All About the Schengen Visa

 

Where are you planning to go this summer? Austria? Belgium? France? Or the majority of Europe entirely?

If you are planning to visit these countries, then there “should” be tons or processing of visa, or is there? 

When traveling abroad, it is typical for passengers to wait in many lines, particularly for visa applications and renewals.

If you have the Schengen Visa, then it will completely remove all those stressful processes ahead, more time for preparation, and fewer expenses in traveling. Being a traveler is not only fun but its counterparts with a lot of due processes and lengthy time of document processing. As much as it sounds like the ideal job, it is not easy to travel from one country to another. 

Especially in terms of legally traveling, and the visa that comes ahead during your travel. However, if you are a Europe-travel enthusiast, then you must have already heard of the uniform Schengen Visas or the USV.

However, if you don’t, and you are interested, well today’s your lucky day! If you are an aspiring traveler in Europe, this Visa will become your lifesaver. Want to know more about it? Well, continue reading down below. 

What is the Schengen Area

Let us start first with its definition, what exactly is the Schengen Area, and why do we need to get Visa to travel to it? For starters, the Schengen Area is a region in which 26 European nations have eliminated their internal borders to allow for the unhindered and unlimited movement of persons following agreed regulations for policing external borders and combating crime by enhancing judicial and police cooperation. The majority of EU nations are included in the Schengen Area, except Ireland and the future members of Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Cyprus. Countries like Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, and Lichtenstein are included in the Schengen area while not being EU members. You can travel in these areas altogether if you already have your Schengen Visa. 

History

The amazing capabilities of the Schengen Visa were not made overnight. This Visa was thoroughly established by an agreement called the “Schengen Agreement.” To establish a free continent, all countries in Europe joined together as allies—letting this beautiful continent be open to everybody—if you get approved for the Schengen Visa. A pact known as the Schengen Agreement, which was signed on June 14, 1985, encouraged most European nations to remove their national boundaries to create the "Schengen Area," a continent without borders. The agreement, which was first signed in Luxemburg by just five EU nations, is still one of the largest regions in the world where border controls between members have been abolished. Until now, this agreement remains a symbol of Europe’s unity towards being open to everybody in the world. 

How to get Schengen Visa

As much as it looks easy to get, the harder it is to attain. To get Schengen Visa, you must undergo a lot of due process. One of these is to show numerous papers at the Schengen port of entry to be admitted, if you are from a non-EU/Schengen country, or even if you are a visa-exempt traveler. Moreover, you must present a genuine passport. valid for at least three months after the date you want to depart the EU, and issued within the last ten years. Other information and documentation, such as adequate finances, evidence of lodging, the length of your intended stay, a round-trip ticket, the reason for your arrival, travel insurance, an invitation letter, etc., may also be requested by the EU/Schengen border officers. If you wish to travel all of Europe, it is not enough to get a Visa, you must be overly prepared for it. Additionally, you need to decide when to apply. The earliest time frame would be six months before the commencement of your anticipated trip, and the latest time frame would be 15 working days. You should submit your application ideally three weeks before your trip.

Types of Schengen Visa

If you truly wish to get this visa, then you must understand that there are a lot of types of Schengen Visa, and how to obtain these visas. Moreover, the Schengen Visa can be divided into three different entries: Single-entry visa, Double-entry visa, and Multiple-Entry visa. 

Single-entry visa: A single-entry visa permits the bearer to travel just once within the allotted time frame specified on the sticker that is attached to their passport. Even if they have not spent the maximum number of days as allowed by the embassy that gave them the visa, once the visa bearer leaves the Schengen region, they are unable to return.

Double-entry visa: A double-entry visa functions generally in the same manner as the previously described single-entry visa. The only distinction between a single-entry and double-entry visa is that the latter allows you to return to the Schengen area after you have already left it.

Multiple-entry visa: This particular visa can also be categorized into three different visas such as 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year multiple entries. A multiple-entry visa allows its holder to go in and out of the Schengen Area as many times as he or she wants, as long as they do not violate any rules. 

Benefits of the Schengen Visa

The visa will assure you a lot of saved time. You must always have a current passport to enter any Schengen nation. In addition, regardless of the nation, you are visiting, if you reside in a non-EU nation, you must have a stamp on your passport. The advantages of a Schengen visa might be as straightforward as not having to go through a passport check every time you cross the border from Germany to Luxembourg. or more difficult tasks like cross-border trade and the movement of products. Moving products across Europe now takes less time thanks to the Schengen visa. You won't have to rap on the doors of the embassy or consulate every time you want to depart the nation. Without having to respond to any inquiries, you are free to travel across Europe.