One of the best options for travelers throughout the European Union is the opportunity to use a Schengen Visa. If you hold a Schengen Visa, you can freely travel throughout the Schengen Region—an area that includes most of the EU—without the requirement of individual country visas or other complicated forms or permissions.
Which means *a lot* of saved pages in your passport.
Even better, you can visit an additional nineteen countries outside of the Schengen Region that accept the Schengen Visa for travel, and you can stay in a participating country for a period of up to three months before an additional visa would be required.
If you’re looking to make the most of your next opportunity to go abroad in Europe, this could be a great option for you! If you’re curious about how the Schengen Visa works, read on for the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions…and get excited about the adventure that awaits you!
What is a Schengen Visa?
In the simplest terms, a Schengen Visa is a short-term visa that allows a person to travel to, through, and from any of the locations within the Schengen Region and cooperating countries. Schengen Visa holders are allowed to stay in these participating areas for up to 90 days for purposes including research, study, or tourism. The residents of some countries are required to hold a Schengen Visa in order to enter any country within the Schengen Region, while others (like the United States) are currently exempt.
But even if you’re from a country that’s exempt, there are all kinds of reasons to apply for a Schengen Visa, including the incredible freedom provided when traveling.
KEEP READING: International Visas: What You Need to Know
How does the Schengen Visa work?
In order to meet the Schengen Visa requirements, you will need to be able to demonstrate that you are traveling to Europe for one or more reasons from a qualified list. These can range from tourism and sightseeing, to visiting family and friends, to short-term study abroad courses or research-based programs abroad.
Once you’ve been issued a Schengen Visa, you will present it along with your passport, and for many countries, with proof of your financial means and evidence of your intention to leave the Schengen Region through a return flight or other travel arrangements.
But with the Schengen Visa in-hand, you will satisfy visa status for all internal borders covered within the Schengen Region, even if there are slight variations with respect to entry procedures from place to place.
Schengen Visa countries
So…where does this visa grant you access?
The list of Schengen Visa countries is long, and due to grow longer with the addition of countries like Romania, Bulgaria, and Croatia making plans to join the Region in the years ahead.
There are also micro-states and territories that are not formal members of the Schengen Region but still permit open borders in accordance with the agreement (like Monaco, the Republic of San Marino, and Vatican City included in the list).
As of now, the countries included in the Schengen Region are:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
Do I need a Schengen Visa?
The Schengen Visa is a fantastic resource for ease of movement when traveling—but do you need one? This question is best answered by three factors: your country of origin, your purpose for traveling, and the length of your stay.
Even if you aren’t required to hold a Schengen Visa, there are obvious travel benefits. As for the countries that do require the Schengen Visa for travel, regardless of participation in the Schengen Region, that long list includes:
- Afghanistan
- Algeria
- Angola
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Belarus
- Belize
- Benin
- Bhutan
- Bolivia
- Botswana
- Burkina Faso
- Burma/Myanmar
- Burundi
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Cape Verde
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- China
- Comoros
- Congo
- Côte D'ivoire
- Cuba
- Democratic Republic Of Congo
- Djibouti
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Fiji
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Guyana
- Haiti
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Jamaica
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Lebanon
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Libya
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Maldives
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Mongolia
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Nauru
- Nepal
- Niger
- Nigeria
- North Korea
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Papua New Guinea
- Philippines
- Qatar
- Russia
- Rwanda
- Sao Tome And Principe
- Saudi Arabia
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Sudan
- Sri Lanka
- Sudan
- Suriname
- Swaziland
- Syria
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- Togo
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Turkmenistan
- Uganda
- Uzbekistan
- Vietnam
- Yemen
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
How to apply for a Schengen Visa
Don’t worry! The Schengen Visa application process is fairly straightforward.
When you’re ready to apply for a Schengen Visa, you will need to verify your country requirements with the visa and travel authorities in your current place of residency and departure.
If you’re in the United States, you will start with the U.S. Department of State. In most cases, you will need to:
- Complete the appropriate Schengen Visa application form (don't forget photo requirements)
- Make an appointment with the consulate or embassy
- Provide proof of your passport and evidence of travel insurance
- Comply with the request for your fingerprints (if asked)
- Pay required fees
- Share details of your travel plans (like verification of your financial means and proof of accommodations)
While this requires some up-front work, once you’ve satisfied the requirements, you’ll be sure to save yourself a good deal of time and hassle as you go abroad!
Can you work on a Schengen Visa?
The short answer to this question is No. In fact, in most cases, it’s actually illegal to look for work while holding a Schengen Visa, but there are exceptions if your short-term study course includes stipends, grants, or other payments for research or educational purposes.
It’s good to know that the rules are taken very seriously! If you're caught breaking them, you will lose your Schengen Visa and will be barred from gaining another one in the future. In many cases, you will also be immediately deported.
If you’re trying to find work, this is not the visa for you. But if you’re traveling freely for fun, education, or research, it’s definitely a smart move.
Can you convert a Schengen Visa to a work permit?
The short answer here is…Not exactly. To be clear, there is no such thing as a “Schengen employment visa” or Schengen conversion to work permit. However, there are ways that you can work with the country hosting your stay to obtain a national visa, which will allow you to legally secure work.
In most cases, you will need to follow the normal processes for obtaining a work permit outside of the Schengen Visa process, but special preference is given to visa seekers who are in certain qualified groups. This includes:
- International students in programs that grant Schengen visas
- Teachers at post-secondary schools or research centers located in Europe
- Professionals who are visiting at the request of some authority seeking their specific expertise
- Travelers who experience an emergency or medical condition that requires they stay longer than the 90 days covered by the Schengen Visa
So, work permit? Nope. National Visa? Possibly.
Explore Passport & Visa Resources on GoAbroad.com
Are there Schengen Visa restrictions?
While the Schengen Visa opportunities typically offer more freedom throughout the Schengen Region than traveling in any other way, there are some restrictions you’ll want to consider as you plan your application process.
First, the multiple-entry Schengen Visa is the one highlighted in the resources shared here, but it’s not the only type of Schengen Visa available. For example, you might qualify for something called a single-entry visa, which will allow you to enter a Schengen country once, staying for up to 90 days; but with this type of single-entry Schengen Visa, if you leave that country, the visa immediately expires.
Then, there’s the double-entry Schengen Visa, which permits one entry, one departure, and one more entry into a country in the Schengen Region during the 90 days. There are other visas that cover specific needs, like humanitarian aid, or emergency transportation, but these are exceptions and rarely issued.
The important things you need to remember about restrictions will be covered in the application process itself. If you apply and are approved, the approval will come with a list of requirements—and while these may vary, the one thing they all have in common is that any violation of the restrictions will come with pretty disappointing consequences.
Explore Europe with a Schengen Visa!
Your Schengen Visa will grant you incredible adventures.
Can’t you just picture moving from country to country like a local of the EU? Or going from your study abroad program in Ljubljana to a beautiful night out in Villach on a Friday night—all without anything more than taking out your passport and showing your Schengen Visa en route?
If you’re hoping to pack in as much adventure as you can in three months, you now have an overview of the process, and a good sense of where to start. It’s time to apply for your next opportunity to visit Europe—and see as much as you can in the period of 90 days! The Schengen Region awaits!
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