The Schengen visa is a short-stay visa that allows you to travel to any member state of the Schengen Area temporarily. The reason for your trip and the duration of your stay will determine the type of visa you need to apply for.
There are four main types of visas for the Schengen Area.
| Schengen Visa Types | Description | Validity |
| Airport Transit Visa (Type A) | For passing through the international zone of an airport without entering the Schengen area. | 24 hours |
| Short-Term Visa (Type C) | Allows travel across Schengen countries for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. It can be issued for single, double, or multiple entries. | Typically up to 90 days in a 180-day period |
| Limited Territorial Validity Visas (LTV) | This type of visa allows you to travel only in the Schengen country that gave you the visa or sometimes in specific other Schengen countries that you mentioned when you applied. | Typically up to 90 days in a 180-day period |
| National long-stay visa (Type D) | For studying, working, or living in a Schengen country. Includes travel purposes such as tourism or personal visits, engaging in professional activities, pursuing studies, participating in a training program, or completing an internship and family-related reasons. Rules may differ depending on the country that issues the visa. | Valid for trips longer than 90 days |
Airport Transit Visa (Type A)
The Schengen Airport Transit Visa allows travellers to pass through the international transit area of an airport in a foreign country on their way to a final destination in another country. This type of visa has a 24-hour validity and is typically required when a traveller’s flight itinerary includes a layover or connecting flight in a foreign country, and they need to change planes in that country’s airport.
If you must leave the transit area and pass through border security, then you need a Schengen Type C Visa, not a transit visa.
Uniform Schengen Visas (Type C)
The Uniform Schengen Visa (C Visa) allows you to visit the Schengen Area for short periods of time (max. 90 days), typically for tourism, leisure, or business. It is called a “uniform” visa because it is standardised, meaning you can visit all 29 Schengen States with a single visa. When your Schengen C Visa is issued, it may differ depending on the:
- Purpose of travel. Are you travelling for business, leisure, to visit a family member, or some other reason entirely? You will have to indicate this on the application form.
- Validity and duration. The validity of your visa will depend on a case-to-case basis. Although Schengen C visas can be granted for up to 90 days, oftentimes, they are issued for a shorter period of time.
- Number of allowed entries. Finally, your visa can be issued to allow you to visit the Schengen Area once, twice, or multiple times during its validity period.
Purpose of Travel for a Uniform Schengen Visa
During the application process, you have to select the reason why you intend to visit the Schengen Area. Schengen visas are issued for the following reasons:
- Tourism. If you’re visiting the Schengen Area for leisure purposes, like a holiday, sightseeing, and other tourist activities.
- Visiting family or friends. If you’re going to the Schengen Area to visit family or friends who are residents in a Schengen country. In this case, you will typically need a letter of invitation from your host (the person you are visiting).
- Business. If you are travelling to the Schengen Area to attend a meeting, conference, or other business-related activities. Please note that this is not a work visa.
- Journalism and reporting. If you are a journalist or other media professional who must travel to the Schengen Area to cover international events, attend a press conference, or other related reasons.
- Official visits. If you are travelling to the Schengen Area to attend official meetings, conduct any diplomatic work, take part in consultations, and other official duties.
- Medical treatment. If you need to travel to the Schengen Area for the purpose of seeking medical treatment, usually treatment that you can’t receive in your home country.
- Short-term study programs. If you have been accepted into a short study program (less than 90 days).
- Attending cultural, sports, or religious events. If you are travelling to attend a festival, a sports game, or other religious or cultural events in the Schengen Area.
- Other. If your reason for travelling does not fall into any of these categories, then you can check off “Other” in the application form, and provide the relevant details.
Validity and Duration
The validity and duration of your Schengen visa are stated on the visa sticker – each visa may have a different validity period. In the context of Schengen visas:
- Visa validity is the time during which you are allowed to use your visa (maximum of five years).
- Duration of stay is the number of days you can stay in the Schengen Area while your visa is valid (maximum 90 days).
For example, let’s say you have a Schengen visa with a validity of six months and a duration of 30 days. What this means is that during the six months that the visa is valid, you can only spend 30 days in total in the Schengen Area.
The embassy or consulate official who is handling your visa application will decide the validity and duration of your visa.
What If My Visa Is Valid for One Year or Longer?
If your Schengen visa is valid for one year or longer, then the 90/180 rule applies. This means that you cannot stay in the Schengen Area for more than 90 days in a 180-day period. See a simplified explanation of the 90/180 rule.
Visas which are valid for longer periods, such as one year or more, are multiple-entry visas.
Number of Entries Allowed With a Uniform Schengen Visa
A Schengen visa can be issued to allow one, two, or multiple entries into the Schengen Area.
Single-Entry Schengen Visa
If you have a single-entry Schengen visa, you can enter the Schengen Area once during its validity. After you leave, you cannot re-enter, even if you have not spent all your permitted days. On the visa sticker, this is indicated with a 1 under “Number of Entries”.
For example: You received a Schengen Visa which is valid from 1/04/2025 until 1/05/2025, the duration of stay is 10 days, and it is valid for a single entry. This means, you can enter the Schengen Area starting from 1 April but you can only stay there for 10 days. You have to leave before 1 May 2025. After you leave the Schengen Area, you cannot re-enter, even if you didn’t spend all 10 days.
Double-Entry Schengen Visa
If you have a double-entry visa, you can enter the Schengen Area twice during your visa’s validity. In both combined entries, you cannot stay longer than the number of days indicated on your visa sticker under “Duration”. A double-entry visa is marked with a 2 under “Number of Entries”.
For example: You received a double-entry Schengen visa which is valid from 01/01/2025 until 30/06/2025, and allows a duration of stay of 30 days. If you enter the Schengen Area in January and stay for 10 days, you can enter one more time until the end of June and stay for another 20 days max. You would have to leave Schengen before 30 June.
Multiple-Entry Schengen Visa
With a multiple-entry Schengen visa, you can travel to and from the Schengen Area as many times as you wish during your visa’s validity. However, the total number of days cannot exceed the number of days indicated on your visa sticker under “Duration”. A multiple-entry visa has a MULT in the “Number of Entries” section.
Example: You received a multiple-entry Schengen visa which is valid for one year and has a duration of stay of 90 days. In this case, you can enter the Schengen Area as many times as you want during that year, as long as you do not stay for more than 90 days in a 180-day period.
Limited Territorial Validity Visas (LTV)
A Limited Territorial Validity Visa (LTV) Schengen visa is a special type of Schengen visa that allows you to travel only within certain Schengen member states, rather than the entire Schengen Area. This visa is typically issued for specific reasons, such as humanitarian or national interest cases, and it restricts your travel to the Schengen countries specified in the visa.
An LTVV Schengen visa is different from a regular Schengen visa, which allows you to travel freely within all Schengen member states. Therefore, if you receive an LTVV Schengen visa, you must strictly adhere to the restrictions outlined in the visa and only visit the specific countries mentioned.
A visa that is valid for the territory of one or more Schengen Member States (but not all Member States) is known as a Limited Territorial Validity Visa.
How to Know Which Countries I Can Visit With an LTV?
On your visa sticker, you will find a “Valid for” field that specifies the countries that you’re permitted to enter if you have been issued an LTV. Instead of “Schengen States,” the official EU acronym of the country will show.
Why Are Limited Territorial Validity Visas Issued?
Limited Territorial Validity visas are issued in extraordinary circumstances, including but not limited to:
- Humanitarian reasons: You might receive an LTV if you have a “protection-related reason” or “medical reason” to travel to the Schengen Area. For example:
- You are an asylum seeker due to political reasons.
- You will appear in an international court.
- You need to be evacuated due to armed conflict in your country.
- You need medical treatment in a specific Schengen country.
- You are the assisting family member of someone seeking medical treatment in a Schengen country.
- Similar other humanitarian reasons, as decided by the Schengen embassy or consulate.
- National interest: You might receive an LTV if you are traveling for economic, national, political, scientific, or sporting events on behalf of your country.
- International duty/responsibilities: Another reason you may receive an LTV is if you are traveling on international duty or other related responsibilities.
Other reasons may include the following:
- Failure to obtain medical insurance.
- Requesting a visa at the wrong consulate.
- Having already been issued a regular Schengen visa. For example, if you have recently visited the Schengen Area but need to enter again, you might be issued an LTV.
- Not all Member States agree.
- Insufficient supporting documentation.
For more information, contact the embassy or consulate of the Member State you applied through.
Difference Between Limited Territorial Validity Visa and Uniform Visa
The main difference between an LTV and a Uniform Visa is their validity throughout the Schengen Area. While a Limited Territorial Validity visa limits your access to just one or a few states, a Uniform Visa allows you to enter all 29 states that are part of the Schengen Agreement.
National Visas (Type D)
The national visa (the D category) is granted to individuals who intend to study, work, or establish permanent residence in a Schengen country. Like the Schengen (C) Visa, it allows freedom of movement within the Schengen Area, but it only allows you to work, study, or live in the Schengen country that issued it.
National (D) Visas are typically issued for the following reasons:
- To study in a Schengen country for longer than three months
- To work in a Schengen country
- To move to a Schengen country for family reunification with an EU national (e.g., your spouse)
- For “Work and Travel” programs
- For retirement in a Schengen country
- For investment or setting up a business in a Schengen country
- For working in a Schengen country as a digital nomad
The rules and conditions for a National visa are decided by the respective Schengen country—as opposed to a Schengen visa, which is a uniform visa issued jointly by all the Schengen Member States.
Types of National Visas (Type D)
National D-type visas are typically categorized into the following types:
Work Visa
You have to apply for a work visa if you have a job offer from a company in a Schengen country. In most Schengen countries, you are eligible for a work visa if you are a skilled worker or specialist in a profession that’s in shortage in that country (e.g., medical professional, engineer, scientist, IT specialist, etc.). Typically, a type-D work visa allows you to enter the Schengen country with the intention of obtaining a work and residence permit—just the visa is not enough to let you work.
Student Visa
If you are accepted into a long-term study program in a Schengen country, such as undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral studies, you can apply for a student visa. Student visas must be accompanied by a residence permit, which allows you to live in the Schengen country where you are studying for the duration of your program.
Family Reunification Visa
If you are an immediate family member (spouse, partner, dependent child, or parent) of an EU citizen or legal resident and you wish to live in the Schengen Area with that family member, you can apply for a family reunification visa.
Visas for Working Holiday Programs
With a working holiday program, you can get a visa that allows you to live in a Schengen country for a specific period of time (typically one year), during which time you can work or travel around. If you are between the ages of 18 and 30 and from certain eligible countries, you can usually apply for a working holiday program.
Retirement Visa
Many Schengen countries offer visa programs that provide visas and residence permits to foreign nationals who are retired. This means that as a retiree, you do not need to have a job or another strong reason to live in the Schengen Area—as long as you can prove that you can financially support yourself.
Investment Visa (Golden Visa)
If you plan to invest in a Schengen country (for example, start a business, purchase real estate, or otherwise contribute to the economic development of the host country), you can apply for an investment visa. These residency programs are commonly referred to as “Golden Visas”.
Digital Nomad Visa
If you are a digital nomad, you can apply for a visa to live in a Schengen country while you work for a company abroad. You have to be able to financially support yourself, but specific conditions differ in each Schengen country.
Visa for Other Long-Term Needs
This category covers other purposes that necessitate a long-term stay in a certain Schengen country. It can include different reasons, such as long-term medical treatments, research projects, or other professional and personal reasons.
How Long Can I Stay in the Schengen Area on a National Visa?
National visas are typically issued for a maximum period of one (1) year, and allow multiple entries in the Schengen Area. The advantage is that once you enter the Schengen country that granted your D visa, you can apply for a residence permit. A residence permit is generally issued for a minimum of one year and can be renewed continually as long as you still meet the requirements.
Why Do I Need a Residence Permit If I Have a National Visa?
This is why you need both a residence permit and a visa: If you want to move to a Schengen country, you typically have to apply for a national D-type visa at a Schengen embassy or consulate abroad. Once the visa is granted, you will then travel to the specific Schengen country, where you have a set period of time to get a residence permit. It is the residence permit which allows you to live abroad—the national D visa allows you to travel there with the purpose of obtaining a residence permit.
This is not always the case—sometimes, you can skip the visa application and apply directly for the residence permit. For example, US citizens do not need to apply for a work visa before entering Germany; they can just travel to Germany and apply for a residence permit directly at the immigration office in the area in which they want to live.
Does That Mean I Can Apply For a Residence Permit if I Enter the Country With a Schengen (C) Visa?
No, you cannot. The only way you can obtain a residence permit in the Member State you choose is by entering that country with a national (D) visa.
What Is the Difference Between Visa Validity and Duration of Stay?
Schengen visas come in various types, and it’s important to understand their key aspects:
- Duration of Stay: This is the maximum number of days you can spend in the Schengen Area. Your entry into Schengen marks “Day 1,” even if you arrive late in the day, and your exit marks the “Last Day,” even if it’s shortly after midnight.
- Visa Validity: This represents the time frame during which you can use your visa to enter and stay in the Schengen Area.
For instance, if your visa allows a 10-day stay from January 1 to January 20, you can enter Schengen anytime within this period (e.g., on January 3) and leave by January 12. However, if you enter on January 15, you must still leave by January 20, even if you haven’t used all 10 days.
With a double-entry visa valid from January 1 to March 1 and a 10-day stay, you can enter Schengen twice during this period, but you can’t exceed 10 days on both trips combined. So, if you stay 7 days on the first trip, you can only stay 3 days on the second. If you make only one trip and stay 10 days, you can’t re-enter even if your visa is still valid.
For a multiple-entry visa, like a one-year visa starting on January 15, 2025, you can enter and leave Schengen anytime until January 14, 2026. However, there’s a 90-day limit for your stay within any 180-day period.
You can use a Schengen visa calculator to keep track of how many days you have left within your allowed stay period, ensuring you comply with your visa’s terms.