Dreaming of croissants in Paris, Alpine views in Switzerland or a multi-country European adventure? Before the fun bit comes the paperwork. Here's how to apply for a Schengen visa.
A Schengen visa can be a gateway to discover huge portions of Europe. With one visa, you’re generally covered for short trips to visit the 29 Schengen countries, stretching from Norway’s arctic circle, where the Northern Lights can be seen dancing through the winter, all the way to down to Greece’s legendary island of Crete, blessed with gemstone coloured waters.
This guide covers:
Visa requirements for the Schengen area
Which countries the Schengen visa covers
The cost of a Schengen visa
How to apply including processing times and how early to start
What is a Schengen visa?
A Schengen visa (sometimes known as a Type C visa) is a short-stay visa for travellers (from countries that require one) to enter the Schengen area. This includes most Indian passport holders.
For short visits, you can usually spend up to 90 days in any 180-day period* in the Schengen area.
*The European Commission has an official short-stay calculator that can help you work out if your planned trip meets this requirement.
There are three main forms of Schengen visa:
1. Single-entry visa: | 2. Multiple-entry visa: | 3. Airport transit visa: |
|---|---|---|
This lets you enter the Schengen area from outside, once. This does not restrict travel to only one Schengen country. If your visa is valid for all Schengen countries, this visa permits travel between those countries during the same trip without using another entry. Once you leave the Schengen area, you cannot use that single-entry visa to enter again. | This lets you leave and re-enter the Schengen area several times while the visa is valid. For example, you could travel from India to France, return to India and later travel to Spain using the same visa, as long as it is still valid and you remain within your permitted length of stay. | This allows travellers to transit through the international area of certain Schengen airports without entering the Schengen area. |
Which countries can you visit with a Schengen visa?
Which European countries are not covered by a Schengen visa?
Are there exceptions to travelling throughout Schengen without a visa?
How to how to apply for a Schengen visa from India: Step by step
The exact process varies slightly depending on which Schengen country handles your application, but most Indian travellers follow these steps:Where should you apply for a Schengen visa from?
If you're visiting one Schengen country, apply through that country.
If you're visiting several countries, apply through the country where you'll spend the longest time.
If you'll spend an equal amount of time in several countries, apply through the first Schengen country you plan to visit.
Application arrangements in India differ between Schengen countries. Follow the specific process as laid out by the official embassy for your main destination.
What documents do you need for a Schengen visa from India?
The exact visa requirements for the Schengen area vary according to your destination, circumstances and reason for travel. At a minimum, official EU guidance says applications normally require the following:
Do you need to book flights before applying for a Schengen visa?
You may need to provide a flight reservation or travel itinerary, but that does not necessarily mean you should buy a non-refundable flight before your visa is approved. Requirements vary according to the country handling the application.
For example, the German Missions in India include a flight reservation in their tourism visa checklist. They also state that having a booked flight does not result in preferred processing of a visa application.
Use Skyscanner to book flights to Europe that offer changes and cancellations to show your intended travel plans for flexibility while your visa is pending.
Do you need confirmed hotel bookings?
Official EU guidance includes accommodation among the supporting evidence required for a visa application. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean you need to book a hotel specifically. For example, country-specific guidance may accept:
Hotel reservations
Holiday rental reservations
Other booked accommodation
Evidence that you'll stay with a friend or family member
Sponsorship or host documentation.
German tourism guidance for India, for instance, accepts hotel reservations, holiday-home or campus accommodation reservations, or specified evidence of private accommodation with a host.
Always check the relevant official checklist before paying for accommodation.
Also, you should generally expect to account for your accommodation throughout the trip, particularly if you are travelling between several Schengen countries. For example, the Netherlands' official India tourism checklist requires a reservation for the entire trip and, where several Schengen countries are being visited, proof of accommodation for each country.
On Skyscanner, you can filter accommodation by those that offer free cancellation or flexible cancellation terms.
How much does a Schengen visa cost?
The official Schengen visa application fee is based on the applicant's age or exemption category rather than whether a short-stay visa is issued for single or multiple entry.
However, an authorised visa application centre can charge a separate service fee, so the total amount you pay to submit an application may be higher than the official visa fee.
Type | Adults | Children (6-12) | Children under 6 |
|---|---|---|---|
Single-entry visa | 90 EUR | 45 EUR | No visa fee |
Multiple entry visa | 90 EUR | 45 EUR | No visa fee |
Airport transit visa | 90 EUR | 45 EUR | No visa fee |
Children under six still need a Schengen visa application where a visa is required, but they do not pay the visa fee. Children under 12 are also exempt from providing fingerprints.
*Prices valid as of August 2026
If the fee is identical, why not always apply for a multiple-entry visa?
Because requesting one doesn't guarantee you'll get one. You can tick the multiple-entry box on the application, but the consulate decides what to issue based on factors like your travel plans, visa history, financial situation and whether you've complied with visa rules in the past. Multiple-entry visas tend to go to travellers who can demonstrate a genuine need to visit the Schengen area regularly, so if you're just taking a one-off two-week holiday, don't count on receiving one.
Who can get a Schengen visa fee waiver?
There are exemptions for certain applicants. These include, among others:
Children under six
School pupils, students, postgraduate students and accompanying teachers travelling for study or educational training
Qualifying researchers travelling to carry out scientific research
Representatives of non-profit organisations aged 25 or under who are participating in certain seminars, conferences, sporting, cultural or educational events
Different rules can also apply to qualifying family members of EU or EEA citizens exercising free-movement rights.
How long does a Schengen visa take to process?
The standard Schengen visa processing time is normally 15 calendar days. In individual cases, this can be extended to up to 45 days if the application requires further examination or additional documents.
Remember that this is the decision period for the visa application. Your overall planning timeline may also need to account for:
Finding an available appointment
Preparing your documents
Submitting through an application centre
Passport collection or delivery.
Processing arrangements can also differ between consulates.
How far in advance should you apply for a Schengen visa?
You can apply up to six months before your trip, and applications must be submitted at least 15 days before you travel. Aim to apply well ahead of that minimum deadline, though — especially if you're booking expensive flights or accommodation, or travelling during peak periods. Giving yourself a buffer allows time to secure an appointment, gather your documents and absorb any delays if your application needs additional checks.
What if your Schengen visa is delayed and you've already booked flights?
A booked flight won't guarantee your application is approved or processed before you're due to leave, and it won't push you to the front of the queue. This is one of the strongest reasons to apply as far ahead of the minimum deadline as you can — and to favour flexible flight tickets and refundable accommodation, so a delay doesn't cost you.
How long is a Schengen visa valid for?
The validity of your Schengen visa is individual to the visa you're issued. There isn't one standard validity period given to every traveller.
The decision can reflect factors including:
Your planned travel dates
The number of entries needed
Your previous visa and travel history
Whether you have previously complied with Schengen visa conditions
The purpose and frequency of expected future trips
How long your passport remains valid.
Check both:
'From' and 'until' to clarify the period during which the visa can be used
'Duration of stay' to clarify the number of days you are actually authorised to spend in the Schengen area.
A Schengen visa may permit a single entry or multiple. With a multiple-entry visa, you can make several trips during its validity period, but you must still follow the applicable 90 days in any 180-day period rule.
A longer validity period therefore does not give you permission to remain in the Schengen area continuously.
What happens if you renew your passport while your visa is still valid?
If you renew your passport while an existing visa is still valid, the visa may not automatically become unusable. Some Schengen countries allow travellers to carry the old passport containing the valid visa alongside their new passport.
Rules can depend on the country that issued the visa and whether the old passport or visa has been cancelled or damaged, so check with the issuing country's official visa service before travelling with both passports.
Can Indian travellers get a five-year Schengen visa?
Yes. Indian travellers with an established Schengen travel history may qualify for longer-validity multiple-entry visas under the India-specific visa ‘cascade’ introduced in 2024.
These can be two-year and five-year multiple-entry visas, rather than a visa issued only around the dates of one planned holiday.
Indian nationals residing in India and applying in India can be issued a two-year multiple-entry visa after they have:
Obtained two Schengen visas
Lawfully used both visas
Done so within the previous three years
Enough passport validity remaining for the longer visa.
The two-year visa will normally be followed by a five-year multiple-entry visa if the passport has sufficient validity remaining. However, the five-year visa still does not let you spend five continuous years in Europe. The short-stay limit continues to apply.
What you need to know about the new Entry/Exit System
EES is an automated system that records non-EU nationals making short stays when they cross participating European land, sea and air border entry points. It electronically records your travel-document information and your entries and exits instead of relying on routine manual passport stamps. The system helps authorities calculate how much of your permitted short stay you have used.
Border officers can capture a facial image and/or scan fingerprints as part of this.
The Entry/Exit System (EES) applies to Indian citizens travelling to participating European countries for a short stay, whether they:
Need a short-stay visa, as Indian passport holders generally do, or
Are visa-exempt.
It became fully operational at the external borders of the European countries using EES on 10 April 2026 but is still being rolled out. Therefore, your experience at border entry might change each time, or you may have to repeat certain aspect, such as fingerprint reading, each time you enter the Schengen Zone during the roll-out phase.
There is no separate EES visa application to complete before travelling.
EES does not replace your Schengen visa
Don’t make these common Schengen visa mistakes
A Schengen visa application checklist for Indian travellers
Once you're within six months of your planned trip, check the application process and appointment availability for the country handling your visa.
Confirm which Schengen country is your main destination
Check that country's official application process in India
Download or complete the correct Schengen visa application form
Prepare your passport and supporting documents
Arrange the required travel itinerary and accommodation evidence
Check the travel medical insurance requirements
Book your visa appointment
Submit the application and provide biometrics where required
Pay the visa fee and any applicable service charge
Track your application through the official channel
Allow extra time in case further checks or documents are required
Check the visa details carefully when your passport is returned
Recheck the latest entry requirements before you travel
For more travel guidance, check out our tips on travelling abroad for the first time, or explore visa-free destinations for Indian passport holders and visa-free countries across America and the Caribbean. And if your travel document needs sorting first, here's how to apply for or renew your passport.
