About Schengen visa:
- It is an official document mandatory for some non-Europeans to travel to all the 27 countries which are part of the Schengen area.
- Once granted, this visa allows the traveller to cross the borders of the other member-states without going through identity checks at the border.
- It allows a visitor to travel freely in the Schengen area for short stays of a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period. The visas do not give the right to work.
What is the Schengen area?
- It is a group of 27 European nations that have abolished their internal borders, for the free and unrestricted movement of people.
- Members of this area include: 23 of the 27 EU member states (except for Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland and Romania) and all members of the European Free Trade Association (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland).
- Switzerland, Iceland, and Norway are not in the EU but are inside of the Schengen Area.
- Being part of this area means that countries:
- do not carry out checks at their internal borders, except in cases of specific threats;
- carry out harmonized controls at their external borders, based on clearly defined criteria.
