trips
- occupational pursuits
- to study, participate in training, or complete an internship
- familial ties
The consular authorities of the targeted Schengen country issue the national visa or type D visa in line with national law. Therefore, it is vital to contact the country’s services to learn the many requirements and procedures that must be satisfied. Long-stay visas may be issued as single-entry or multiple-entry visas under certain circumstances.
Business Schengen Visa
A Schengen business visa permits you to travel for business reasons inside the Schengen Area. Inhabitants of countries with obligatory visa requirements must travel to Europe who visits only for business purposes.
How do I acquire a Schengen Business Visa?
The application procedure for a Schengen Business Visa is comparable to a tourist visa. You have too apply to the consulate or embassy of the nation you want to visit or a visa application facility if a third party administers them. The majority of the documentation and criteria will be the same, but you will be required to give extra information and documents to support your business trip.
Where can I apply for a Schengen Business Visa?
You must submit an application via an embassy, consulate, or visa application center; these often allow you to submit an initial application online before scheduling an in-person interview. If you want to visit more than one nation, you must apply for a visa in the country where you will spend most of your time, or if you will spend equal amounts of time in each country, in the country you visit first.
After submitting your application to the embassy or consulate of the country you wish to visit or a visa application center acting on their behalf, you will be required to make an appointment and appear in person for a visa interview, bringing with you hard copies of the documents supporting your application.
What documentation is necessary to apply for a Schengen business visa?
The following papers are needed to apply for a Schengen business visa:
a wholly filled-out and signed visa application
two current pictures for passports
a passport with at least three months remaining until expiration,
a detailed itinerary including dates, flight numbers, hotel bookings, or proof of lodging.
You must also demonstrate that you have sufficient funds to maintain yourself on your business travel by submitting a bank statement no older than three months and/or a s
Schengen Work Visa
No such thing as a “Schengen work visa” exists. Long-term employment in Schengen states requires a National D-type Work visa, which is given by the country in which you want to work and does not allow you to work in another state.
Nevertheless, if you need to go to the Schengen Area for work and your trip will be less than 90 days, you may apply for a Schengen work visa for short-term stays that will enable you to fulfill your business commitments. To be given a short-stay visa corresponding to the duration of your posting in the Schengen Area of your choice, you must submit documentation that your journey is for work-related reasons. It would be best if you departed your host nation prior to the visa’s expiration date.
If your commitments exceed 90 days, you must get a type D long-stay work visa. You may also be required to verify your passport within three months of arrival.
How can I get a work visa in Europe?
To get a European work visa, you must determine whether you qualify for the employment visas given in the nation where you desire to work. Meet the requirements, gather the necessary papers, and arrange an interview for a work visa.
What papers do I need to acquire a Schengen work visa for a short stay?
If you need to go to the Schengen Area for business objectives, such as to represent your company or meet with investors, suppliers, or future clients or customers, you will need an invitation letter that details your business connection and what you will be doing during your stay. You should provide an itinerary of your business activities with the invitation letter to demonstrate your work schedule.
If you are an employee, you should additionally provide documents from your employer verifying your employment status and describing your duties. These should contain your work title, employment dates, income, and the reason for your business trip. Additionally, it may be prudent to get a letter of no objection from your employer in your native country.
If you are self-employed, you must give a copy of your business license, a six-monthly bank statement for your firm, and a copy of your most recent tax return.
Citizens of countries enjoying a visa-free agreement for short stays in the Schengen Area will be required to apply through the ETIAS system for short business visits beginning at the end of 2022. If you want to work abroad for an extended period of time, you must apply for a national work visa.
Is it challenging to acquire a work visa?
To work in Europe, citizens of the United States, Australia, Canada, China, Japan, and other non-EU nations must apply for a work visa. Each Schengen member state has its own immigration regulations for non-members suited to their requirements. This implies that the simplicity with which you may acquire a visa depends on the immigration regulations of the nation where you want to operate. Your chances of admission will also rely on your occupation and whether or not you match the country’s labor requirements. Your potential employer may also be required by national authorities to get a work permit. Before applying for a work visa, you should ensure that you have a high likelihood of meeting the visa requirements of the nation in which you want to work.
Schengen Study Visas
If you want to study in Europe for less than three months, you should apply for a standard Schengen Visa, which will permit you to travel to all its member nations. If you want to study for a more extended period, you must apply for a Long-Stay National Student Visa from the embassy of the country where you intend to study.
How long does it take to acquire a Schengen student visa?
They will process your application within six to eight weeks. Please submit your application well in advance of your intended start date.
What papers will I need to receive a Schengen Student Visa?
The following papers are necessary to get a D-type Long-Term Student Visa:
- valid passport (issued within the last ten years and with at least 12 months validity left after the scheduled return)
- one copy of the data page from your passport (A4 size copy)
- Three passport photographs per biometric standards
- evidence of additional academic credentials, if relevant
- evidence of sufficient financial resources to support the fees of your study with one of the following documents:
- a cover letter from the applicant detailing the precise purpose and length of stay
- admittance letter from the university
- evidence of payment of tuition, if applicable
- evidence of language proficiency in English or the host country’s language
- Verification of a scholarship or stipend
- travel health insurance covering the period from the date of your departure till the date of your enrollment at the institution (stated in your acceptance letter); (approx. three months)
Please prepare two identical application packages with the materials mentioned earlier and bring the originals of your certifications.
Additionally, each country has unique student visa requirements to be completed to study there.
For instance, students in Italy must demonstrate that they have a monthly income of at least €448 for the length of their study. Students in Italy are also required to get a residence permit. Obtaining a visa to study in Germany requires verification of sufficient funds: €853 per month for the typical student. To study in Germany, you must also pay a processing fee of €75 by bank transfer. You may be required to attend an interview while applying for a visa at your host nation’s embassy, consulate, or visa application center.
What else do I need to apply for a Schengen student visa?
If you are a student at an institution in your home country who plans to go to the Schengen Area to study, you may need a letter of no objection from university authorities. This is a brief letter indicating that they have “no objections” to your journey since they anticipate you to return to your studies after your excursion. It confirms that you will not overstay your Schengen student visa, which might be helpful for your visa application. You should consult someone in a position of authority about this.
Can I study while working?
You are working while in a nation on a student visa is illegal without obtaining an employment visa from the host government. Therefore, you may mix employment and studies. In France, for instance, the legislation permits international students to work 964 hours or 60 percent of regular working hours. However, part-time employment will not cover all of your costs and should be considered a supplementary income source. As breaching local immigration regulations may result in a travel restriction, violating these guidelines might damage your education and future work opportunities
Schengen Visa Entry Types
Multiple-entry Schengen Visa for one year
This Schengen Visa type is available to those who have used three visas during the past two years. When applying for this sort of Schengen Visa, you must provide evidence of your past visas and journeys to the Schengen Area. You may enter the country for 90 days, each 180-day term.
Three-year Schengen multiple-entry visa
The three-year multiple-entry visa is issued to those who have received and legitimately used a one-year multiple-entry visa during the last two years. The 90/180 rule is in effect.
Schengen Visa Multiple-Entry for Five Years
You may apply for a five-year multiple-entry visa if you have received and legitimately utilized a prior multiple-entry visa valid for at least two years during the preceding three years.
Limited Territorial Visa
A Limited Territorial Visa is another form of visa that restricts travel to a single nation. These are often only provided in unusual or urgent circumstances when a conventional European visa is unavailable.
Schengen Countries
If you are third-country national, you will need a visa to enter any Schengen country. Short-stay Schengen C-visas permit stays of up to 90 days. While a national D-visa/residence permit is for more extended stays in the country.
90/180 Schengen Visa Rule
Important for holders of multiple-entry visas to note is the 90/180 rule’s nature. Most people believe the 180-day period begins when your visa becomes valid; however, it rolls over, so you must calculate backward from the day you wish to re-enter the Schengen Area to ensure you have not spent more than 90 days there in the previous 180 days.
People Also Asked...
This depends on a number of things such as whether or not you have had a Schengen visa in the past or how many countries you intend to visit. Generally you first Schengen visa will be issued for the duration of your stay. Future applications may be granted for multiple entry for a number of years.
There are 26 Schengen members states in Europe. You can see the full list of countries in the Schengen zone in the table on this page.
You can expect an update on your application within 3 days of submission. You can choose express processing at checkout for a response within 24 hours.
Once you attend your appointment, your visa can take up to 15 working days to be processed by the Embassy.