TRAVELING TO EUROPE
Schengen Visas
The Schengen Area is comprised of 26 European countries that have a shared, common visa policy which means if you are a citizen of a particular country, you may need to apply for a Schengen Visa.
What is a Schengen Visa?
The Schengen Area is comprised of 26 European countries that have a shared, common visa policy. The Schengen area consists of the following countries:
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Switzerland.
Tourist or business travelers traveling to ANY of the countries are subject to one single visa policy for all of these countries as defined below.
Passport holders from these countries do not need a Schengen visa; they may stay in the Schengen area for up to 90 days without a visa for tourism or business.
If you are a citizen of any of the countries listed below, you will need a Schengen Visa:
DR of Congo
Mosambique
North Corea
Northern Marianas
Who Needs a Transit Visa?
Citizens of the following countries will need to obtain a transit visa:
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, D.R. Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Myanmar/Burma, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, and Turkey.
General Exceptions
Nationals of the above mentioned countries MAY NOT require an airport transit visa if:
have a valid visa for the UK, Ireland, Japan, Canada, USA, Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Lichtenstein
they are a partner (married, common-law or same sex) or child of an EU/EEA/EFTA national and hold a British "Residence Card of a Family Member of an EEA National"
they are holders of Diplomatic Passports
have a valid visa for a Member State of the EU, Canada, Japan or the United States of America, or when they return from these countries after having used the visa
If you require a Schengen visa, you will need to apply for that visa in person. TYPICALLY, you will be required to apply at the foreign consulate of the Schengen country you will enter first OR at the foreign consulate of the Schengen country where you intend to spend the most time. For this reason, SPS does not assist with Schengen visa processing.
If you require a Schengen visa, you will need to apply for that visa in person at the appropriate Embassy or Consulate in your country of residence. TYPICALLY, you will be required to apply at the foreign consulate of the Schengen country you will enter first OR at the foreign consulate of the Schengen country where you intend to spend the most time. For this reason, SPS does not assist with Schengen visa processing. To get started, we suggest contacting the foreign consulate website for details.
If you intend to visit only one Schengen country, apply to the Embassy or Consulate of that country.
If you intend to visit several of the Schengen countries, you must apply for a visa at the Embassy or Consulate of the country in which your main destination is situated (longest duration of stay).
If you intend to visit several of the Schengen countries without having a main destination, you should apply for the visa at the Embassy or Consulate of the first Schengen country on your travel itinerary that requires you to have a visa.
Requirements for a Schengen visa may vary slightly between the different Schengen missions. Please note that only applications with all supporting documents will be accepted. In some cases further documents and guarantees may be required with your application.
Processing time: Your application should be lodged at the Embassy or Consulate at least 3 weeks before your proposed departure date. Many consulates require an appointment, and have long wait times for appointment availability. Contact the consulate far in advance to determine average processing times. Below are some links to the Schenghen country consulates in the USA to help get you started.
Consulate Information:
Austria Embassy and Consulate Information
Belgium Embassy and Consulate Information
Denmark Embassy and Consulate Information
Finland Embassy and Consulate Information
France Embassy and Consulate Information
Germany Embassy and Consulate Information
Greece Embassy and Consulate Information
Iceland Embassy and Consulate Information
Italy Embassy and Consulate Information
Luxembourg Embassy and Consulate Information
The Netherlands Embassy and Consulate Information
Norway Embassy and Consulate Information
Portugal Embassy and Consulate Information
Spain Embassy and Consulate Information
Sweden Embassy and Consulate Information
Estonia Embassy and Consulate Information
Latvia Embassy and Consulate Information
Lithuania Embassy and Consulate Information
Malta Embassy and Consulate Information
Poland Embassy and Consulate Information
Slovakia Embassy and Consulate Information
Slovenia Embassy and Consulate Information
Czech Republic Embassy and Consulate Information
Hungary Embassy and Consulate Information
Switzerland Embassy and Consulate Information
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