Schengen Visa

What is Schengen Visa

A Schengen visa is an official document mandatory for some non-Europeans to travel to all the 27 countries which are part of the Schengen area. Once granted, this visa allows the traveller to cross the borders of the other member-states without going through identity checks at the border. There are several types of Schengen visa but the most common (the short-stay visa) allows to travel/stay for 90 days maximum over a 6 month period starting from the entry date stated on the visa.

Schengen Countries

The Schengen Area, or Schengen Countries Zone, is a group of 27 European nations that have abolished border controls between each other. These include France, Germany, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands, Poland, and Scandinavian nations, but not the U.K. and Ireland. Most European Union (EU) countries are signatories to the Schengen Agreement, although some non-Schengen countries, like Bulgaria and Romania, are signed up but not yet active members and merely obliged to join in the future. Switzerland, Iceland, and Norway are not in the EU but are inside of the Schengen Area.