Everything You Wonder About Schengen Visa

What is a Schengen Visa?

Schengen refers to the area that covers the members of the European Union and the members of the European Free Trade Association. The Schengen Visa is a short-term European visa that allows travel to the Schengen Area and member countries. This type of visa allows you to stay in any of the Schengen countries for a total of 90 days within a maximum of 180 days.

There are 26 different countries in the Schengen Area. These countries with a common visa policy include Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Croatia, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, Iceland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary , Malta, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Vatican and Greece.

What are the Documents Required for Schengen Visa Application?

• If you are planning to travel to more than one Schengen country, you should apply for a visa at the Embassy or Consulate of the Schengen country where you will be staying for most of your visit.

• You must fill in and sign the visa application form of the country you plan to travel to. You can get the current application form of the country you are traveling to from the consulate of the country you are going to.

• Biometric photographs taken within the last 6 months must be submitted for Schengen visa photography.

• When applying for a Schengen visa, your passport must be valid for at least 6 months.

• Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after leaving the Schengen country and must have at least 2 blank visa pages for your Schengen visa.

• Photocopies of existing documents and, if available, photocopies of previously obtained Schengen visas.

• Reservation document approved by the hotel, containing all documents related to your trip, round-trip flight reservation, flight numbers, accommodation information, applicant's information.

• Travel health insurance valid in every Schengen state, covering medical expenses up to a minimum of 30,000 Euros.

• Bank statement of the last 3 months, stamped and signed payroll, your employment statement, tax information, SGK service statement, vehicle, house and land deed, if any, proving that you are financially competent during your stay.

How to get Schengen Visa?

• In order to apply for a Schengen visa, your passport must be valid for at least 6 months.

• You must fill in the current application form of the country you want to apply for a Schengen visa.

• You should prepare the required documents requested.

• You must make an appointment in advance to personally deliver your completed documents, take digital fingerprints and biometric photographs.

• After verifying the documents, you must pay the visa fees.

After all these steps are completed, the Schengen visa is finalized within 3-7 days after the application.

How to Apply for a Schengen Visa?

You must make an appointment in advance.

You must download and complete the most recent accepted application form. You should be careful that you do not leave any blank spaces, and write NA (No Answer) in the fields that you think are not relevant.

After completing your appointment and filling out the application form, you should check the documents required for the application again and have your biometric photograph taken in the desired dimensions and quality.

You should arrive on time for your appointment and answer personal questions about your travel plans, education, work and company history.

What are the Schengen Visa Types and Duration?

Type C (Short Term Tourist Visa) Schengen Visa

Type C short-term Schengen visas for touristic trips, short study programs and business trips allow you to travel for a maximum of 90 days, whether for 1 year or 5 years. Type C Schengen visa is issued for single, double or multiple entries depending on your travel  situation. Schengen visas are generally approved as single-entry.

Single-entry Schengen visas allow a person to make a single trip within a 90-day period in the Schengen area. Double or multiple entry Schengen visas allow a person to make many trips in the Schengen Area up to 90 days in a maximum period of 180 days.

D Type (Residence Permit, Long Term Stays) Schengen Visa

D-type visas are a type of visa issued to people who will study, reside or work in one of the Schengen countries. D-type Schengen visas, known as long-term visas, are valid for 4 to 12 months. Type D Schengen visas allow a person to travel for more than 90 days.

How to Get a Long Term Schengen Visa?

The validity and duration of stay granted by the Schengen visa can be extended for a maximum of 90 days. You should apply to the competent authorities before the validity period of your visa expires. You can apply for a visa several times from the same country and extend your visa a little longer. You can apply for a Schengen visa to one of the countries that issue long-term visas such as Italy and Spain. After preparing the necessary documents for the visa application, you can increase your chances of obtaining a long-term visa by adding documents such as hotel reservation, flight information, flight ticket to your file, showing that you will go back to the Schengen country where you want to get a visa. You can also write a petition explaining why you want to go back to the country you want to go to.

Schengen Visa Fees

Type C Short stay (90 days) 80 Euro

Type D Long term stay (more than 90 days) 116 Euros