16/6/0
A Schengen visa is issued by any consular department of any country participating in the Schengen Agreement. This visa will be valid in all Schengen countries, with only one restriction: the first country entered with this visa must be the country that issued it.
Schengen visas come in several types, but the most commonly issued is the 'C' visa, intended for short-term business and tourist trips.
To apply for a Schengen tourist visa, you need to provide a package of documents:
• a foreign passport, as well as a photocopy of its first page;
• a completed application form;
• photocopies of pages (including blank ones) of your internal passport;
• documents confirming hotel reservation for the duration of the trip;
• medical insurance;
• a certificate for currency export (in the amount of at least 50 euros per day per person).
Having airline tickets with you is also encouraged.
Sometimes visa assistance is needed, and then a specialized agency handles the tourist visa application.
To apply for a business visa, you need an invitation from a legal entity. To obtain this visa, you must have with you:
• an invitation (original and photocopy);
• a foreign passport;
• a completed application form;
• medical insurance.
A currency export certificate is necessary if the invitation does not explicitly state that the inviting party covers the applicant's stay.
To apply for this visa, the applicant or their authorized representative must be present at the Consulate.
Choosing a Schengen visa
There are 4 categories of Schengen visa. The choice of category depends on the purpose of the trip, its duration, and the need for repeated entries into Schengen countries.
Category 'A' visas are transit airport visas; their holder has the right to stay in the territory (but not leave) of the airport of any Schengen country.
Category 'B' visas are special transit visas, whose holders have the right to be in transit in a Schengen country for up to five days.
Category 'C' visas are tourist visas, the most popular. Their holders have the right to stay in any country participating in the Schengen Agreement for up to 3 months within a six-month period, which begins counting from the moment of the first crossing of the Schengen border.
Category 'C' visas differ in validity period and duration of stay. Multiple-entry visas are convenient for those who need to visit a Schengen country frequently.
With a C1 visa, a single entry into a Schengen country is allowed for up to 30 days;
With a C2 visa, a single entry into a Schengen country is allowed for 31 to 90 days;
With a C3 visa, multiple entries into any Schengen country are allowed with a stay up to 90 days; the visa is issued for one year;
With a C4 visa, multiple entries into any Schengen country are allowed with a stay up to 90 days; such a visa is issued for 5 years.
Category 'D' visas are national visas; they grant the right to long-term stay in one of the countries, as well as the right to transit through the territory of other Schengen states.
For all visa types, transit trips are considered as a stay in the Schengen country.
_