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 to 3
  2. BrusselsBelgiumDays 4 to 5
  3. AmsterdamNetherlandsDays 6 to 8
  4. BerlinGermanyDays 9 to 11
  5. RomeItalyDays 12 to 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

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.

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 such as holidays, business trips and 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.

How it works

From first form
to first flight.

Every Schengen application follows the same broad path. The details, such as 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.

What happens at the visa centreAppointment day, step by step

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.

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.

See the 180 day window in motionSlide it along a year of example trips

Slide the window along the year

On
2 Jul 2027
Window: 4 Jan to 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, known as 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. It is a different application from the Schengen short stay visa.

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 (about £26,000) 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, or 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.

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.

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.

See a visa sticker, field by fieldWhat each line on the sticker means
Stylised example, not an official visa design.

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.

Mistakes and refusals

Small mistakes can
create big problems.

Most problems with Schengen applications are avoidable. These are the ones consulates see most often, and the grounds a refusal decision cites when they aren’t fixed.

  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.

Why an application is refused

Consulates assess each application as a whole, and no single factor leads automatically to a refusal. Beyond the mistakes above, these are the grounds refusal decisions most often cite.

  • 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.
  • Other grounds under the rulesThe Visa Code lists further grounds, such as previous overstays or security alerts.

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

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 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. Search the list below, and open a country’s page for the visa details that apply there.

29 of 29 countries

Schengen is not the same as the European UnionWhich European countries a Schengen visa doesn’t cover

Two different things that overlap

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. Four Schengen members — Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland — are not in the EU.

  • 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.

FAQ

Schengen visa
questions, answered.

A few things worth checking before you apply from the UK.

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

Speak to an expert

Your UK eVisa proves your immigration status in the UK; it does not normally give you permission to visit Schengen countries. Whether you need a visa depends on your passport and any exemption that applies. If you need one, your UK residence status also affects whether you can apply here.

There is no single amount that works for every country and trip. You need evidence that you can cover your stay and return journey, meeting your destination’s requirements. If someone is sponsoring you, include the requested sponsor documents. A particular bank balance does not guarantee approval.

You normally apply in the country where you are legally resident. Being in the UK on a visitor visa does not usually make the UK the right place to apply. If you have exceptional circumstances, ask the relevant consulate whether it can accept your application before booking an appointment.

Yes. Explain why you need more than one entry and provide evidence of your travel plans. The consulate decides the number of entries, validity and permitted stay. Requesting a longer visa does not guarantee you will receive one.

Check your destination’s checklist for the travel reservation or itinerary it requires. Where possible, avoid non-refundable commitments before approval. An appointment booking is not a visa decision, so leave time for processing and passport return before making final travel arrangements.

A child may need a birth certificate, parent or guardian identification and consent documents, especially when travelling alone or with one parent. Custody evidence may also be relevant. Check the destination’s child-application checklist and appointment rules, as requirements vary.

No. We can help with application preparation, document checks and appointment support, depending on your package and the destination’s rules. Visa centres control appointment availability, and the authorities decide whether to grant the visa. We cannot promise a particular appointment or decision date.

All visa guides

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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.