What countries are Schengen states?
Germany, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland have all acceded to the Schengen Agreement and are thus Schengen states.
The Schengen area thus includes all EU member states except Ireland and Cyprus; at present the EU members Bulgaria and Romania only apply some of the Schengen provisions. Until these three countries apply what is known as the Schengen acquis in full, as is their aim, passport controls will remain in place at internal borders. In addition to the EU countries already mentioned, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein are also Schengen states.
Types of Schengen Visa
According to the purpose of travelling the Uniform Schengen Visa applies to all of the two categories, “A” and “C”.
“A” category stands for the Airport Transit Visa which allows its holder to travel through the international zone of the Schengen country Airport without entering the Schengen Area. An airport transit visa is mandatory for citizens travelling from one non-Schengen state to another non-Schengen state through a change of flights in a Schengen country airport.
Documents are Required
- Visa application form
- Current/Old Passport
- Round trip reservation
- Travel insurance policy
- Proof of accommodation
- Proof of financial means
- Proof of paid visa fee.
- Recently taken photo
“C” category stands for a Short-term visa which allows its holder to reside in a Schengen Area for a certain period of time depending on the visa validity. This particular category, according to the holder’s purpose of the travel can be obtained in a form of:
1.Single-entry visa,
2.Double-entry visa and
3.Multiple-entry visa.
Single-entry visa
A single-entry visa allows its holder to enter the Schengen Area only once, within the given period of time, as mentioned in the visa sticker affixed to their passport. Once the visa holder exits the Schengen territory, he or she can no longer go back, even if they have not spent there the number of days as permitted by the embassy that issued them the visa.
Some people confuse the single-entry visa, thinking that it is about the number of countries the visa holder is permitted to visit and that it allows them to enter one single country. In fact, the territory you are permitted to visit is given close to the “Valid for” tag on your visa sticker, whereas the time you are permitted to stay is given close to the “Number of entries” tag.
Double-entry visa
In general, a double-entry visa applies the same way as the single-entry visa explained above. The sole difference between a single-entry and a double-entry visa is that the second gives you the chance to go once more back to the Schengen territory once you have left it.
You should be very careful not to exceed the number of days you are permitted to stay in the Schengen Zone, as well as the period within which you can spend these days in the EU. Once again, do not mix the “double-entry” tag with the number of countries you are permitted to enter and remain within the given time.
Multiple-entry visa
A multiple-entry visa allows its holder to go in and out of the Schengen Area as many times as he or she wants, as soon as they do not violate the 90/180 rule.
Based on how frequently you travel to the Schengen zone, you may apply and obtain one of the following multiple-entry visa types:
1-year multiple-entry visa
3-year multiple-entry visa
5-year multiple-entry visa
1-year multiple-entry Schengen visa
You can obtain this visa provided that you have obtained and lawfully used three visas within the previous two years. When you apply for this visa, you will need to show proof of your previous visas and the trips you made to the Schengen Zone.
The 1-year MEV visa gives you the right to enter the Schengen Zone as many times as you want, as long as you do not remain more than 90 days within this period.
3-year multiple-entry Schengen visa
The 3-year MEV is granted to applicants who have obtained and lawfully used a previous multiple-entry visa valid for one year within the previous two years.
This visa gives the right to its holder to enter the Schengen Area as many times as they wish within a period of three years. However, even in this case, the visa holder is limited to remaining in the EU for no longer than 90 days within a 180-day period.
5-year multiple-entry Schengen visa
5-year MEV is granted to people that have obtained and lawfully used a previous multiple-entry visa valid for at least two years within the previous three years.