 The
Schengen Visa has made traveling between its 15 European member countries much
easier and less bureaucratic. Traveling on a
Schengen Visa means
that the visa holder can travel to any (or all) member countries using one
single visa, thus avoiding the hassle and expense of obtaining individual visas
for each country. This is particularly beneficial for persons who wish to visit
several European countries on the same trip.
The Schengen visa is a “visitor visa”. It is issued to citizens of countries who
are required to obtain a visa before entering Europe.
The purpose of the visit
must be leisure, tourism, or business. Upon the issuance of the visa, the visa holder is
allowed to enter all member countries and travel freely throughout the Schengen
area. It is strongly recommended to plan your journey within the timeframe of
the Schengen Visa as extensions can be very difficult to obtain, thus forcing
you to leave to stay in compliance with the Schengen rules and regulations. A Schengen visa allows the holder to travel freely
within the Schengen countries for a maximum stay of up to 90 days in a 6 month period.
The first step in the application process is to
download the
Schengen Application Guide. The
application guide is available in 3 languages:
English, Spanish
and Chinese.
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The following 15 countries are currently active Schengen Visa members:
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- Austria
- Germany
- Belgium
- Denmark
- Finland
- France
- Greece
- Iceland
- Italy
- Luxemburg
- Norway
- Portugal
- Spain
- Sweden
- The Netherlands
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| Download Visa Application |
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All Schengen countries are in Europe. However, it should not be confused with
the EU (European Union). Schengen and European Union are two different agreements between
European countries. A total of 30 countries, including all European Union
countries (except Ireland and United Kingdom) and three non-EU members (Iceland,
Norway, and Switzerland) have signed the Schengen agreement. However, only 15
countries have implemented the common border control and visa provisions.
Important: The Schengen Visa holders are not allowed to live permanently
or work in Europe.
Last Updated: June 12, 2008
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