How to apply for a Schengen short-stay visa

What does a Schengen short-stay visa cover?

A Schengen short-stay visa authorises transit through, or an intended stay in, the territory of the Member States for no more than three months in any six-month period, counted from the date of first entry. [4] A uniform visa is valid for the entire territory of the Member States, while a visa with limited territorial validity covers one or more Member States but not all of them. [4]

Whether a traveller needs one depends on nationality. The European Commission directs readers to Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 for the countries whose nationals must hold a visa, and to Annex II for the countries whose nationals are exempt. [3] Longer stays sit outside this system: visas for stays exceeding 90 days are subject to national procedures. [3]

The 90-day ceiling is a border rule as well as a visa rule. The Schengen Borders Code sets the permitted stay for non-EU nationals at no more than 90 days in any 180-day period, which entails considering the 180 days preceding each day of stay. [5] The Commission puts the same limit more simply: a visit of up to 90 days in any 180-day period, with as many entries as the traveller likes but a total of 90 days every 180. [3]

Which country should you apply to?

The Member State competent to examine a uniform visa application is the one whose territory is the sole destination of the visit. [4] If the trip has several destinations, competence lies with the country that is the main destination by length or purpose of stay, and if no main destination can be determined, with the country whose external border the applicant intends to cross to enter the Schengen area. [4] For transit, the competent state is the one being transited, or, where several are transited, the one whose external border is crossed to begin the transit. [4]

The application goes to the consulate of that Member State in whose jurisdiction the applicant legally resides. [4] A consulate may also examine an application from someone who is legally present but not resident in its jurisdiction, provided the applicant justifies lodging it there. [4] One Schengen country can also represent another for examining applications and issuing visas, including limited representation solely to collect applications and enrol biometrics. [4]

What documents and biometrics do you need?

An application may be lodged no more than three months before the start of the intended visit, and a holder of a multiple-entry visa valid for at least six months may lodge it before that visa expires. [4] Consulates may require an appointment, which as a rule should take place within two weeks of the request, and applicants normally appear in person to lodge the application. [4]

At the consulate the applicant hands in a completed and signed application form, presents a travel document and a photograph, allows fingerprints to be collected where applicable, pays the visa fee, supplies supporting documents and, where applicable, proves travel medical insurance. [4] Minors submit a form signed by a person with parental authority or legal guardianship, and anyone included in the applicant's travel document needs a separate form. [4]

Supporting documents have to show the purpose of the journey, accommodation or the means to pay for it, sufficient means of subsistence for the stay and the return, and information on the applicant's intention to leave the Schengen area before the visa expires. [4] Applicants for a visa for one or two entries show insurance for their stay; applicants for a multiple-entry visa show cover for the first intended visit and sign a statement acknowledging that insurance is needed for later stays. [4]

At a first application the applicant appears in person for a photograph and ten fingerprints taken flat and collected digitally. [4] Fingerprints first entered in the Visa Information System (VIS) less than 59 months before a new application are copied to it, although the consulate collects them again where there is reasonable doubt about identity. [4] Children under 12, people for whom fingerprinting is physically impossible, and certain visiting heads of state, government members and royal family members are exempt. [4]

The Visa Code sets the visa fee and provides for it to be revised regularly to reflect administrative costs. [4] The fee is waived for children under six, for school pupils, students, postgraduate students and accompanying teachers on study or educational training, for third-country researchers travelling for scientific research, and for representatives of non-profit organisations aged 25 or under attending qualifying events; it may also be waived for children aged six to under 12, holders of diplomatic and service passports, and participants aged 25 or under in certain non-profit events. [4]

How long is the visa valid, and how does the 90/180-day rule work?

The visa's validity and the permitted length of stay are separate. The visa authorises a stay of no more than three months in any six-month period from the date of first entry. [4] At the border the same cap applies: no more than 90 days in any 180-day period, assessed against the 180 days preceding each day of stay. [5] Extra entries do not buy extra days, since a traveller may enter as often as they like but may stay only 90 days in every 180. [3] See the 90/180-day rule explained.

Border checks on entry look at the visa, the entry and exit stamps and the length of stay already used, and separately at whether the traveller justifies the purpose and conditions of the stay and holds sufficient means of subsistence. [5] A valid visa is one entry condition among several, alongside a travel document valid at least three months beyond departure and issued within the previous 10 years. [5] Passport rules are covered in passport validity and entry checks.

How does ETIAS fit with a Schengen visa?

ETIAS is not a visa. [3] Visa-exempt travellers will need to complete an online ETIAS form and pay a small fee before travelling to the Schengen area, six months after the Entry/Exit System (EES) is fully implemented. [3] The European Commission compares the authorisation to the United States' ESTA, Canada's eTA and Australia's eVisitor. [3] It is therefore a step for travellers who do not need a visa, not a substitute for a Schengen visa where one is required. [3] The full picture is in ETIAS and EU travel authorisation.

Exceptions and limits

• Airport transit. National of certain countries must hold an airport transit visa even to pass through the international part of a Schengen airport, and individual Schengen countries can impose their own airport transit requirements on other nationalities. [3] Holders of a valid uniform visa, national long-stay visa or residence permit issued by a Member State are exempt, as are holders of listed residence permits from Andorra, Canada, Japan, San Marino or the United States, holders of a valid visa from certain countries, family members of EU citizens, diplomatic passport holders and flight crew who are nationals of a Chicago Convention party. [4] See the airport transit visa guide.
• Trusted applicants. Consulates may waive the personal appearance requirement for applicants known to them for integrity and reliability, and may waive some supporting documents for applicants with a good record of lawful use of previous visas. [4]
• Emergency waivers. The three-month passport validity requirement may be waived in a justified emergency, both when applying and at the border. [4] [5]
• Insurance exemptions. Diplomatic passport holders do not need travel medical insurance, and the requirement may be treated as met where an adequate level of cover can be presumed from the applicant's profession, such as seafarers. [4]
• Visas at the border. A traveller who meets every entry condition except holding a visa may be allowed in if a visa is issued at the border under the Visa Code. [5]
• Territorial limits. A visa with limited territorial validity does not authorise travel across the whole Schengen area. [4]

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a Schengen visa for a two-week holiday?

That depends on your nationality: Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 lists the countries whose nationals must hold a visa, and Annex II the countries whose nationals are exempt. [3] Where a visa is required, it covers a stay of no more than three months in any six-month period. [4]

Can I apply at any Schengen consulate?

No. The application goes to the consulate of the country that is your sole or main destination, in the jurisdiction where you legally reside. [4] A consulate outside your jurisdiction may accept the file only if you justify lodging it there. [4]

How early can I apply?

No more than three months before the intended visit, or earlier if you already hold a multiple-entry visa valid for at least six months. [4] Where an appointment is required, it should as a rule be offered within two weeks of the request. [4]

Does ETIAS replace a Schengen visa?

No. ETIAS is not a visa, and the European Commission describes it as an online form and fee that visa-exempt travellers will need once the Entry/Exit System is fully implemented. [3]

Related pages

The Schengen 90/180-day rule, ETIAS and EU travel authorisation, passport validity and entry checks, Schengen airport transit visa, and the frequent flyer glossary.

Sources

Sources checked on 18 October 2026. It covers short-stay Schengen visas only: national long-stay visas and residence permits are not covered, and ETIAS is not treated as a substitute for a visa that a traveller is required to hold.

1. European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs: Visa policy, checked 18 October 2026
2. Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 establishing a Community Code on Visas (Visa Code), checked 18 October 2026
3. Regulation (EU) 2016/399 on a Union Code on the rules governing the movement of persons across borders (Schengen Borders Code), checked 18 October 2026