Obtaining a Schengen visa; Required documents, procedures, conditions and fees

Schengen visa is a practical visa for those who want to travel to EU member countries. To get a Schengen visa, you must meet the following conditions:

What is Schengen?

Schengen refers to the passport-free zone of the European Union. It includes most European countries. It is the largest free travel zone in the world.

What is a Schengen visa?

Schengen visa is a short-term visa that allows a person to travel to any member of the Schengen area for up to 90 days for tourism or business purposes.

Schengen area

The borderless Schengen area provides free movement for more than 400 million EU citizens, together with non-EU nationals living in the EU or visiting the EU as tourists, exchange students or for business purposes (anyone who is legally present in the European Union) guarantees. Free movement of people allows any EU citizen to travel, work and live in an EU country without special formalities. Schengen underpins this freedom by allowing citizens to move in the Schengen area without being subjected to border controls.

Today, the Schengen area includes most of the EU countries except Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland and Romania. However, Bulgaria and Romania are currently joining the Schengen area and already use Schengen rules to a large extent. On January 1, 2023, Croatia became the newest member state to join the Schengen Area. In addition, non-EU countries, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein also joined the Schengen area.

Freedom and security for travelers

Schengen regulations abolish controls at the internal borders of the EU, while applying a set of rules for external border controls for people entering the Schengen area for a short period (up to 90 days).

Schengen, borders and visas

EU citizens, non-EU residents and visitors to the EU should be able to travel freely and safely within the EU. The Schengen area has made this a reality.

One of the greatest achievements of the Schengen area is the European Union. It is an area without internal borders, an area where EU citizens and many non-EU nationals legally residing in the EU can move freely without being subject to border controls. Since 1985, it has gradually grown to include almost all EU member states and a few associated non-EU countries.

Visa policy

The EU has a common list of countries whose citizens must have a Schengen visa to enter the EU and a list of countries whose citizens are exempt from this requirement.

Conditions for obtaining a Schengen visa

      • Passport: You must have a valid passport that is valid for at least 6 months.

      • Visa application form: You must fill out the Schengen visa application form and enter the required information.

      • Photo: You must have a color photo of the appropriate size for the Schengen visa.

      • Airplane ticket: You must have an airplane ticket to travel to one of the EU member states. (It is not mandatory in many cases)

      • Travel insurance: You must have travel insurance to cover medical expenses and unexpected illnesses while traveling.

      • Financial proof: You must provide proof that you are able to pay for the travel expenses.

      • Educational and employment documents: For people who go to EU member states as students, employees or business owners, they must provide their educational and employment documents.

    It should be noted that the exact conditions may be different according to the member states of the European Union, and other conditions may also be required to obtain a Schengen visa. You can contact visa service experts to get additional information.

    Procedures for obtaining a Schengen visa

    The steps to obtain a Schengen visa are generally as follows:

        • Setting up the contract: At first, by setting up a contract with the visa service immigration group, entrust us with all matters of obtaining documents from the embassies of major countries in the European Union.

        • Preparation of the visa application form: At first, after obtaining the documents from the desired embassy, then fill out the questionnaire forms together with the applicant and fill it completely. In this form, you must enter your personal information, purpose of travel, length of stay, etc.

        • Preparation of required documents: You must collect documents such as a valid passport with at least 6 months validity, standard size color photographs, plane ticket, travel insurance, financial proof and educational and employment documents (if applicable).

        • Payment: The Schengen visa fee varies depending on the country and the number of allowed entries into the country. You must pay the required fee in the manner specified by the embassy or consulate.

        • Going to the embassy or consulate: after preparing the application form, documents and paying the fee, you should go to the embassy or consulate of the relevant country and hand over your documents and application form.

        • Interview and assessment: Some countries, such as Germany, may invite their applicants to an interview before issuing a visa. The purpose of this interview is to evaluate the information provided in the visa application form and check the possibility of issuing a visa.

        • Obtaining a visa: If a visa is issued, you must go to the embassy or consulate and receive your visa. If the embassy or consulate does not issue your visa, you will be notified of the reasons for not issuing the visa.

        • Travel to the destination country: After receiving the visa, you can travel to the country of your choice. At the border of the destination country, you must present your visa, passport and ticket documents to the border authorities.

      It should be noted that each country has its own conditions and requirements for issuing a visa, and there may be different steps in obtaining a visa for each country. Also, some countries, such as France and Germany, require more checks to issue visas due to security problems, and the duration of visa issuance for these countries is longer.

      Documents required to obtain a Schengen visa

      The documents required to obtain a Schengen visa may be different for each country you wish to obtain a visa from. However, the following documents are usually required to obtain a Schengen visa:

          • Passport: Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months and have at least one blank page for a visa sticker.

          • Visa application form: You must fill the visa application form and enter your information carefully. This form is prepared online or received from the embassy or consulate of the desired country, and the visa service group will provide you with these forms.

          • Photo: You must provide a color passport photo with a size of 3.5 x 4.5 cm and on a white background.

          • Tickets: Flight tickets and hotel reservations must be provided if you have already arranged your travel plan. (In some cases, providing these documents is not required)

          • Travel Insurance: You must obtain travel insurance for Schengen countries that covers the minimum amount of coverage for illness and accident.

          • Financial documents: You must provide financial documents proving the existence of a bank account and the amount of money you have earned for the trip.

        The fee required to obtain a Schengen visa

        The cost of obtaining a Schengen visa depends on the destination country and the type of visa. The cost of a Schengen visa includes the fee paid to the embassy or consulate of the country in question for processing the application, the cost of consular services and postage (if mail is used to receive the visa).

        Regarding the cost of a Schengen visa, it should be said that the cost varies depending on the destination country and the validity period of the visa. If a multiple-entry visa or one with a longer validity period is requested, an additional fee will be paid. Also, some countries charge more for visa application processing.

        It should be noted that if you are applying for a Schengen visa for the first time, an additional fee may be charged to identify your information and review your application. Also, the Schengen visa fee is lower for people under 18 years old and over 60 years old.

        final word

        A Schengen visa is required for travel to EU member states and some other countries. To get a Schengen visa, various steps are required, including completing the application form and submitting the required documents. The documents required to obtain a Schengen visa include a passport with at least 6 months validity, travel insurance, place of residence and reasons for traveling to the destination country.