Schengen Visa- An Overview

An Schengen visa entitles the holder to a total stay of up to 90 days within a period of six months for tourist or business purposes. In theory, an Schengen visa allows you to travel freely within countries that are party to the Schengen agreement. There is therefore a common misunderstanding by many applicants who mistakenly believe that they can apply for a visa at the Consulate of any Schengen country to travel to. If a visa is needed, it is most important that you apply at the correct Consulate. It is virtually certain that your application will not be considered if you apply at any Consulate other than the one relevant to your intended visit.

Our understanding of where to apply is as follows:

1) If you are visiting only 1 Schengen state you must apply to the Consulate of the country

2) If you are visiting several Schengen states on the same trip and spending an equal period of time in each country, you should apply to the Consulate of the country which will be your first port of call; e.g. first stop is 2 days in France followed by 2 days in Belgium and then 2 days in The Netherlands: you should apply at the visa section of the French Consulate.

3) If you are visiting several Schengen States on the same trip and not spending an equal period of time in each, you should apply to the Consulate of the country in which you will be spending the longest time. That will not necessarily be the first Schengen country you enter on that trip; e.g. 2 days in France, 4 days in Germany, 1 day in Belgium,: regulations say you should apply at the visa section of the German Consulate.

4) If there is a main purpose to your trip, you should apply to the embassy of the country where that purpose will be fulfilled; e.g. if you are traveling through several Schengen states with the overall intention of attending a conference or a wedding in Spain: regulations say you should apply at the visa section of the Spanish embassy.

Although the Schengen visa is a blanket visa for the member countries, there are no standard application requirements. Each Schengen state has its own specific forms and requirements for visa applications. Applicants need to check carefully with these facts in mind.

Applications have to meet the requirements of the individual country as well as the additional regulations that the countries have agreed to as part of the Schengen agreement. Visa officers are therefore very thorough in their examination of documents and most precise when considering whether or not they are satisfied that requirements and regulations have been met. Please note that if for any reasons the Schengen visa is rejected, the reason of rejection will NOT be given under any circumstances by any of the Schengen states consulates in whose jurisdiction the visa was rejected.