Types of Schengen Visa

Travellers with a Schengen Visa are allowed to freely commute or live within or between nations that are a part of the Schengen Area for the duration of the visa. However, there are some limitations on how passengers can move around the Schengen Area depending on their itinerary and the kind of Schengen Visa they have been issued. 

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What are the Types of Schengen Visas?

There are three types of Schengen Visas namely:

  • Uniform Schengen Visas (USV)
  • Limited Territorial Validity Visas (LTV)
  • National Visas

A Uniform Schengen Visa allows travellers to enter and stay in any nation that is a part of the Schengen Area. However, visitors with this kind of visa are only permitted to travel or stay in the Schengen Area for up to 90 days every six months, starting from the day they arrived or entered the area.

Depending on the purpose or nature of the trip, the Uniform Schengen Visa is applicable to the following categories:

  1. Category ‘A’ - 'Airport Transit Visa' is what this category stands for. For visitors leaving one non-Schengen country to enter another non-Schengen country, this sort of visa is required. This visa enables visitors to transit the Schengen nation's airport without setting foot inside the nation.
  2. Category ‘B’ - 'Transit Visa' is what this category stands for. With this kind of visa, visitors are permitted to transit via any Schengen nation to reach a nation that is not a Schengen member state. The travel time cannot, however, go longer than five days.
  3. Category ‘C’ - This category represents ‘Short Term Visa’. Holders of this type of visa are allowed to take up residence in a Schengen state for a fixed duration of time as per the validity of the visa. There are three types of visas that can be obtained under this category:
    1. Single Entry Visa - Travellers holding this visa can enter a Schengen country once within the stipulated time on the visa. If a traveller leaves the Schengen country at any time the visa expires immediately.
    2. Double Entry Visa - Similar to the Single Entry Visa, except the traveller can enter and leave the Schengen country twice within the stipulated time on the visa. The visa expires following the traveller’s second exit.
    3. Multiple Entry Visa - Travellers with this kind of visa are allowed to enter and exit the Schengen region as often as they like. However, this is only permitted once every six months during a period of no more than 90 days.

Limited Territorial Validity Visas (LTV)

Those who have this kind of visa are only permitted to commute within the Schengen nation or nations from whom they have obtained the visa. Travel is only permitted to the Schengen nations that were listed at the time of the visa application

What is a Schengen National Visa (Type D)?

Travellers who fall within this category are eligible to receive these Schengen visa types. One can apply for this kind of visa if they want to study, work, or settle permanently in any Schengen country. Depending on why a person is travelling to the Schengen region, national visas may be single entry or multiple entrance.

Different Types of Visa for Other Countries

FAQs on Types of Schengen Visa

  • What kind of Schengen visa will I need?

    You must apply for a Schengen visa if you're travelling to Europe and entering the Schengen Area from a nation without a visa-free travel agreement. These are available in the four basic Schengen Visa types—A, B, C, and D. 

  • How can I get a 3-year Schengen visa?

    You must have previously utilised a multiple entry visa that was good for one year within the previous two years in order to be eligible for the three-year MEV. As a result, in order to enter the Schengen Area in the last two years, you had to acquire and utilise a 1-Year MEV. 

  • What kind of visa is a Schengen tourist visa?

    A member state may grant a Schengen Visa, which permits the holder to present oneself at the external border, for the purpose of airport transit or brief stays within the borders of one or more member states. 

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