Schengen Visa Latest Schengen Visa Inforamtion The Requirements

With summer holidays approaching, some of us using the 'wrong' passport will need the dreaded Schengen visa so that you can visit 26 countries currently within the Schengen Zone.

Acquiring the elusive Schengen visa has developed into a right of passage for a lot of citizens who wish have a holiday in Europe. Although supposed to make travelling to Europe easier, it may become a nightmare for a few when submitting their documents to discover the EU visa.

The Schengen visa requirements allows you to travel to the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia,Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.




What's needed for a Schengen visa are:

-Anyone that would normally require a visa to penetrate Europe can use for one

-The reason for the visit must be for leisure, tourism or business

-A maximum stay of 3 months can be granted, in almost any 6 month period

-Schengen visa holders cannot permanently live or operate in Europe

To really get your visa before your holiday it really is advised to apply for your Schengen visa no less than 6 weeks just before travel, some nationalities require much more notice than this. Visa processing times vary all year round so it's crucial that you plan ahead.

Applying for the EU visa is quite an easy process, and which embassy you are applying at is determined by which country you will be visiting. As an example, if you are only visiting France then you need to apply on the French embassy in your house country. If, however, you're visiting more than one country, you will have to apply in the embassy of the country where you're spending the most number of nights. If you are staying for an equal number of nights at various different destinations inside the Schengen Zone then you should apply for your Schengen visa in the embassy of first country you'll visit.

The documents (not exhaustive) you will require are: a completed and signed visa form, two passport photographs, your passport and a photocopy of the passport, evidence of money, as well as the visa application fee. Depending on the country you're from, it's also possible to need other supporting documents, so make sure you read the form carefully.