Table of Contents
What Is a Schengen Visa Category C?
A Schengen Type C visa is a short-stay visa that allows its holder to travel within the Schengen area for a maximum of 90 days within a 180-day period. Travelers with a Schengen Type C visa can travel and move freely between any country in the Schengen area without needing to pass through border control or get multiple visas for each country. The visa may be issued for single entry, double entry, or multiple entry. Here’s a complete list of the 29 countries in the Schengen Area:
| Austria | Belgium | Bulgaria |
| Croatia | Czech Republic | Denmark |
| Estonia | Finland | France |
| Germany | Greece | Hungary |
| Iceland | Italy | Latvia |
| Liechtenstein | Lithuania | Luxembourg |
| Malta | Netherlands | Norway |
| Poland | Portugal | Romania |
| Slovakia | Slovenia | Spain |
| Sweden | Switzerland |
What You Can Do With a Schengen Type C Visa?
Learn more about what you can do with a Schengen Type C visa:
- Tourism
- You can visit the Schengen countries for sightseeing, leisure, and other tourist activities.
- Visiting family or friends
- You may have family members or friends residing in a Schengen country.
- You can apply for this visa to visit them, but you’ll typically need an invitation letter from the person hosting you.
- In the letter, they’ll need to include their relationship with you and specify whether they’ll be providing you with accommodation, meals, and transportation.
- Business
- You can attend a business meeting, conference, networking event, or any other business-related event with this visa.
- Journalism
- If you work as a journalist or as any other media professional, you can travel to Schengen countries with this visa to report international events, attend press conferences, or for any other news-related activities.
- Official visits
- You can attend official meetings, engage in diplomatic work, and carry out other official duties with this visa type.
- Medical treatment
- This visa type permits traveling to a Schengen country to receive medical treatment, especially treatment that you’re unable to receive in your own country.
- Short-term study
- If you’ve been accepted into a short-term study program of less than 90 days, you can travel to the Schengen area on a Type C visa.
- Event attendance
- If you’re planning on attending a festival, sports event, or a religious or cultural event, you can apply for this visa type.
- Other
- Mark the ‘Other’ category and complete relevant details if you’re planning to travel to a Schengen country for reasons not mentioned above.
What You Cannot Do With a Schengen Type C Visa?
Note that the short-stay Schengen visa does not permit entry into the area for the following purposes:
- Residency
- You should not be planning to live in the Schengen area with a Type C visa.
- If you wish to reside there, you’ll need to apply for a Type D visa instead.
- Employment
- The Type C visa strictly forbids gaining any sort of employment in the Schengen area, even if it’s temporary or part-time work.
- If you plan to work in the Schengen area, you’ll need to apply for a work visa instead.
- Long-term study
- If you’re planning on pursuing a degree or any study program that exceeds 90 days, you’ll need to apply for a student visa.
- You cannot pursue long-term study on a short-stay visa.
Who Needs a Type C Visa for the Schengen Area?
You’ll need a Type C visa if your country doesn’t have a visa waiver agreement with the EU, as you’ll not qualify for visa-free travel into the Schengen area. If you’re planning to visit one or more Schengen countries for up to 90 days for the purposes listed in the previous section, you’ll need to apply for a Type C visa.
Minors also need to obtain a Type C Schengen visa regardless of their age. It’s necessary for them to present a written consent letter signed by both their parents as part of their application.
If you’re a national of the Schengen area or the EU, you’ll not require a Type C visa. You’ll also not require this visa if you’re a national of a country that signed a visa-exemption agreement. Some of these countries include Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, the U.K., and the U.S.
Required Documents
Review this list of Schengen Visa Type C requirements:
- Passport
- Your passport should have been issued within the last 10 years.
- It should have a minimum validity of three months after your scheduled exit.
- There should be at least two blank pages.
- If you have any previous passports, you should also submit them.
- Schengen visa application form
- The form should be completed and signed.
- It typically contains questions regarding your passport information, purpose of travel, travel itinerary, financial status, and others.
- Two recent biometric photos
- Your full face should be visible against a solid white background.
- Should be recent (taken within the last 6 months)
- There should be no head covering (except for religious reasons) or face coverings that prevent full visibility of the facial features.
- Travel itinerary
- You’ll need to provide your arrival and departure flight information, and the dates you’ll be traveling to other Schengen countries (if applicable).
- Some embassies may request you to submit a copy of your flight reservation, including the flight reservation number and itinerary details.
- Travel health insurance
- The insurance should cover the entire length of your stay.
- It should be valid for all Schengen states and cover medical repatriation and emergency medical and hospital care.
- The minimum coverage must be €30,000.
- Proof of financial means
- You’ll need to submit your bank statements showing regular monthly income or salary for the past three months, including the current balance.
- You may submit a letter confirming your credit card limit.
Here are the additional documents you may require, depending on the purpose of your visit:
- Proof of accommodation
- If you’re visiting for tourism purposes, you’ll need to present your hotel reservations.
- Invitation letter (Private visit)
- If you’re visiting a family member or a friend in the Schengen area, you’ll need to get an original, signed invitation letter from the host.
- In this letter, the host needs to include their contact details, address, and state what costs they’ll be covering for you.
- For example, they may provide you with accommodation at their home and cover the cost of your daily meals and local transportation.
- They should also provide a copy of their passport or residence card.
- Proof of family bonds
- If you’re visiting a family member, you’ll need to submit birth certificates, marriage certificates, or death certificates to prove your relationship.
- Business invitation letter
- If you’re visiting a Schengen country for a business meeting, conference, or event, you’ll need an invitation letter from a company or organization.
- This letter should state the exact dates of the event and whether the company is going to cover the costs of the applicant’s stay or not.
- The letter should also mention if the applicant will require frequent travel to the country.
- There should also be mention of a hotel reservation during the stay.
- Cover letter
- First-time applicants are highly advised to submit a cover letter to introduce themselves and give further details regarding the purpose of their visit.
- In this letter, you should clearly state the reasons you have to return to your home country after your visit to the Schengen area.
- For example, to demonstrate you have strong ties to your country, you may mention you have permanent employment or a business back home, young children or elderly parents to care for, or commitments to your community.
How to Apply for a Schengen Type C Visa
Read on to learn how to prepare your Schengen Visa Type C application:
- Gather all the necessary documents.
- Start preparing all the documents, such as translating any official documents if necessary.
- Make sure that your passport meets the minimum validity, and renew your passport if necessary.
- Obtain bank statements and request letters from your company and host.
- Get your photos taken according to the guidelines.
- Write your cover letter.
- Buy travel insurance.
- Make a flight reservation.
- Fill in the application form.
- If you’re traveling to more than one Schengen country, apply at the consulate of the country you’ll be visiting for the longest duration.
- You can easily find the application form on the website of the embassy or the official visa application centre.
- Fill in the form accurately and request the assistance of an agent if needed.
- You’ll need to print out the completed application form to present it at your appointment.
- Book an appointment.
- Depending on the country you’re applying from, you may book an appointment with the embassy or an official visa application centre.
- You can apply as early as six months before the intended date of departure.
- Go for the appointment.
- Be physically present for the appointment to submit all the original documents and provide your biometric information.
- Pay the visa fees.
- Receive the result of your application.
- You can expect to get the result of your application within 15 working days.
- You’ll be notified when the decision has been made.
- Make an appointment and travel to the embassy or visa application center to collect your passport.
- If your visa application was successful, check that all the details in your visa sticker are correct, such as your full name and passport number.
- If your visa application was unsuccessful, you may consider reapplying or appealing against the decision.
Schengen Visa Type C Fees
Currently, the Schengen Visa Type C cost is €90 for adults and €45 for children between the ages of six and 12. The Schengen visa is free for children under six years of age. Note that the Schengen visa fees are generally non-refundable.
The visa fees have been standardized across all the Schengen countries since mid-2024. This means that despite the country you apply to, the fees will be the same. Regardless of whether you apply at the consulate or an official application center, the fees will also be the same.
However, the visa fees for different visa types will differ. For example, the fees for a long-stay visa or a study visa will differ from a short-stay visa.
Processing Time
The processing time is approximately 15 working days from the date that the application is received by the embassy or the consulate general. In some cases, it may take as long as 45 days. The extended processing time may be due to an influx in visa applications during the summer season or because additional documentation is required to support the application.
You may apply up to six months in advance, so our advice is to apply as soon as possible in the event of any delays.
Validity and Number of Entries
You may be issued a single, double, or multiple-entry visa. The number of times you can enter the Schengen area during the validity period of your visa will be indicated on the visa sticker under the heading “Number of entries”.
A single-entry visa means that you can only enter the Schengen area once, whereas a double-entry visa allows for a maximum of two entries. If you get issued a multiple-entry visa, you can enter the Schengen area several times during the validity period of the visa.
Note that despite the difference in the number of entries, you can only stay for a maximum of 90 days in all cases.
Can You Extend a Schengen Type C Visa?
A Schengen Type C visa cannot be extended, unless under exceptional circumstances. The conditions for issuing an extension are very strict, and your reason must reflect a high degree of seriousness and unforeseeability.
Here are some of the reasons for which an extension may be granted:
- Force majeure
- This is in the event that you cannot return to your home country due to grave events that took place during your stay in the Schengen area.
- It could be a natural disaster, extreme weather conditions, or serious political events.
- A flight cancellation by an airline due to weather conditions or a strike can also be considered in this category.
- Humanitarian reasons
- Personal situations of applicants will be considered under this category.
- For example, you or a family member accompanying you may face a serious health problem that deems you unfit to travel.
- It can also be a family event, such as the death of an immediate family member living in a Schengen country during your travel.
- Professional reasons
- You may request an extension if you could not conclude your business activities in the Schengen area during the planned period due to unforeseen events.
Common Reasons for Visa Rejection
Review the most common reasons for C Type Schengen visa rejections to ensure that your application is successful:
Incorrect or missing information
One of the most common reasons for a visa rejection is due to incorrect, mismatched, or missing information. The information in the application may not line up with the supporting documents, such as a different name of the host inviting the individual on the application form and the invitation letter.
There may also be mistakes in your name, passport number, or travel dates. If you miss answering any mandatory questions, your application will be deemed incomplete. Having incorrect or mismatched information may raise suspicions about the authenticity of your application and the purpose of your intended travel.
To avoid this situation, follow these tips:
- Be very careful and thorough when filling up your application and preparing the supporting documents. Double-check every name, passport number, and address provided.
- Do not skip any questions marked with an asterisk.
- Answer all the questions truthfully.
- Consider asking a visa agent to help you with the application to ensure that your application is complete and accurate.
Lack of sufficient funds
You must demonstrate that you have sufficient funds to cover your travel expenses, such as accommodation, food, and transportation. The embassy representatives assessing your application want to ensure that you will not run out of money and resort to illegal work or become a financial liability to the country.
Some Schengen countries have set financial requirements. For example, to get issued a Schengen visa for France, you’re required to show that you have €65 per day if you are staying at a hotel or €33 per day if you are staying with a relative or friend.
If your financial documents fail to meet the minimum requirement, your application may be rejected.
To avoid rejection due to lack of funds:
- Find out the minimum financial requirement of the Schengen country you’re applying to.
- Calculate the total funds you will need based on the duration of your stay, and ensure you have enough funds in your account balance to meet the requirement.
- Include additional documents, such as proof of ownership of assets such as properties and vehicles. If you have a sponsor, include their bank statements as well.
Unclear purpose of travel
Another reason for rejection is when you don’t provide a clear reason for your travel to the Schengen area. The consular officers need to know exactly why you want to visit a Schengen country, such as if you’re traveling for tourism, a family visit, business, short-term study, or medical purposes.
If the information you provide is vague or inconsistent, the officers may feel suspicious about your intentions, leading to a visa rejection.
To avoid this situation, do the following:
- Provide the necessary supporting documents according to the purpose of your travel.
- For example, if you’re traveling for tourism, ensure that you have a detailed travel itinerary that includes the activities you plan to do and the places you want to visit. You should also include confirmation of hotel reservations and any other flight, bus, or train reservations that align with the itinerary.
- If you’re planning to study there, you will need a letter from the school or university confirming your acceptance into the course.
- Be highly detailed when preparing your cover letter by including names of destinations, dates, and accommodation details.
Criminal records
If you have been convicted of a crime in the past, especially for serious offences, it can hamper your chances of getting a visa, as you may be seen as a threat to public security.
Here’s what you can do to better your chances of a successful outcome:
- Be honest about your past conviction in your cover letter, stating the time period that has passed since your conviction.
- Include details about your rehabilitation or the steps you have taken to become a person of good moral standing.
- If you have any character certificates or employment records, include them as part of your supporting documents.
What to Do If Your Application Is Rejected
If your visa was rejected, you’ll be informed of the reasons and advised on how to submit an appeal. You can do either of the following:
- Reapply for a Schengen visa.
- Your visa may have been rejected due to missing or incorrect information on the application form, photos that did not meet the requirements, or missing documents.
- In this case, rectify the mistakes, gather relevant supporting documents, and reapply.
- Note that you will have to pay the visa fee again.
- Appeal against the decision.
- If you believe that your visa was unfairly rejected, you can appeal to ask the consular officers to reconsider their decisions.
- Prepare an appeal letter that addresses the reasons for the rejection. For example, if your visa was refused due to weak ties to your home country, you may want to emphasize the assets you own, your employment history, and family members who are dependent on you. You may also want to highlight your travel history to show that you have not violated any immigration laws previously.
- Attach all your supporting documents along with a copy of your visa refusal notice.
- An appeal should be made within two months of receiving your negative result.
Other Types of Schengen Visas Beyond the Short-Stay Visa
You may be wondering what are the 4 types of Schengen visas. Explore the three other types of visas apart from the Type C Schengen Visa covered in this article:
- Type A Schengen Visa
- This visa is also known as the Airport Transit Visa (ATV).
- It requires travelers from certain countries to apply for a visa to transit through the international zone of a Schengen airport while they’re on their way to a non-Schengen destination.
- This visa will allow them to transit in a Schengen airport, but doesn’t give permission to enter the Schengen area.
- Type B Schengen Visa
- This visa category is no longer valid, but was issued for transit by land through Schengen countries for a maximum of five days.
- This visa has been phased out and replaced by the Type C visa.
- Type D Schengen Visa
- The Schengen Visa Type D is also known as the “long stay” or “national” visa.
- A long-stay national visa is issued to individuals who want to stay in a particular Schengen country for more than 90 days.
- The reasons for this extended stay could be due to professional reasons, training programs, internships, school, or family reunification.
- Holders of this visa are permitted to visit other Schengen countries for up to 90 days in any 180-day period during the validity of their visa.
FAQs About the Schengen Visa Type C
What does C mean on a Schengen visa?
The ‘C’ means that it is a Schengen short-stay visa. The visa sticker may also read as “ETATS Schengen” when you get a visa Type C, which means that your visa is valid for all Schengen states. It is valid for 180 days and permits a stay of up to 90 days in the Schengen area. A Schengen visa in category ‘C’ also means that its holders can visit one or more Schengen countries for tourism, visiting family or friends, business, short-term study, or medical purposes.
What is a Schengen transit visa Type C?
If you’re wondering what is a C Type Schengen Visa with a transit condition, it is a short-stay transit visa that allows its holder to stay in the Schengen area for a couple of days before they travel to their next destination outside of the Schengen area. This differs from the typical Schengen Visa Type C duration of stay of 90 days within 180 days.
What is the difference between visa validity and authorized length of stay?
The visa validity is the period during which you can enter the Schengen area, whereas the authorized length of stay refers to the maximum period you can remain in the area. Schengen visas for the Type C category permit you to stay for a maximum of 90 days. If your visa is a Schengen Visa Type C multiple entry, it means that you can enter the Schengen area multiple times during the visa validity period.
What does a short-stay Schengen visa not permit?
A Schengen Type C visit visa does not permit residence, employment, or long-term study in the Schengen area. If you wish to do any of these, you’ll need to apply for a different visa.
Guidance on Required Docs
