What is Schengen? What exactly is Schengen visa issued for?

Are you at a stage where your dream of the grand European tour is converging towards your plan for a European tour? Undoubtedly, Europe is one of the primary choices for Indians traveling abroad. This place has a perfect blend of history, traditions, and the comforts of modernity.

But before that, you would need a Schengen visa to travel to mostcountries in Europe.

Schengen:

Schengen refers to the EU passport-free zone that covers most of the European countries. With 26 countries, it is the most extensive free travel pass in the world.

So which countries can you visit with a Schengen visa?

All the 26 countries in the Schengen area (alphabetical order) are as follows: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

So, if you are planning that Grand Euro trip and your point of entry into the continent happens to be one of the countries mentioned above, you will need a Schengen visa.

What exactly is Schengen visa issued for?

•           Transit through or an intended stay in the territory of the Schengen states for no more than 90 days in a total of 180 days period (short-stay visa).

•           Transit through the international transit areas of airports of the Schengen states (Airport transit visa)

•           Hence it is imperative to know that if you plan to study, work, or live in one of theSchengen countries formore than 90 days, then you will have to apply for a national visa of that European country and not a Schengen Visa.

Things to consider before applying for a visa

Themost critical point to keep in mind before applying for a Schengen visa is tocheck and maintain your account balance. You will be required to be able to provide bank statements of a certain number of months (usually 3) before your visa interview. Once you are confident that you have adequate money to cover the days of the trip, move ahead with the visa application process.

For Indian passport holders who need a tourist visa, the next careful step you need to take is to get your entry and exit tickets, which are refundable since getting a visa is not guaranteed.

In the worst-case scenario where your visa application is rejected, you will have the option of cancelling your tickets and save some hard-earned money that you spent on them.