A Schengen Visa allows its owner to travel to as many as 26 countries that are signatories to the historic Schengen Agreement.
Depending upon your cause, there are several types of Schengen Visa. In this article, we’ll discuss them all in detail.
Uniform Schengen Visa
A Uniform Visa is a type of official permit that allows its owner to reside or transit in the Schengen territory for a maximum duration of 90 days within a cycle of 180 days.
Uniform visa allows you to travel to following countries: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
A Uniform Visa is further classified into “A” and “C” categories. The former stands for Airport Transit Visa that permits its owner to transit through the international zone of the airport of the Schengen Country without entering the Schengen Zone. A Category is not further classified into any category.
“C” category stands for short-term visa and it allows its holder to stay in the Schengen Area for a period of 90 days within a cycle of 180 days. It is further classified into the following categories:
- Single-entry visa,
- Double-entry visa and
- Multiple-entry visa.
- Single-entry visa
Single Entry
A single entry visa permits its owner to enter the Schengen Zone for once only. Once the holder of single-entry Visa departs from the Schengen Zone, he is not permitted to enter the Schengen Area again.
Double-entry
As the name indicates, a double-entry Visa allows its holder to enter the Schengen Area twice. However, the general rule remains the same i-e he can stay in the Schengen Area for a maximum period of 90 days.
Multiple-entry
The term itself is self-explanatory. Isn’t it? The owner of multiple entry Visa can visit the Schengen Area as many times as he wishes. However, in this case, too, the rule remains the same i-e holder of multiple entry Schengen Visa can stay in the Schengen Area for a maximum of 90 days within the cycle of 180 days.
It is further classified into several categories. These are:
Tourist Schengen Visa
The Schengen Tourist Visa is issued to an applicant who wants to visit the Schengen Area for tourist purposes only.
Medical Schengen Visa
This type of Visa is issued to the applicant who wants to get himself treated in the Schengen Area.
Business Schengen Visa
If you are interested in doing business in the Schengen Area or already running a conglomerate there, then you will apply for Business Visa.
Schengen Education Visa
This type of visa is issued to the applicant who wants to attend educational activities in the Schengen Area. The general rule remains the same that is you can remain in the Schengen Zone for a maximum of 90 days within a duration of 180 days.
Read Also: Biometric Data Submission
Based on how frequently you travel to the Schengen zone, you may apply and obtain one of the following multiple-entry visa types:
- 1-year multiple-entry visa
- 3-year multiple-entry visa
- 5-year multiple-entry visa
- 1-year multiple-entry Schengen visa
90/180 Visa Rule
Another point where most multiple-entry visa holders get confused, as well as the nationals of the countries that are permitted to enter visa-free. Most people think that the 180-day period starts on the day your visa becomes valid, which is not true.
Actually, the 180-day period keeps rolling. Therefore, anytime you wish to enter the Schengen, you just have to count backward the last 180 days, and see if you have been present in the Schengen for more than 90 days throughout that period.
