PremiumPost-COVID, there has been a sharp rise in foreign travel that includes in European countries. And with that, many have been enquiring about Schengen visas.
There are currently 27 European countries in the Schengen Area, 22 of which are Member States of the European Union - these include Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and others. Very recently, Croatia has also been added to the list.
These 27 countries share a common legal framework and there are no checks on the borders between them. Here's all you need to know if you are applying for Schengen visa.
There are 2 types of short-stay visas. One is uniform visa and the other is visa with limited territorial validity. The holder of a uniform visa is allowed to travel between all the states in Schengen area for a period not exceeding 90 days during any 180-day period. Meanwhile, the holder of a visa with limited territorial validity is allowed to travel only to the state(s) indicated on the visa sticker, as per VFS global
Apart from this, there is an airport transit visa. These visas are issued allows an individual to transit through the international transit areas of the issuing State and possible other States, if indicated on the visa sticker
Meanwhile, long stay visas are issued according to the national regulations of each Member State
On the visa sticker, it is clearly indicated how many times an individual can use the visa - “1", “2" or "MULT". The multiple entry visa ("MULT") allows you to enter the Schengen area unlimited number of times during the validity of the visa
Anyone who is an Indian national and has a valid Indian passport can apply for Schengen visa.
It is always advisable to submit your Schengen visa application at least 15 days before your planned trip and no earlier than six months, schengenvisainfo
Sometimes processing times can be delayed, so it’s in your best interest to submit your application more than 15 days before your trip just in case your visa is not issued on time.