Schengen Visa
A Schengen visa is an official document mandatory for some non-Europeans to travel to all the 27 countries which are part of the Schengen area. Once granted, this visa allows the traveller to cross the borders of the other member-states without going through identity checks at the border. There are several types of Schengen visa but the most common (the short-stay visa) allows to travel/stay for 90 days maximum over a 6 month period starting from the entry date stated on the visa.
Different Schengen Visas
- Type A Schengen visa – Airport Transit Visa
The type A visa (Airport Transit Visa) allows citizens of non-Schengen states to transit through or wait for their connecting flight in the international zone of an airport located in a Schengen country. It is compulsory for those travelling from a non-Schengen country to another non-Schengen country and who have to connect flights in the airport of a Schengen country. The holder of a type A visa is not allowed to enter the said Schengen country.
- Type B Schengen visa
The type B visa relates to journeys lasting fewer than five days has been replaced by type “C” with the condition “transit”.
- Type C Schengen visa
The short stay Schengen visa is the most common one. It is issued by the visa services (embassies, consulates, appointed external providers) of a country belonging to the Schengen area. It allows the holder to stay or travel freely in the Schengen area for less than 90 days over a 180 day period.
According to the purpose of your trip, the short-stay category C Schengen visa can be : a single-entry, a double-entry or a multiple-entry.
- Type D Schengen visa
The national visa is the type D long-stay Schengen visa. It is mandatory for any foreigner wishing to study, work or live in a Schengen country for longer than 90 days (up to 1 year).
