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The Schengen Visa
This is a single tourist visa used to visit a multitude of European countries without needing to use separate visas for each, having a Schengen Visa means that you can travel freely between countries that have a Schengen agreement for up to 90 days in a six month time period.
Countries that support a Schengen Visas:
- Austria
- Germany
- Denmark
- Finland
- France
- Greece
- Iceland
- Italy
- Luxemburg
- Norway
- Portugal
- Spain
- Sweden
- The Netherlands
Where to apply for your Schengen Visa
Before your trip you will need to visit the country that you wish to visit’s embassy, so if you are planning to travel to Spain, you will need to visit the Spanish Embassy in South Africa to apply for your Schengen Visa. Before you go to the embassy you will need to take a few things with you:
- Copy of your passport
- Copy of your itinerary as well as accommodation details
- Proof of your finances: tax receipt of foreign exchange purchased bearing applicant’s name: Travellers cheques, if you are going to be using credit cards, recent credit card statement.
- Take the exact amount of money you need
- Travel insurance documents
- An official letter from your company if you are travelling on business
- A certified parental consent letter, by both parents for children under the age of 18 who are travelling alone.
If you aren’t sure which country to apply at, if you are doing a European tour a good rule of thumb would be to apply at the country you will be in the longest or the country you will be entering first.
Types of Schengen Visas:
- Transit visas, this visa accounts for one to five days stay, single or double entry and is given to travel from a non-Schengen area to another non-Schengen are. If you are arriving from a non-Schengen area with the main destination in one or a multitude of Schengen areas and back to first point of departure, then a short stay visa will be given to you.
- Short stay visa, this constitutes one -90 day stays, single, double or numerous entries.
- Long stay visa, these are visas for visits over 90 days and are national visas, and are issued by member states in accordance with national legislation.
- Airport transit visas: Required by the nationals of certain countries but not for South African citizens.
Though it seems like obtaining a Schengen Visa is a lot of hard work, remember to take all the right documentation with you to ease the stress as well as the exact amount of money. Don’t forget your travel insurance and do not rely on credit cards or your medical aid for travel insurance as these have been rejected as inadequate by some embassies in the past. For prices contact the embassy of the country that you wish to visit, as prices do change.
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