Visiting Europe (Schengen Visa)

If you are not a European Economic Area national and want to travel to Europe, you may be required to apply for a Schengen visa before you travel.

The Schengen Visa Scheme allows visitors to obtain one visa to visit a number of designated countries within the European Economic Area (EEA). Twenty five EEA countries now participate in the scheme, the members of the Schengen States are listed at the bottom of this webpage.

Please ensure you have adequate travel and medical insurance.

Please note that the UK is not a Schengen state so you can not re-enter the UK on a Schengen visa, you must make sure you have a valid visa for re-entry into the UK.

How do I apply?

Each Embassy or Consulate produces its own application form and charges vary. You may have to attend the Embassy in person to apply or submit a postal application, you should check how to make an application with the Embassy you apply to.

We recommend you read the Embassy website first before you telephone as some telephone numbers charge a premium rate and the call can be expensive.

In order to check if you need a visa and/or to apply for a Schengen visa you should contact the Embassy in London for either:-

• the country you plan to spend all or most of your time in; or
• the country you plan to go to first if there is no main destination
• If you are the spouse of an EU national you should apply to your spouses' national embassy in the UK

How long does a Schengen Visa last?

The visa will enable you to visit any number of the 25 participating states during the course of one trip, which could last up to 3 months.

How much does it cost to apply?

Charges will vary depending on which of the Schengen countries issues the visa.

When should I apply?

Processing times vary from embassy to embassy and national holidays and busy periods will result in a longer wait. We recommend that you apply within 3 months of your travel date and not less than 6 weeks before.

Requirements

• You will need between 3 and 6 months left on your passport and UK visa, depending on the country you are applying to
• Your student visa must be in your passport and you will need a blank page.
• You can not apply using a travel document unless you have Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK.
• You must not already have a Schengen visa.

Application Form and Documents

The form is two sided, complete all sections in full before you attend your appointment.

• When asked for your 'home' address this means your UK address.
• If you are staying at more than one hotel write in the details of the first hotel and then 'various'.
• Documents you will need, proof of sufficient funds, medical insurance, photographs, passport, purpose of trip, accommodation details, flight details, evidence will return to UK/home country, proof of university registration.

UKCISA have the answers to some frequently asked questions on their factsheet.

Schengen States

• Austria
• Belgium
• Czech Republic
• Denmark  
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Italy
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• The Netherlands
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland

To find a London based Embassy/Consulate use the drop-down list on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website.