What is a Schengen Visa?
If you are a UK citizen and want to travel to a country in the Schengen area, you can travel for up to 90 days in a 180-day period without needing a Schengen visa.
If you are a citizen from another non-EU country, you will need to apply for a Schengen visa before going on your trip. If you’ve never applied for a Schengen visa before, the application process can seem a little confusing. To make your travels to Europe easier, here is everything you need to know about Schengen visas.
About Schengen Visas
A Schengen visa is a permit that allows travellers from other non-EU countries to travel freely within the countries in the Schengen area without border checks. You will need a Schengen visa to travel within Schengen area for up to 90 days in a 180-day period. For stays over 90 days, you will need a national visa.
Which Countries Are in the Schengen Area?
There are 27 European countries in the Schengen area. They are:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Croatia
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
23 of these countries are EU member states; however, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland are not. While the majority of EU countries are a part of the Schengen area, you cannot use a Schengen visa to travel through Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, and Romania.
What Are the Different Types of Schengen Visa?
You can get a Schengen visa for different kinds of travel. When filling out your Schengen visa application form you will need to declare the reason for your travel. The options provided are tourism, visiting family for friends, cultural, business, study, medical reasons, sports, an official visit, and airport transit. If you’re traveling for any other reason, you will need to specify it on the visa application form.
You can either apply for a short-stay visa, which will allow you to travel within the Schengen area but only enter it once; a multiple-entry visa, which you can use to enter the Schengen area two or more times; or an airport transport visa, which will allow you to enter the Schengen area if you have a stopover or layover.
Do I Need Travel Insurance If I Have a Schengen Visa?
UK citizens do not need travel insurance to travel to the Schengen area, though it is highly recommended. If you choose Oasis Insurance, you can get single-trip, annual multi-trip, and worldwide cover. Our Emerald policy will cover up to £10 million of emergency medical and repatriation expenses, our Ruby policy will cover up to £15 million, and a Diamond policy will cover up to £20 million. We will even cover pre-existing medical conditions. Alternatively, if you choose a backpacker insurance policy, you can choose from our Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels of cover. Our travel insurance will even cover your trip for cancellation, curtailment, delays, missed connection, missed departure, and more.
If you are a traveller from a non-EU country who is required to apply for a Schengen visa, you will need to book you trip and purchase your travel insurance prior to applying for your Schengen visa as you will need to provide your travel insurance certificate during the application process. The travel insurance should cover all 27 Schengen countries and provide the traveller with at least €30,000 (approximately £26,000) worth of cover for emergency medical expenses.
How Do I Get a Schengen Visa?
The process of applying for a short-stay, a multiple-entry, and an airport transport Schengen visa is the same. You will need to apply for a visa in the country you are a resident of, no more than 6 months and no later than 15 days before you leave for your trip. The processing time for the visa application is approximately 15 days, but can take longer at busier times of the year, so it’s suggested you apply as early as possible.
First, you will need to fill in a Schengen Visa application form and sign and date it at the bottom. You will also need a passport (issued within the last 10 years) that is valid for at least 3 months after you return from your trip, two passport photographs, an itinerary of your trip, your travel insurance details, and bank statements to prove you can support yourself during your trip. The government website of the country you’re travelling to will have more information on any further documents they require, for example, a letter from your employer (if you’re travelling for business purposes) or a letter of invitation from a relative (if you’re visiting family).
You’ll then need to contact the embassy of that country to schedule an in-person appointment. If you’re planning to travel to more than one country in the Schengen area, you’ll need to book an appointment at the embassy of your primary destination. This is the country you’ll be staying in the longest, or if you’re spending an equal amount of time in each country, the primary country will be the one you enter first. During your appointment, you may be asked to provide biometric data via a digital facial scan and a fingerprint scan.
When you submit your Schengen visa application, you will need to pay a fee. It costs €80 for adults and €40 for children between the ages for 6-12. Those who are exempt from paying the fee for their Schengen visa application are children under the age of 6, students accompanied by teachers on a school trip, individuals with a relative who is an EU or EEA national, individuals who hold a diplomatic passport, representatives of non-profit organizations under the age of 25, and professional researchers and scientists. As well as the visa fee, there may be other fees involved, such as a processing fee.
If your visa is rejected, you will be informed and given a reason for the rejection, and your visa fee will not be refunded. If your Schengen visa application is accepted, you should take all of your supporting documents with you when you travel as you may need to show them at the border.
Travellers should be aware that entry requirements may be subject to change once the ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) comes into effect in 2025 and that there are plans to implement online Schengen visa application forms by 2028. If you plan to travel to countries outside of the Schengen area, you will need to consult the FCDO travel advice for entry requirements for the country (or countries) you wish to visit.
