Schengen Zone visa guideA Schengen visa is one short-stay visa (type C) that lets an Indian passport holder travel across 29 European countries for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. You apply to the country that is your main destination, at that country's service centre, and its embassy or consulate decides, usually within 15 days.
The fee is the same everywhere, €90 for adults, but each country has its own checklist, centres and quirks. Since April 2024, Indians who have lawfully used two Schengen visas within three years can be given a two-year multiple-entry visa, and then a five-year one.
Do Indians need a visa for Schengen countries, and which one?
Yes. Indian passport holders need a Schengen short-stay visa, type C, often called the uniform visa, for tourism, business visits or family visits in any of the 29 Schengen countries. One visa, issued by one member state, lets you travel across all of them for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, unless the sticker limits it to certain states. It is never an e-visa: you apply on paper or an online form, then hand in the file and give fingerprints in person at the service centre of the country you apply to.
The 29 countries are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Ireland and Cyprus are EU members outside the Schengen system, and the United Kingdom has its own visa; none of them is covered by a Schengen visa.
Schengen visa at a glance
- Visa
- Schengen short-stay (uniform) visa, type C
- Countries coveredNot the UK, Ireland or Cyprus
- 29 Schengen states
- Longest stayCounted across all 29 together
- 90 days in any 180-day period
- Where to applyBy days or purpose; first entry if equal
- The country of your main destination
- Visa feePlus the service centre's charge
- €90 adult, €45 child aged 6 to under 12
- Standard decision timeUp to 45 days in individual cases
- 15 days
European Commission, EU Delegation to India and the VFS common information sheet for India, checked 14 Oct 2026
The visa is for short stays without work. The EU Delegation to India puts it plainly: Schengen visas are not purpose-bound, but they do not grant the right to work. Stays of more than 90 days, study courses longer than that, and jobs all need a national visa from the country concerned.
Where do applicants from Punjab apply?
At the visa centre of the country you will spend most of your trip in, because each Schengen state runs its own consulates and chooses its own service provider. The decision always rests with that country's embassy or consulate, never with the centre. Here is how the main destinations work for someone living in Punjab:
- Service provider
- VFS Global
- Who decides
- German Consulate General, Mumbai
- Nearest centres for Punjab
- Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Gurugram, New Delhi
- Service provider
- VFS Global
- Who decides
- French Embassy in Delhi or a French consulate
- Nearest centres for Punjab
- Chandigarh and Jalandhar (Tuesdays and Thursdays), Delhi
- Service provider
- BLS International
- Who decides
- Embassy of Spain, New Delhi
- Nearest centres for Punjab
- Chandigarh, Jalandhar, New Delhi
- Service provider
- VFS Global
- Who decides
- Austrian Embassy, New Delhi
- Nearest centres for Punjab
- Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Gurugram, New Delhi
- Service provider
- VFS Global
- Who decides
- Embassy of Switzerland, New Delhi
- Nearest centres for Punjab
- Chandigarh, Jalandhar, New Delhi
- Service provider
- VFS Global
- Who decides
- High Commission of Malta, New Delhi
- Nearest centres for Punjab
- Chandigarh, New Delhi
Jurisdiction rules differ by country. Germany accepts Schengen files at any of its VFS centres in India, while Spain decides your consulate by where you have lived for the past six months and does not accept files from the wrong jurisdiction. Where a Schengen state has no consulate in India, another member state represents it: Liechtenstein applications go to the Embassy of Switzerland. France also handles visas for Monaco.
Some rules are common to all of them. Everyone appears in person for biometrics unless fingerprints were taken in the last 59 months; children under 12 give no fingerprints. Biometric data can be collected by consulates and their official service providers, not by travel agencies. And Indian nationals and foreigners legally resident in India apply here; anyone else needs a justification for applying in India. Our Schengen country picker helps when the plan covers several countries.
Which documents depend on your situation?
The common checklist is printed further down this page; each country then publishes its own version, so always file to the checklist of the country you apply to. The European Commission lists the core for everyone: a valid passport, the application form, an ICAO-standard photo, medical insurance, and supporting documents on the purpose of your trip, your money and accommodation, and your intention to return home.
The biggest difference between countries is what your host must send if you stay with family or friends. Each country has its own document:
Germany
- What a host in that country provides
- An original signed invitation with your passport number and a brief itinerary, proof of the host's legal residence, and a formal obligation letter (Verpflichtungserklärung) if the host pays
Austria
- What a host in that country provides
- An invitation with the dates, proof of the host's legal residence, and an EVE (electronic declaration of sponsorship) filed at the police when the host pays
Switzerland
- What a host in that country provides
- A dated, signed invitation naming every invitee, with a copy of the host's passport, ID, OCI or residence permit
France
- What a host in that country provides
- An attestation d'accueil validated at the host's town hall (mairie)
Spain
- What a host in that country provides
- An invitation letter issued by the Spanish national police
The money evidence changes with your situation: salaried applicants show salary slips, bank statements and tax returns; business owners show their company registration and GST papers; retired parents show pension statements; students show their enrolment. Several countries ask for your own proof of income even when someone else pays.
How much is the Schengen visa fee for Indians?
The visa fee is the same in every Schengen state: €90 for adults, €45 for children aged 6 to under 12, and nothing for children under 6. The service centre adds its own charge, which differs by country and is listed below this article, and neither the visa fee nor the centre's charge comes back if the visa is refused. Fees are waived for some groups, such as school pupils and students on study trips, researchers and young participants in non-profit events, and family members of EU, EEA or Swiss citizens can get a free, accelerated procedure. Our filing fee is shown at the top of this page.
How long does it take, and when should you apply?
The EU standard is 15 days, which can be extended to 45 days when a closer look or more documents are needed. Some consulates count working days rather than calendar days, and the clock usually starts when the file reaches the consulate, not when you visit the centre. Transport from a northern centre to Mumbai or Delhi can add a few days.
When to apply:
- Earliest: six months before the trip (nine months for seafarers).
- Latest: 15 days before. Several consulates send back, unprocessed, a file whose travel date is too close.
- Holders of a multiple-entry visa valid for at least six months may apply for the next one before it expires.
The wait for an appointment can be the longest step; German Missions, for one, warn that slots are quickly booked out. Book first and plan the trip around the appointment.
Why do Schengen visas get refused for Indian applicants?
Every Schengen state uses the same EU standard form, which ticks numbered reasons. These are the ones that sink Indian visitor files, and they apply whichever country you choose.
The purpose is not justified or not reliable (reasons 2 and 10)
The form, cover letter, itinerary, bookings and leave letter must describe one trip. Applying to a country that is not really your main destination also undermines the purpose. Make the plan specific: which cities, which dates, where you sleep, who pays.
Not enough money, or money that cannot be explained (reason 3)
There is no single Schengen figure, but some states publish theirs: France uses €65 a day with a hotel booking, Switzerland CHF 100 a day. Months of regular income and spending matter more than a balance topped up the week before.
Doubts that you will go home (reason 13)
The officer must be convinced you will leave before the visa expires. A leave letter, business papers, property, a pension and family in India answer that. Earlier visas used correctly also count in your favour.
Insurance that does not qualify (reason 16)
In India, the Schengen consulates apply an approved list of Indian travel insurers; other Indian policies are not accepted. Cover must be at least €30,000, valid in all Schengen states for the whole stay.
A file that is incomplete on the day
Several consulates say they are not obliged to ask for missing items before refusing. Build the complete file to the destination's own checklist before you go to the centre.
Information on a refused visa is entered into the EU's Visa Information System, which consulates consult on every new application, so a refusal follows you to the next country. Our guide to Schengen visa rejection from India explains how to read the letter, and our Schengen refusal reasons page covers each numbered reason.
Tips for a stronger file
- Decide the country first. Count nights per country before you book anything; the answer decides the consulate, the centre and the checklist.
- Follow that country's checklist, in its order. Germany wants VIDEX barcodes, Switzerland A4 originals and the ITR-V, Spain the front page of the insurance policy.
- Book, do not buy. Most consulates ask for flight reservations and advise buying tickets after the visa.
- Insurance from the approved list, covering every Schengen day; for a multiple-entry visa, the first trip plus a signed undertaking for later ones.
- Carry copies when you fly. A visa does not by itself entitle you to enter; border guards may ask about the purpose of your stay and your means.
- Count your days. The European Commission's short-stay calculator shows how many of your 90 days remain.
- Read our money guide. Our explainer on Schengen bank balance requirements shows how to present funds.
Which Schengen country should you apply to?
The EU rule has three steps. Apply to the state that is your only destination. If you visit several, apply to the main destination, judged by the length or the purpose of the stay. If no main destination can be found, apply to the state whose external border you cross first. Two consulates give useful examples:
- Purpose can outweigh days. German Missions in India say that a trip to visit your daughter in Germany for 5 days, extended by 7 days in Italy, is a German case, because the visit is the main purpose. They add that when the purpose is unclear, it is safer to apply to the country with the most days.
- Days decide a holiday. France-Visas says six days in France and fifteen in another Schengen country means the other country handles the visa.
What happens if you pick wrongly? The consulate checks whether it is competent. If it is not, it returns the application and documents, refunds the visa fee and tells you which consulate to use; the service centre's charge is not refunded. You lose the appointment and the time, not the visa itself, but the trip may slip. Choosing a country because it seems easier, when it is not your main destination, is the surest way to lose weeks.
Can Indians get a multiple-entry Schengen visa?
Yes, through a rule made for India. On 18 April 2024 the European Commission adopted a visa "cascade" for Indian nationals living in India. The EU Delegation to India explains it: after obtaining and lawfully using two visas within the previous three years, you can be issued a multiple-entry visa valid for two years, normally followed by a five-year visa if your passport has enough validity left. While these visas are valid, holders enjoy travel rights equivalent to visa-free nationals, still within 90 days in any 180.
There is no entitlement. German Missions point out that a consulate may still issue a visa just for the trip's dates, and that a passport without three months of validity beyond the visa means you get a shorter one. The cascade is not a work permit, and each trip still needs travel insurance.
Two newer systems are worth knowing. The Entry/Exit System (EES) has been gradually introduced across the Schengen area since October 12, 2025: it registers non-EU travellers' entries and exits electronically, with fingerprints and a face image, and is replacing passport stamps. ETIAS, the travel authorisation announced for visa-free travellers, does not replace the Schengen visa for Indian passport holders. For the list of member states and their quirks, see our Schengen countries guide and the Schengen overview.
Official sources
- Applying for a Schengen visa, European Commission
- Visa Code, consolidated text (EUR-Lex)
- European Union adopts more favourable Schengen visa rules for Indians, EU Delegation to India
- Common information sheet for Schengen visa applicants in India, VFS Global
- Information on Travel Medical Insurance, German Missions in India
- Schengen Visa, German Missions in India
- Schengen Visa FAQs, German Missions in India
- Frequently asked questions, France-Visas
- Arrival in France, France-Visas
- Spain short term visa, fees and jurisdiction, BLS International India
- FAQ Entry, State Secretariat for Migration (Switzerland)
- What is the EES?, Travel to Europe
