MILAN – Most of the tourists want to explore Europe after having toured across Asia and when it comes to Europe, Schengen visa gives them access to over 25 countries boasting both natural and artificial beauty.
The Schengen visa is a short-stay visa that permits individuals to travel to any member country of the Schengen Area for tourism or business purposes, with a maximum stay of 90 days.
Before applying for a visa, one should explore which type of visa one wants. For instance, the following are the categories in this regard:
Transit visa
Tourism visa
Visa for visiting family or friends
Business visa
Visa for journalists
Visa for culture and sports activities
Visa for official visits
Study visa
Visa for medical reasons
Fee
A Schengen visa is a short-stay visa that permits an individual to travel to any member of the Schengen Area and gives them liberty and freedom to cross borders.
As far as the fee is concerned, it varies, however, the general fee charged for obtaining a Schengen visa is as follows:
For adults: EUR 80 (USD 88)
For children aged between 6 and 12: EUR 40 (USD 44)
For citizens of Azerbaijan and Armenia: EUR 35 (USD 38)
For nationals of Gambia: EUR 120 (USD 131)
Moreover, nationals of Serbia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Albania, Ukraine, and Georgia who still need to apply for a visa and do not possess a biometric passport are required to pay a Schengen visa fee of EUR 35 (USD 38).
Those applicants who apply through a private visa application agency (such as VFS Global or TLS), will be required to pay more than the standard visa price for a Schengen visa application based on their nationality. For instance, the cost of the VFS service fees is EUR 30.33 (USD 33) per visa applicant in Dubai, and EUR 42.27 (USD 47) in Nepal; generally, the agencies charge for their services.
Before applying, it should also be confirmed whether the embassy accepts applications individually or not as many embassies or consulate offices only accept visa applications made through an appointed agency, Wego reported.
It also bears mentioning that there are several types of visas available for visiting the Schengen zone. The price of a Schengen visa generally varies depending on the category of traveler or the nationality of the applicant applying for the visa and exact details can be obtained after visiting the consulate/embassy of the country you intend to visit.
Schengen visa fee waiver
Holders of diplomatic, official, or service passports traveling for official purposes, family members of an EU/EEA national, pupils, students, and accompanying teachers during a school trip and researchers traveling to conduct scientific research are exempted from any fee for the Schengen visa.
Moreover, the Schengen visa fee may also be waived for travelers aged 25 years or less participating in seminars, conferences, sports, and cultural or educational events organized by non-profit organizations. The decision in this regard will be made on case to case basis according to the event’s relevance.
Documents required for Schengen Visa
The following are some of the documents required for any short-term Schengen visa application:
Visa application form: The form can be found on the website of the consulate of the country that you intend to visit.
Photographs: Two photos taken within the last three months are needed. The photograph should be measured 35 x 45 MM and should not be a cropped version of a larger picture.
Valid passport: A valid passport that is not older than 10 years and is valid for at least three more months beyond the date you plan to leave the Schengen area must be submitted.
Reservations: Round trip reservations or itineraries are also to be mentioned. It must include dates and flight numbers specifying entry and exit from the Schengen area.
Travel insurance: A document that proves you have travel health insurance for the whole Schengen territory, with a minimum coverage of 30,000 euros in case of any medical emergency such as illnesses, accidents, and even repatriation in case of death is also to be submitted.
Accommodation: A document that shows where you will be accommodated throughout your stay in Schengen is required. This can be a hotel/hostel booking, a rental agreement, a letter of invitation from a host where you will be staying
Proof of financial means: Evidence that you have enough money to support yourself financially throughout your stay in Schengen countries is also required. This can be in the form of a bank account statement that shows you have enough money in your account for the trip. The statement shall be no older than three months.
A letter from another person confirming that they will be financially supporting your trip to the Schengen can also work as evidence of being financially sound. In order for this letter to be valid, it must be accompanied by a bank statement of the sponsor, no older than three months. Moreover, a combination of your bank account statement and a letter of sponsorship can also work.
Proof of paid visa fee: Proof that you have paid the visa fee has to be attached as well.
Besides the above-mentioned documents, Schengen embassies around the world may require some specific documents from the visa candidates depending on their employment status as well as several additional documents depending upon the type of Schengen visa applied for.
Where to Apply for Schengen Visa
The official guidelines state that one must lodge the application for a Schengen visa at the Consulate of the country that they intend to visit. If one wants to visit more than one Schengen State, the consulate of the country where they will spend the longest period should be contacted for lodging the application.
In case one intends to visit several Schengen States and the stays will be of equal length, they must apply at the consulate of the country whose external borders they will cross first when entering the Schengen area.
As a general rule, you must apply for a visa at the consulate with territorial competence for the country in which you legally reside.
Still, if there is any confusion, the central authorities (Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Immigration Office) of that country can guide better and can confirm whether that Schengen State is represented by another in the country where you reside.
Regarding the timeline, the application must be submitted to the consulate at least 15 days before the intended journey and cannot be lodged earlier than six months before the start of the intended journey. You may have to book an appointment before lodging the application.
The applicants may be entitled to an accelerated visa procedure free of charge if they meet the following criteria:
- Are a family member of a European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) citizen; and
that EU/EEA citizen is traveling to or is residing in a member state other than that of which he/she is a citizen. - Are accompanying the EU/EEA citizen or planning to join him/her in the Schengen State of destination.
After you have booked an appointment, submitted all documents, and paid the fee, you will be asked to appear for an interview as part of your Schengen visa application process. Make sure to show up on time, on the day of the appointment, and answer the questions asked about your trip. Ensure that your answers are firm and correct and that they comply with the information in the application form and the other documents.
After the interview, the Embassy/Consulate or visa agency will process your visa application, which will undergo thorough checks via EU security systems and finally, you will be informed whether you have secured a visa or not.
Schengen Visa Digitalization
The travel of Schengen countries by citizens from across the world would be seamless soon as plans are underway to digitize the process of applying for visa.
Members of the EU parliament are in the final stages to allow digitization of the visa issuance process in place of physical applications and visa stickers. The start of interinstitutional negotiations with the Council of the EU in order to reach an agreement on the final form of the law has been authorized in this regard.
As many as 34 votes were cast in favour of the digitization (which was part of the report). The digitization process was also confirmed by VFS Global which said they were aware of EU plans to digitize the visa application process, and as an external service provider look forward to supporting the governments on their transformation journey.
The details on the process are still not clear but tour operators across the world are unanimous in supporting the change and opine that this would help Europe improve its reputation as a tourist destination.
