The number of people applying for the Schengen visa from India is increasing leaps and bounds every year. These visa applications are for different purposes such as tourism, business meetings, or friends and family get-togethers. The Schengen visa allows the bearer to visit 29 member countries with one visa sticker.
According to the EU Commission, every year, hundreds and thousands of Indians apply for the Schengen visa which helps it remain in the top 5 most visa-awarding countries around the world. In 2023 alone about 966,687 short-term visa applications were submitted for different member countries by Indian nationals. These numbers are 43% more than previous years’ statistics.
Steps for applying for a Schengen visa from India
Overall there are general rules for applying for a Schengen visa around the world. But still country wise there are some requirements which are meant to be met. These depend heavily on the purpose of the tour and what you currently do. There are different steps, which can be addressed as follows:
Knowing the Schengen area visa?
A Schengen area visa grants permission for short-term visits of up to 90 days within a 180-day period. It may be a single-entry visa for one trip, double entry, or a multiple-entry visa for multiple trips. The good news is that Indian nationals have now officially been declared eligible to get the multiple entry visa. The EU on 18 April 2024 announced it.
Choosing a Schengen country from India
You, in general, a s visa applicant do not choose in which country to apply for the Schengen visa from India. It depends on your main country of destination. You should choose a country for 29 members where you are going to stay for most of the days of your tour. If your tour is divided into equal days for all chosen countries, then the first country of destination will be the country you should apply the Schengen visa for.
What are the Schengen countries (new list)?
You should know there are now 29 total Schengen countries instead of 26. The latest entries are Croatia which joined the Schengen zone in January 2023 and then in March 2024, Bulgaria and Romania also became Schengen members. Here is the latest list of all Schengen countries:
| Austria | Greece | Malta | Slovakia |
| Belgium | Iceland | Netherlands | Slovenia |
| Croatia | Italy | Norway | Spain |
| Denmark | Latvia | Poland | Czechia |
| Estonia | Liechtenstein | Portugal | Hungary |
| Finland | Lithuania | Sweden | Germany |
| France | Luxembourg | Switzerland | Romania |
| Bulgaria |
Determine your purpose of the tour
A Schengen visa allows you to choose different purposes for your tour to the Schengen country. These can be as follows:
| Purpose of visa | Explanation |
| Tourism | This visa category is for tourist purposes and sightseeing. |
| Business | One applies for this visa for business activities, meetings, or exhibitions. |
| Medical | In this category, the visa is provided to patients who need medical care in any hospital or medical clinic in one of the Schengen member states for a time of 12 weeks within 180 days. |
| Study | Those who want to attend any school or university courses, language, and other short courses within ninety days of the period are given this visa. |
| Official | These are for diplomats and officials of the countries. |
| Airport transit | This option is for those who travel through the international zone of a Schengen Country Airport without using the Schengen Country. Only selected nationals of non-EU countries require this visa. Currently, nationals of 21 countries need to apply for airport transit and Indians are one of these. |
| Sports, Cultural, and Film crews | Applicants who want to attend religious, Sports, or Cultural events and film crews. The candidate should be a participant in the event, not just an audience. |
Choosing a visa category
In the next step, choosing a visa category is very important. Different types of Schengen visas are categorized under the Uniform Schengen visa that applies to both “A”, “B”, and “C” categories, depending on the purpose of the Schengen visa trip.
- “A” category means airport Transit Visa as detailed above.
- The “B” category is also the Transit Visa. It allows you to transit through more than one Schengen country on the way to a non-Schengen country and is valid for 5 days.
- The “C” category is a short-term visa. Short-term visa holders are required to live in the Schengen area for a specified period, depending on the visa validity. Short-term visa holders are given a visa choice according to their traveling purpose. It grants permission for short-term visits of up to 90 days within a 180-day period. They can get a visa in the form of the following:
The long-term Schengen visa is called a “D” type visa and it is used to stay in the member countries for work, study (completing a college or university degree), or family reunification. This visa is not a part of the short-term visa so we will not discuss it further here.
Knowing the Schengen visa entry system
When you first apply for the Schengen visa, you choose a single entry visa. This is mandatory. From the first application, you cannot be granted a double or multiple-entry visa. Nowadays, in most cases, only a single-entry or multiple-entry visa is granted.
| Entry type | Explanation |
| Single entry visa | A single entry visa allows you to enter and exit the Schengen zone only once. However, you can enter as many Schengen member countries as you wish and this will have nothing to do with the entry system. The single entry only means if you exit the whole Schengen area. In this case, even if your visa is valid, you cannot enter a Schengen zone country from a non-Schengen country such as India. It is granted for a maximum of 90 days in a 180 days time. |
| Double entry visa | This visa allows you to enter and exit the Schengen member zone two times. However, you can enter and exit inside the Schengen countries as many times as you want. |
| Multple entry visa | A multiple-entry visa allows its bearer to enter and exit the Schengen member area as many times as the visa holder wants. It is granted generally for 1, 3, or 5 years of validity. But the announcement was made specially for Indian nationals by the EU for granting them 2 or 5 years of validity visa. |
One cannot choose to be granted a multiple-entry Schengen visa. It is granted only if you have been previously awarded two short-term Schengen visas. It also happens sometimes that you have applied for a single entry visa and have been awarded a double entry visa. And some when they apply for a multiple entry visa get a single entry visa. It all depends on the embassy of the country you apply the visa for.
Schengen travel visa required documents for Indian nationals
For Indian nationals, applying for a Schengen travel visa, the following documents are required:
- A valid passport with a validity of more than 6 months,
- Duly filled Schengen visa form. Some countries allow you to also fill in the visa form online (such as Germany and France),
- A passport-sized photograph as per the standards of the EU,
- Letter of invitation from your host in the Schengen country (if required). Please note you may need approval for invitations to some countries such as Romania;
- Enough financial resources to bear your expenses in the Schengen country. It depends on your conditions such as:
- how long you will stay and if you will stay in a hotel, or with relatives or friends. You will need a bank statement to show readily available money. Credit cards, the property you own and bonds can also be counted as helpful in showing your financial circumstances;
- Complete details of your personal or sponsored financial status,
- In case you are employed the documents you need to submit are;
- Job confirmation letter in case you work full or part-time,
- Salary slips of the last six months (optional but extremely important),
- Any traveler’s cheques or bonds,
- Holidays approval letter from your employer,
- Income tax returns of previous years (options but important),
- If you are self-employed, you need the following documents to submit;
- Self-employment details,
- Business registration certificate,
- Details of tax your company or business entity pays,
- National tax number,
- Any agreement details if the business is divided into partners,
- Visiting card with details of business email and contact numbers,
- In case you get the visa, who will bear your responsibilities in your absence,
- Personal and business bank statements,
- Other income sources.
- Showing country of origin ties. You should be able to convince the immigration service officer that you will leave the Schengen country at the end of your trip. Convince the immigration officer that you have a relationship – such as a job, home, financial assets, or family that will take you back to your country;
- The most important thing is that you have a clean history record and have no immigration-related convictions in any of the Schengen countries as the data is saved and shared through SIS (Schengen Information System);
- Details of hotel bookings if you are traveling for sightseeing or accommodation proofs if you are staying with your relative or family member;
- Providing health and travel insurance. In support of short-term or travel visa applications, applicants must show that they have individual or group Travel Medical Insurance, the minimum coverage is €30,000 for the intended period of stay;
- A Cover letter for your tour plans;
- An Itinerary for the trip,
- A return ticket reservation confirmation.
Where to submit a Schengen travel visa application in India?
Each country itself decides if it allows you to apply directly to its Embassy or Consulate in India. Most of the countries have their embassies in New Dehli whereas others have consulates in Mumbai, Chennai, and Bengaluru.
Some Schengen countries also outsource third companies like VFS Global that collect the visa applications on their behalf. In this case, these companies charge extra service charges from the applicants.
Country-wise visa application centers of VFS Global, BLS, Global visa center, and Embassies are as follows:
| Austria | Denmark | Hungary |
| Belgium | Estonia | Iceland |
| Bulgaria | Finland | Italy |
| Croatia | France | Latvia |
| Czechia | Germany | Lithuania |
| Luxembourg | Malta | Norway |
| Poland | Portugal | Slovenia |
| Spain (BLS) | Liechtenstein (Through Switzerland Embassy) | Romania |
| Sweden | Switzerland | The Netherlands |
| Slovakia (BLS) | Greece (Global Visa Center) |
Currently, VFS Global has visa application centers in the following cities:
| Location | Day | Opening hours |
| Ahmedabad | Monday-Friday | 09:00 – 17:00 |
| Bengaluru | Monday – Friday | 08:00 – 16:00 |
| Chandigarh | Monday – Friday | 09:00 – 14:00 |
| Chennai | Monday – Friday | 08:00 – 15:00 |
| Hyderabad | Monday – Friday | 08:00 – 15:00 |
| Jalandhar | Monday – Friday | 09:00 – 14:00 |
| Kochi | Monday – Friday | 09:00 – 13:00 |
| Kolkata | Monday to Friday | 09:00 – 14:00 |
| Lucknow | Monday – Friday | 09:00 – 16:00 |
| Mumbai | Monday – Friday | 08:00 – 16:00 |
| New Delhi | Monday to Friday | 09:00 – 16:00 |
| Puducherry | Monday – Friday | 08:00 – 13:00 |
| Pune | Monday – Friday | 08:00 – 16:00 |
How much is Schengen visa fee in India?
The Schengen area visa fee is the same for all member countries.
| Schengen Visa Category | Fee in EUR | Fee in INR |
| Adult applicant | 80€ | 7,200 |
| Children between 6-12 years of age | 40€ | 3,600 |
| Children younger than 6 years of age | Free | 0 |
| Holders of diplomatic, official, or service passports traveling for official purposes | Free | 0 |
| A family member of an EU/EEA national | Free | 0 |
| Pupils, students, and accompanying teachers during a school trip | Free | 0 |
| Researchers traveling to perform scientific research | Free | 0 |
How much does a Schengen visa cost in India?
There are two types of costs that you may have to bear:
- Fixed cost for the Schengen visa means a visa fee that is currently INR 7,200. There is also a Biometric fee that depends upon the third party that is collecting it. It ranges from INR 3,600 (subject to change).
- Application preparation costs can be the cost of document translation, travel, and health insurance, hotel booking, return air ticket, attestation fee, and other traveling costs, etc.
Applying for the visa
Once you have filled and signed the visa application form, and gathered all the necessary documents for your visa application it is time to get an appointment from the visa application center or embassy. On the given day, you must attend these centers or the embassy to submit the Schengen visa application.
Visa interview
You may have to attend the interview regarding your visa application. This is however not an official requirement in most of the cases. If you are required to do so, the following are the quest sample questions:
| what is the purpose of your visit? | Who will bear your visit expenses? | Which country of Schengen you are going to visit? | Who will you stay with within Schengen country? |
| What is your qualification? | Why did you choose the Schengen area? | Where are you going to stay? | Are you married, what does your spouse do, how many kids do you have? |
Processing time
It depends upon each case but in general, the processing time is set to 15 days. However, it could take up to 45 days in some cases.
Result of the Schengen visa application
The outcome of the visa application can be positive or negative. If the visa has been approved, a sticker of the Schengen visa is attached to your passport. You can travel from the date mentioned on your visa sticker.
If the visa application has been refused, some countries may allow you to appeal against the decision of the visa officer. In most cases, however, this has the same result as before.