Traveling in Europe has been simplified with the introduction of the Schengen visa. As a visitor to the Schengen area, you will enjoy the many advantages of this unified visa system.
With a Schengen visa, you may enter one country and travel freely throughout the Schengen zone. Internal border controls have been abolished; there are no or few stops and checks. This means that internal air, road and train travel are handled as domestic trips, similar to travel from one US state to another. Those who traveled in Europe before Schengen know the difference. However, they established a provision for a common policy on a temporary entry person, the harmonization of external borders and cross border police and judicial co-operation.
At present, there are 31 countries who signed the agreement. However, there are six (6) countries who have not yet fully implemented these agreements. The Schengen visa helps promote a unified Europe, and is therefore an important symbol of the European Union.
A Schengen Visa holder can travel freely to any (or all) member countries using one single visa. The maximum stay is three (3) months in a six (6) month period. The purpose of visit must be for leisure, tourism or business.
Single Entry Visa – allows continuous stay on the territory of one or several Schengen states, provided it does not exceed 3 months.
Multiple Entry Visa – allows several stays on the territory of one or several Schengen States, provided the total length of visits does not exceed 3 months in any half year from the date of first entry.
allows travelers who are going from one non-Schengen State to another non-Schengen State to pass through the territories of the Schengen States.
this is required from certain travelers to go through the international transit area airports, especially during the stop over or transfer between the two (2) stages of international flight.
Download: Schengen State Members