What is schengen area

Luxembourg visa. Netherlands visa. Portugal visa. Slovakia visa. Slovenia visa. Spain Visa. Switzerland visa. Although 26 countries are inside the Schengen Zone, including most nations in mainland Europe - not every European state is inside the area where border checks have been abolished.

Find out the list of non-Schengen countries. It means that for short stays, the visa process is relatively simple and uniform and that when you get a Schengen Visa to travel to any state, France, for example, you can automatically travel to others within the area, like Germany and Italy, on the same visa.

It also means that the process of obtaining a Schengen Visa is relatively standardized and you will need the same supporting documents - a passport, passport photographs, a travel itinerary and proof of accommodation, a letter of invitation if applicable , and proof of means of subsistence, to travel to any Schengen state.

None of these policies will require you to pay an excess fee on medical costs. How to apply for a visa Schengen? What different types of Schengen visas exist?

What type of Schengen visa do I need? Do I need a Schengen visa? How to apply in an embassy or a consulate? You must apply to the embassy of the country where you plan to spend the majority of your trip. If you apply to the wrong embassy your visa may be refused or you may have to resubmit it at the correct embassy. You will need to apply for a multiple-entry Schengen Visa. These can come in double or triple-entry visas or longer-term ones that allow you to make multiple trips over a period of one three or five years.

Get Schengen insurance. The 26 countries of the Schengen area Get a quote. What is the Schengen Agreement? Which countries are in the Schengen Area? Today the Schengen area is composed of 26 states, and most of it overlaps with European Union EU territory. One of the principles of Schengen is the free movement of persons. Checks of persons are not carried out at internal border crossings.

Citizens of EU member states including Estonia must present a valid passport or ID card when entering the Schengen area. Citizens of non-Schengen states must be prepared to present other documents in addition to a valid passport, such as an explanation of the purpose of travel, should the border guard request them.

Citizens of non-Schengen states visiting the Schengen area. Citizens of non-Schengen states who do not require a visa to enter the Schengen area may stay there for up to 90 days within a 6-month period, starting from the date of first entry into the Schengen area.

Citizens of non-Schengen states who are required to obtain a visa to enter the Schengen area may stay there in accordance with the conditions established in the visa, though not for more than 90 days within a 6-month period, starting from the date of first entry into the Schengen area.

The passport is also stamped when the person leaves the Schengen area. With free movement of persons, how is security guaranteed in Schengen states? To guarantee the security of Schengen member states and to prevent the spread of organised crime, the Schengen Information System SIS was created for the Schengen states.

Officially known as the Republic of Finland, the Nordic country is bordered by Norway to the north, Sweden to the northwest, and Russia to the east. It is famous for its educational system, and for being one of the safest and most eco-friendly countries on earth. Its 5,, residents populate the happiest country in the world. Finland has an area of , km2. It signed the Schengen agreement on 19 December and started its implementation on 25 March It remains one of the most visited Schengen countries, since last year alone, it received , visa applications.

Statistics show that out of around 3,1 million tourists that entered Finland in , 1,5 million of them were from the EU states. The most visited country in Europe, France, is not all about the Eiffel Tower. Known for its fine wine, sheer diversity, heritage sites and luxury skiing resorts, the country lured The ,km2 country borders eight European countries: Belgium and Luxembourg in the northeast, Germany and Switzerland in the east, Italy and Monaco in the southeast, and Andorra and Spain in the south and southwest.

It is home to 64,, residents, who can move freely within the Schengen Area, since the country is one of the five founding countries of the Schengen Zone on 14 June The implementation of the agreement in France started on 26 March The land of invention and innovation and the second most visited Schengen country, Germany, consists of an area of ,km2 and 16 constituent states.

The most populous EU member is also the European country that borders most other countries. It has Austria to the southeast, Switzerland to the south-southwest, France, Luxembourg and Belgium lie to the west, and the Netherlands to the northwest.

The German passport is amongst the top three most powerful passports in the world, since its 81,, residents can visit countries visa-free. Germany is one of the five founding countries of the Schengen agreement, signed on 14 June It started its implementation ten years later on 26 March The cradle of Western civilization, Greece, is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa.

The Hellenic Republic is considered the birthplace of democracy, western literature, historiography, political science, Olympic games, etc. Despite the fact that its borders have changed throughout the year, today Greece shares land borders with Albania in the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey in the northeast.

Despite that Greece signed the Schengen agreement on 6 November and started its implementation on 1 January , none of its neighbours has joined the area yet. The country has an area of , km2 and 11,, residents. Greece has a unique cultural heritage, beautiful islands and beaches, which makes it a favourite destination for many travellers.

In , it received 1,, visa applications from travellers worldwide, which makes it the fifth Schengen country with the most applications received. Located in Central Europe, Hungary has an area of 93, km2 and is home to 9,, residents. It shares land borders with Slovakia in the north, Ukraine in the northeast, Austria in the northwest, Romania in the east, Serbia in the south, Croatia in the southwest, and Slovenia in the west.

A high number of travellers visit the country each year. When it comes to tourism, Hungary is one of the main medical tourism destinations in Europe. It signed the Schengen agreement on 16 April and started its implementation on 21 December The Nordic island country is located in the North Atlantic and is volcanically and geologically active.

It has a population of ,, two-thirds of which reside in the capital of Reykjavik and the surrounding area. The country has an area of , km2.

Ecotourism and whale-watching are amongst the top tourist attractions in Iceland. However, in , the country received 7, visa applications, the least among all other states. It first signed the Schengen agreement on 19 December It signed a second agreement, which replaced the first, on 18 May following the incorporation of the agreement into EU law by the Treaty of Amsterdam.

Iceland finally started the implementation of the agreement on 25 March The sovereign state of the Italian Republic is located in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea. With 59,, residents, it is the fourth most populous EU member. Italy is the successor of what was known as the enormous Roman Empire, which left behind a rich history and a lot of cultural attractions, which have affected Italy to become one of the top destinations in Europe.

Italy is also the country that gave the world some of the most famous scholars, artists and polymaths as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Galileo and Machiavelli. It started the implementation of the Schengen agreement on 26 October after having signed it previously on 27 November In , it was the third Schengen state with the most visa applications received 1,, The Republic of Latvia shares borders with Estonia in the northern region, Lithuania in the south, to the east is Russia, and Belarus to the southeast.

The 64,km2 country has a population of 1,, inhabitants. It signed the Schengen agreement on 16 April and started its implementation on 21 December , thus becoming part of the European borderless territory. Riga was named the European Capital of Culture for The principality of Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked German-speaking microstate in Central Europe.

It has an area of only km2 and 37, residents, which makes it the fourth smallest European country. Liechtenstein shares borders with Switzerland to the west and south, and Austria to the east and north. The country is mainly mountainous, thus an alluring winter sports destination. It is the last country that joined the border-free Schengen area after it signed the agreement io. The 65,km2 country is bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, Poland to the south, and Kaliningrad Oblast a Russian exclave to the southwest.