Everything You Need to Know About Types of Schengen Visas

There are 3 major types of visas available:

1. Universal Schengen Visa (USV)

This is the most common type of visa, categorized into:

I) Type “A” (Airport Transit Visa)

This visa allows a traveler to travel through the international Schengen country of Airports without entering into the Schengen Area. It is mandatory for travelers who are travelling from one non-Schengen area to another with the change of flights inside any Schengen Airport.

II) Type “C” (Short Term Visa)

This is a short-term visa which allows a traveler to travel to any Schengen Areas for a maximum of 90 days throughout any 180 days. For more information refer to the 90/180 Schengen Visa Rule. There are multiple variants of this visa:

           

·         Single Entry Visa: Single entry visa allows you to enter Schengen region one time. Once you leave from the Schengen zone, you will not be allowed to enter again even if you have days left for your stay of 90 days.

·         Note: Single Entry Visa doesn't mean that you can enter only one country among the 26. It allows you to enter every country as long as you don’t leave the “Schengen Zone”, but you cannot exceed a total of 90 continuous days.

·         Double Entry Visa: This is just like Single entry visa but you will be able to leave Schengen area once and come back. If you leave the second time, you cannot enter the Schengen zone again on the same visa.

·         Multiple Entry Visa: Multiple entry visa allows a traveler to travel in and out of Schengen as many times as needed as long as the 90/180 rule is followed. This can be applied for 1-Year, 3-Years, & 5 Year visa.

2. Limited Territorial Validity (LTV)

This visa allows you to travel to the only state which has issued this visa, or in certain cases few other states can also be visited if they are specifically mentioned on the Visa in the form of codes. To learn more about these state codes, see Schengen Country Codes. The holder of this visa cannot go to any other country other than the ones mentioned on the visa sticker.

3. National Visa or Type “D”

If you need to stay in any Schengen area for more than 90 days, you can apply for National Visa. This visa is granted to the individuals who are either studying, working, or permanently residing in one of the Schengen countries. The individual can stay for up to a maximum of 1 year. There are two variants; single and multiple entries. This can be applied for:

•           International student, for maximum up to 1 year (extension possibility is also available)

•           Medical Emergencies for short term

•           Experts travelling for sharing their expertise in any fields like Art, Sports, or any other    professional skill

•           Others updated on relevant Schengen country’s website