What are the main Schengen visa requirements?

A passport valid at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen area, a completed application form, an ICAO standard photo, travel medical insurance with at least EUR 30,000 cover, and supporting documents on purpose of trip, money, accommodation and return. Fingerprints are taken when you apply, with some exemptions.

Which Schengen visa documents required should I prepare?

Passport, application form, photo, insurance certificate, trip purpose evidence, bank statements, accommodation bookings and a return plan. A consulate may ask for more documents, so check its own list alongside this one.

What does Schengen visa insurance have to cover?

Emergency medical care, hospital treatment and repatriation, including in case of death, valid in all Schengen countries for the whole stay, with minimum cover of EUR 30,000.

How does the 90/180 rule work?

On each day of a stay, count back 180 days; days in the Schengen area in that window must not exceed 90. Entry and exit days both count, and all Schengen countries share one allowance. The European Commission publishes an official calculator as a planning aid, and you can check your dates with our [Schengen calculator](/tools/schengen-calculator).

Do I need ETIAS if I need a Schengen visa?

No. ETIAS is a travel authorisation for visa-free visitors only and is not yet operating; it is expected to start in the last quarter of 2026 with a fee of EUR 20. Visa nationals apply for a Schengen visa instead.

Schengen Visa 2026: Fees, Documents and 90/180 Rule

Q: What is the Schengen visa processing time?

Normally 15 days. It can be extended to up to 45 days when the application needs a closer look or more documents.

Q: How do I get a Schengen visa appointment?

An appointment may be needed before you can lodge the application, often at a visa application centre run for the consulate. Apply no earlier than 6 months and at least 15 days before the trip.

Q: Is there a Schengen countries list I can rely on?

Yes: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Cyprus and Ireland are not in it.

Q: Can I study in the Schengen area on a short-stay visa?

Not if studies last longer than 90 days. Students need a national long-stay visa or a student residence permit issued by the country of the host university, not a Schengen short-stay visa.

A Schengen short-stay visa lets you visit the 29 Schengen countries for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Apply to the consulate of your main destination no earlier than 6 months and at least 15 days before the trip, pay EUR 90 for adults, and expect a decision within 15 days, extendable to 45.

What a Schengen visa is and the 29 Schengen countries

A Schengen short-stay visa is a permission to travel within the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. It comes in three forms: single entry, multiple entry, and an airport transit visa that only covers the international transit area of an airport.

The Schengen area has 29 member countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Bulgaria and Romania became full members on 1 January 2025. Cyprus and Ireland are EU countries that are not in the Schengen area, so a Schengen visa does not cover them.

Which nationalities need a visa is set at EU level in Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, the visa list regulation. Check that list before you plan anything: some non-EU citizens need a visa, others travel visa free.

Do you need a Schengen visa or ETIAS?

People who need a Schengen visa do not apply for ETIAS. ETIAS is a separate travel authorisation for visa-free visitors only, is not yet operating, and is expected to start in the last quarter of 2026 with a fee of EUR 20.

So there are two different tracks:

If your nationality is on the visa list, you apply for a Schengen visa at a consulate, with documents, fingerprints and the EUR 90 fee.
If your nationality is visa exempt, you will eventually need ETIAS once it starts. Until then, nothing to apply for.

See the ETIAS page for the authorisation side. Do not buy or apply for anything sold as ETIAS before the system is operating.

Which country to apply to

Apply at the consulate of the country you intend to visit. If you visit more than one, apply to the country where you will spend the longest time, the main destination. If the stays are equal, apply to the country you enter first. As a general rule, apply in the country where you legally live.

Work out the main destination before booking an appointment. A simple check:

List each country and the number of nights in each.
The country with the most nights is your main destination.
If two countries tie on nights, use the first country you enter.

Keep the itinerary and accommodation bookings consistent with the consulate you choose.

When to apply, appointments and processing time

Submit the application no earlier than 6 months before the trip and at least 15 days before it. A decision is normally made within 15 days, extended to up to 45 days when the application needs a closer look or more documents.

A Schengen visa appointment may be needed before you can lodge the application, often at a visa application centre run for the consulate. Check how far ahead the visa application centre is booking before you fix your travel dates.

Plan backwards from your travel date:

6 months before: earliest you can apply.
15 days before: latest you should apply.
15 days after lodging: normal decision time.
45 days after lodging: the extended maximum.

Do not book non-refundable travel until you have the passport back with the visa.

Schengen visa fees

The Schengen visa fee is EUR 90 for adults and EUR 45 for children aged 6 to 12. The fee can be waived for some categories of applicant, and visa application centres may charge their own service fee on top.

Budget for three separate amounts:

The consular fee: EUR 90 adult, EUR 45 child aged 6 to 12.
The visa application centre service fee, set by the centre, not the consulate.
Travel medical insurance, which you must hold to apply.

Keep the receipts with your application papers.

Documents required: a checklist

A Schengen visa application needs a passport valid for at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen area, a completed application form, an ICAO standard photo, travel medical insurance, and supporting documents on the purpose of the trip, your money, your accommodation and your plan to return home. Fingerprints are taken when you apply, with some exemptions.

Schengen visa documents required, as a checklist:

Passport, valid at least 3 months beyond your exit from the Schengen area.
Completed and signed application form.
One photo meeting the ICAO standard.
Travel medical insurance meeting the Schengen conditions.
Purpose of trip: bookings, invitation, course or meeting details.
Means for the stay: bank statements and proof of income.
Accommodation: hotel bookings or host address.
Return plan: flight reservation or equivalent.

A consulate may ask for more documents, so check its own list as well as this one.

Travel medical insurance for a Schengen visa

Travel medical insurance for a Schengen visa must cover emergency medical care, hospital treatment and repatriation, including in case of death, be valid in all Schengen countries for the whole stay, and have minimum cover of EUR 30,000.

Check the certificate against each condition before you pay:

Emergency medical care and hospital treatment are named in the cover.
Repatriation is covered, including in case of death.
The territory is all Schengen countries, not one country.
The dates match your whole stay, day of entry to day of exit.
The cover amount is at least EUR 30,000.

A policy that covers only part of the trip or only one country fails the test, even if the cover amount is high.

The 90/180 rule and how to count your days

The 90/180 rule is a moving window: on each day of a stay, count back 180 days, and the days spent in the Schengen area in that window must not exceed 90. The day of entry and the day of exit both count as days of stay, and all Schengen countries share one allowance.

Practical points that catch people out:

Days in the UK do not count towards the 90 days.
Time under a residence permit or long-stay visa from a Schengen country is not counted either.
After 90 days in a row outside the Schengen area, a new stay of up to 90 days is possible.
Moving between Schengen countries does not reset anything, because the allowance is shared.

The European Commission publishes an official short-stay calculator for the rule. It is a planning aid only: national authorities decide on the length of an authorised stay and on overstays. You can also run your dates through our Schengen calculator before booking flights.

At the border: the Entry/Exit System

The EU Entry/Exit System records non-EU nationals on a short stay at the external Schengen border: passport details, fingerprints, a facial image and the date and place of each entry and exit. It started on 12 October 2025, has been fully operational since 10 April 2026, and replaces passport stamping.

What this means in practice:

EES registration is free and there is nothing to apply for in advance.
Children under 12 do not give fingerprints.
Holders of a long-stay visa or residence permit from an EES country are not registered.
Because entries and exits are recorded, the system detects people who stay longer than allowed.

Full detail is on the EES page.

Studying or working: stays over 90 days

If studies last longer than 90 days, students need a national long-stay visa or a student residence permit issued by the country of the host university, not a Schengen short-stay visa. Work rules differ by country: most Schengen countries require a visa and a work permit for work, even for stays under 90 days.

Two separate routes:

Study: apply to the country of the university for a long-stay visa or residence permit. See the students page.
Work: check the national rules of the country where you will work. A short-stay Schengen visa is not a work authorisation.

If you are relocating rather than visiting, the moving abroad guide covers the longer-term picture.

Staying connected in Europe: data, calls and bank codes

Once the visa is approved, sort out data before you fly. A Slashtel Europe+ eSIM works in all 29 Schengen countries, plus the UK and Turkey, so data keeps working when you cross a border.

Slashtel eSIMs are data only: no local phone number and no calls or SMS. WhatsApp and other internet calls work over the data. Keep the home SIM in the phone for calls and bank codes, and turn off data roaming on it to avoid roaming charges.

The eSIM is bought online with an email address and a card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, and the QR code arrives by email within minutes. Someone else can buy it and enter the traveller's email, so the QR code goes straight to the person who will use it. Validity starts when the eSIM first connects at the destination, so it can be bought and installed at home before the flight. The network is chosen automatically and cannot be picked by hand, and more data can be added to the same eSIM later with no new QR code. The phone must be unlocked and eSIM compatible.

See the Europe eSIM page and the guide to calls, texts, OTPs and data on an eSIM. To size a plan, use the data calculator. Slashtel also sells mobile top-ups to more than 100 countries, delivered in minutes, which keep a prepaid home line active. Support is on WhatsApp and email, 7 days a week.

See Europe eSIM plans.

Applying from India, the UK or the UAE

Where you live decides which consulate and visa centre you use. Country by country guides:

Sources

Checked 25 October 2026. Rules and dates can change, so check the official pages before you rely on them.

Schengen Visa Guide: Requirements, Fees and the 90/180 Rule