The Schengen visa guide

Schengen Visa.Your Gateway to Europe.

One visa. 29 countries. One journey across Europe.

Understand how the Schengen Area works, where you can travel, which country you should apply through, what documents you need and how the application process works.

Check Visa RequirementsExplore the Schengen Area
Example itinerary14 days · 5 countries 1 visa
  1. ParisFranceDays 1–3
  2. BrusselsBelgiumDays 4–5
  3. AmsterdamNetherlandsDays 6–8
  4. BerlinGermanyDays 9–11
  5. RomeItalyDays 12–14
  • 29 Schengen countriesOne common visa
  • Up to 90 daysIn any 180-day period
  • Multiple entry availableDepending on your visa
  • Travel across EuropeParis → Rome, one visa

The basics

What exactly is a
Schengen visa?

A Schengen visa is a short-stay visa shared by 29 European countries. Instead of applying to each country you visit, you apply once — and the visa covers the whole area, within its conditions.

Up to 90 daysin any 180-day period

A Schengen short-stay visa generally allows eligible travellers to travel within the Schengen Area for short stays — holidays, business trips, family visits — subject to the conditions printed on their visa.

Entry is not guaranteed solely by holding a visa. Border authorities may verify that travellers meet applicable entry conditions.

  1. Your passportYour nationality decides whether you need a visa at all.
  2. One Schengen visaIssued by one member country, valid across the area.
  3. European travelCross between Schengen countries without routine border checks.

Without Schengen

Country-by-country complexity

  • France visa
  • Germany visa
  • Italy visa
  • Netherlands visa
  • Spain visa

Five trips, five applications, five sets of border checks.

With Schengen

One visa → multiple destinations

Schengen visa
  • France
  • Germany
  • Italy
  • Netherlands
  • Spain
  • +24

One application covers the whole area — within the dates and days on your visa.

The Schengen Area

29 countries.
One borderless travel area.

The Schengen Area is a group of European countries that have removed routine passport checks at their shared borders. They check travellers once, at the area’s external border, and share a common short-stay visa.

25

Schengen and EU

EU members that are fully in the Schengen Area.

  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Bulgaria
  • Croatia
  • Czechia
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Italy
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Malta
  • Netherlands
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Romania
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Spain
  • Sweden
4

Schengen, not EU

Outside the EU, but full members of the Schengen Area.

  • Iceland
  • Liechtenstein
  • Norway
  • Switzerland
2

EU, not Schengen

In the EU, but a Schengen visa doesn’t cover them.

  • Ireland
  • Cyprus

Schengen is not the same as the European Union

Schengen membership and EU membership overlap, but they are not identical. Not every European country is part of Schengen — the United Kingdom, for example, is in neither.

  • Ireland EU member that stays outside Schengen; it shares the Common Travel Area with the UK instead.
  • Cyprus EU member that is not yet a full member of the Schengen Area.
  • Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City are not Schengen members, but have open borders with the Schengen countries around them.

How it works

From first form
to first flight.

Every Schengen application follows the same broad path. The details — forms, appointment providers and documents — vary with the country you apply to.

  1. Apply

    Work out where to apply, then complete the application form for that country.

  2. Document review

    Gather your evidence and check that every document matches your form and itinerary.

  3. Appointment

    Book a slot at the visa application centre or consulate for your place of residence.

  4. Biometrics

    Give your fingerprints and a digital photo — unless they were taken in the last 59 months.

  5. Processing

    The consulate assesses your application. You may be asked for more information.

  6. Decision

    Collect your passport. If granted, check every detail on the visa sticker.

  7. Travel

    Carry your supporting documents; border officers may ask to see them on entry.

Ready to start? We prepare and check your application, then help you through every stage above.

Check My Visa RequirementsTalk to a Visa Expert

The 90/180 rule

90 days. 180 days.
What does it actually mean?

A standard Schengen short-stay visa generally permits stays of up to 90 days within any rolling 180-day period, subject to the visa conditions.

90 days does not simply mean three calendar months. It is a running count: on any day you’re in the Schengen Area, look back 180 days — the days you spent inside the area in that window, today included, must not add up to more than 90.

Slide the window along the year

On
2 Jul 2027
Window: 4 Jan – 2 Jul
Days used in window
70
Italy 30 · Spain 40
Days still available
20
Before reaching 90

Example

On 26 Aug 2027, count back 180 days to 28 Feb 2027. In that window you have spent 61 days in the Schengen Area — 40 in Spain and 21 in France. Your 30 days in Italy no longer count: they have rolled out of the window. So on that day you could stay up to 29 more days, as long as your visa is still valid for them.

Illustrative dates. Time spent in the Schengen Area on a residence permit or long-stay national visa doesn’t count towards the 90 days. The European Commission publishes an official short-stay calculator for checking real trips.

Where to apply

You don’t simply choose
any Schengen country.

You apply to the country that is your main destination. The EU Visa Code sets out how that is decided — and applying to the wrong one is a common reason to have to start again.

Your trip — adjust the nights

  • France7 nights
  • Italy3 nights
  • Switzerland2 nights

Main destination France

The most nights are in France, so that is normally where you apply.

France visa page

Where you spend the most time is normally your main destination.

  1. Where are you going?
  2. One country?Apply through that country
    Multiple countries?Which is your main destination?Apply through the relevant country

You also apply from where you legally live — the consulate or visa centre that covers your place of residence. Individual circumstances and the consulate’s own rules should always be checked before you apply.

Visa types

One visa system.
Several reasons to travel.

Most travellers need the uniform short-stay visa — the ‘type C’ visa. What changes is the purpose you declare, and the evidence you give for it.

  • Tourism

    For holidays, sightseeing and leisure travel.

  • Business

    For qualifying business activities, meetings and events.

  • Visiting family & friends

    For eligible visits to relatives or friends.

  • Study / training

    For qualifying short-term study or training purposes.

  • Airport transit

    For travellers who require an airport transit visa under applicable rules.

Staying longer than 90 days, or travelling to work or study long-term? That needs a national long-stay visa (‘type D’) from the country concerned — a different application from the Schengen short-stay visa.

Do I need one?

Do I need a
Schengen visa?

Whether you need a visa depends on your passport, where you live, why you’re travelling and for how long. Answer five questions for a first indication.

This is a guide, not an official government eligibility checker. Visa requirements depend on nationality, residence, destination, purpose and other circumstances.

Documents

What documents
do you need?

Every application is built from the same six groups of evidence. Together they show who you are, why you’re travelling, how you’ll pay for it and that you’ll return.

  • PassportIssued in the last 10 years, valid for at least 3 months after you plan to leave, with at least two blank pages.
  • Visa application formCompleted and signed, for the country you are applying to.
  • PhotographRecent, and meeting the consulate’s photo specification.

  • Bank statementsUsually the last few months, showing your balance and regular activity.
  • Proof of financial meansEnough to cover your stay and return — each country sets its own reference amounts.
  • Income evidencePayslips, business accounts, pension statements or a sponsor’s evidence.

  • Flight itineraryReturn or onward travel plans that match your dates.
  • AccommodationHotel bookings, or an invitation from the people you’ll stay with.
  • Travel itineraryWhere you’ll be each day, especially across several countries.

  • Travel medical insuranceValid across the whole Schengen Area for your entire stay, with cover of at least €30,000 for medical emergencies and repatriation.

  • Employment letterConfirming your role, salary and length of service.
  • Leave approvalShowing your employer has approved the dates you’ll be away.
  • Salary evidenceRecent payslips that match your bank statements.

  • Evidence of your purposeConference registration, invitation letter, course enrolment — whatever fits your trip.
  • Evidence of your tiesResidence status, property, family or studies that show you intend to return.

Requirements vary by applicant, nationality, residence and purpose of travel. Each consulate publishes its own list.

Get my document checklistTalk to a Visa Expert

Costs

What you pay,
and who you pay it to.

A Schengen application can involve up to four separate costs. Knowing which is which makes it easier to compare — and to spot what is optional.

  1. Paid to the consulate

    Official visa fee

    Set at EU level for the uniform short-stay visa, with reductions or exemptions for some applicants — for example children, and some nationalities under visa facilitation agreements.

  2. Paid to the application centre

    Visa centre service fee

    Charged by the external provider that runs appointments for the consulate. It varies by provider and country.

  3. Paid to the centre, if you choose them

    Optional services

    Premium lounges, courier return of your passport, SMS updates or photocopying. None of these affects the decision.

    Optional

  4. Paid to a firm like FlyinBird, if you choose one

    Professional assistance

    Help preparing, checking and organising your application. It is optional and never replaces the consulate’s decision.

    Optional

Official fees are set by the EU and can change. Check the current fee with the consulate or its visa centre before you submit — the official rules always take precedence over any guide, including this one.

Check Current Requirements

Timing

How long does
it take?

Processing times vary depending on the application, consulate, season and individual circumstances.

  1. Prepare

    Gather documents, book travel you can change, arrange insurance.

  2. Submit

    Lodge your application no earlier than 6 months and no later than 15 calendar days before you travel.

  3. Biometrics

    Fingerprints and photo at your appointment, if they’re needed.

  4. Processing

    The Visa Code’s standard is 15 calendar days from a complete application, which can be extended in individual cases — up to 45 days.

  5. Decision

    Your passport is returned with a visa, or with a letter explaining a refusal.

Apply early and allow time for document preparation and appointment availability. Nobody — including us — can promise an approval or a fixed processing time.

Appointment day

What happens at
the visa centre?

Most applications are handed in at a visa application centre run by an external provider on behalf of the consulate. The visit itself is usually short and follows the same order.

  1. Document submission

    Staff check your form and documents are complete and take copies. They don’t decide on your application.

  2. Biometrics

    Ten fingerprints are scanned. Children under 12 are exempt, and prints from the last 59 months may be reused.

  3. Photograph

    A digital photo is taken, or your printed photo is checked against the specification.

  4. Possible interview

    Some applicants are asked a few questions about their trip. Answer simply and consistently with your documents.

  5. Forwarded for processing

    Your application goes to the consulate, which makes the decision. You leave with a receipt and reference number.

Your visa

Understanding your
Schengen visa sticker.

If you are granted a visa, it is printed on a sticker in your passport. Every limit that applies to your trip is on it — always check the details before travelling.

Stylised example — not an official visa design.

Always check the details on your visa sticker before travelling. If anything is wrong — your name, dates or days — contact the consulate that issued it before you go.

Entries

Single, double
or multiple entry.

Your visa says how many times you may enter the Schengen Area. Leaving the area — even for a day trip — uses up an entry when you come back.

  • Single entry

    One entry into the Schengen Area. Once you leave, the visa is used — even if days remain.

    1. Home
    2. Schengen
    3. Home

  • Double entry

    Two permitted entries, for trips that leave the area and come back once.

    1. Home
    2. Schengen
    3. Outside
    4. Schengen
    5. Home

  • Multiple entry

    Multiple entries during the visa validity period, subject to the visa conditions and the 90/180 rule.

    1. Home
    2. Schengen
    3. Outside
    4. Schengen
    5. …

Why it matters: a trip that dips out of the area — to the UK, Ireland, Cyprus, Turkey or the Western Balkans — and back in again needs a double- or multiple-entry visa. With a single-entry visa, you couldn’t return. Frequent travellers with a good visa history may be issued multiple-entry visas with longer validity.

On the move

One visa.
Multiple destinations.

Your itinerary can cross multiple Schengen countries, provided your visa and travel circumstances permit it.

  1. ParisFrance
  2. BrusselsBelgium
  3. AmsterdamNetherlands
  4. BerlinGermany
  5. PragueCzechia
  6. ViennaAustria
  7. RomeItaly

Seven countries, no routine border checks between them — and one visa.

Routine internal border controls are generally removed within the Schengen Area, but countries can temporarily reintroduce checks. Carry your passport with your visa — and ideally your travel documents — every time you cross a border.

Common mistakes

Small mistakes can
create big problems.

Most problems with Schengen applications are avoidable. These are the ones consulates see most often.

  1. Wrong consulate

    Applying to a country that isn’t your main destination, or outside your place of residence.

  2. Inconsistent itinerary

    Dates, cities and bookings that don’t match each other or the application form.

  3. Unclear financial evidence

    Large unexplained deposits, or statements that don’t match your stated income.

  4. Missing documents

    An incomplete file can be returned or refused before anyone assesses it.

  5. Incorrect dates

    Stays that exceed the dates or days requested, or insurance that doesn’t cover the whole trip.

  6. Insufficient supporting evidence

    A purpose or ties to home that are stated but not shown.

  7. Unverifiable documents

    Letters without contact details, or bookings that can’t be confirmed.

  8. Previous refusal not addressed

    Reapplying with the same file, without answering the reasons given last time.

  9. Applying too late

    Leaving too little time for appointments, requests for information and processing.

Refusals

Why can an application
be refused?

Consulates assess each application as a whole. No single factor automatically leads to a refusal, but these are the areas refusal decisions most often cite.

Refused before, or worried you might be? A refusal letter gives its reasons, and you have the right to appeal under the law of the country that refused. Many applicants apply again with a stronger file.

Review Your Application
  • Insufficient evidenceClaims in the application that the documents don’t support.
  • Unclear purpose of travelThe reason for the trip isn’t explained or justified.
  • Insufficient financial meansNot enough shown to cover the stay and the return journey.
  • Concerns about the intended stayDoubts that the traveller will leave before the visa expires.
  • Incomplete documentationRequired documents missing or out of date.
  • Inconsistent informationDetails that conflict between the form, documents and interview.
  • Other grounds under the rulesThe Visa Code lists further grounds, such as previous overstays or security alerts.

We can’t influence a consulate’s decision — but we can help make sure your application says clearly and consistently what it needs to.

The complete journey

Your Schengen visa,
start to finish.

Ten steps from the first question to the day you travel. Most of the work happens before you ever reach the visa centre.

  1. Discover

    Learn how the Schengen Area and its visa work.

  2. Check requirements

    Confirm whether your passport needs a visa for your trip.

  3. Choose destination

    Work out your main destination — that decides where you apply.

  4. Prepare documents

    Build your evidence around your purpose, finances and return.

  5. Complete application

    Fill in the form, consistent with every document.

  6. Book appointment

    Reserve a slot at the centre for your place of residence.

  7. Biometrics

    Fingerprints and photo, if they’re needed.

  8. Processing

    The consulate reviews your application.

  9. Decision

    Collect your passport and check the sticker.

  10. Travel

    Enjoy Europe — within the dates and days on your visa.

Country explorer

Explore the
Schengen Area.

Twenty-nine countries, one visa. Search by country or capital, and open a country’s page for the visa details that apply there.

29 of 29 countries

FAQ

Schengen visa
questions, answered.

Straight answers to what travellers ask us most. Your own circumstances can change the answer — ask us if you’re unsure.

Still have a question? Our team can talk through your trip and your circumstances.

Speak to an expert

A Schengen visa is a short-stay visa that lets eligible travellers visit the 29 countries of the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, for purposes such as tourism, business or visiting family. It is issued by one member country but is normally valid across the whole area.

A standard Schengen visa is valid for all 29 Schengen countries. In rare cases a visa is issued with limited territorial validity, and the sticker then lists only the countries it covers.

It is a group of 29 European countries that have removed routine border checks between themselves and apply common rules at their external borders. Most are EU members, but Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland are not, while Ireland and Cyprus are EU members outside it.

You may spend up to 90 days in the Schengen Area within any rolling 180-day period. On any day you are there, count back 180 days: the days you spent in the area during that window, including today, must not exceed 90. It is not the same as three calendar months.

Apply to the country that is your only or main destination — normally where you will spend the most time. If your stays are equal, the main purpose of the trip decides; if no main destination can be determined, apply to the country whose external border you will cross first. You apply from the country where you legally live.

Yes. A standard Schengen visa lets you move between Schengen countries during its validity, as long as you stay within the dates, entries and number of days on your visa.

Yes. Switzerland is a full member of the Schengen Area even though it is not in the EU, so a standard Schengen visa covers it.

Yes. Both are Schengen countries. You would apply to whichever is your main destination — usually the one where you spend more time.

No longer than the duration of stay printed on your visa, and never more than 90 days in any 180-day period. For longer stays — for work, study or to live — you need a national long-stay visa or permit from the country concerned.

Typically a valid passport, the application form, a photo, travel medical insurance, flight and accommodation plans, bank statements and evidence of your purpose and ties to home. Each consulate publishes its own list, and what you need depends on your circumstances.

Yes, for a short-stay visa. It must be valid throughout the Schengen Area for your entire stay and cover at least €30,000 for emergency medical care, hospital treatment and repatriation.

There is an official visa fee set at EU level, with reductions and exemptions for some applicants, plus a service fee if you apply through a visa application centre. Fees change, so check the current amounts with the consulate or its visa centre before you apply.

The EU Visa Code sets a standard of 15 calendar days from a complete application, which can be extended — up to 45 days in individual cases. Appointment waiting times come on top, and busy seasons are slower, so apply early.

Your ten fingerprints are scanned and a digital photo is taken. They are stored in the EU Visa Information System and can be reused for applications within 59 months. Children under 12 do not give fingerprints.

A single-entry visa lets you enter the Schengen Area once. When you leave, the visa is used, even if its validity and days have not run out.

A multiple-entry visa lets you enter and leave the Schengen Area as often as you like during its validity, provided you stay within the 90/180 rule and the duration of stay on the sticker.

No. A short-stay visa for tourism does not allow you to work. Business visits such as meetings are a different purpose; paid employment generally needs a work permit or national visa from the country concerned.

You receive a standard form that explains the reasons. You have the right to appeal under the law of the country that refused the visa, and the refusal letter says how and by when.

Generally, yes. A new application is assessed on its own merits, so it helps to address each reason given in the refusal rather than resubmitting the same documents.

You can apply up to 6 months before your trip, and should apply no later than 15 calendar days before it. Applying well ahead leaves room for appointment availability, requests for more information and processing time.

Planning Your Journey Through Europe?

Understand your visa requirements, prepare your application and take the next step with FlyinBird.

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FlyinBird is a private visa assistance company. We are not a government authority or embassy and we do not issue visas — decisions are made solely by the consulate you apply to.