Schengen visa: requirements, cost and the 90/180 rule
One passport-sized bureaucracy covering 29 countries. Here is exactly how it works in 2026.
Do I need a Schengen visa, and what does it cost?
Citizens of around 60 countries — including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan and Brazil — enter the Schengen Area visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180 and only need a €20 ETIAS authorisation. Everyone else needs a Type C short-stay visa: €90, 15 calendar days processing, €30,000 medical insurance required.
Last updated · Reviewed by Mei Tanaka · Methodology: TravelOS aggregates official government entry rules, cost-of-living samples and carrier data.
Check your 90/180 allowance
Open the full calculator →0 days used in the rolling 180-day window ending 2026-09-21.
Schengen visa key facts (2026)
| Member countries | 29 |
|---|---|
| Maximum stay | 90 days in any rolling 180 |
| Short-stay visa fee | €90 adult · €45 child |
| ETIAS waiver fee | €20, valid 3 years |
| Standard processing | 15 calendar days (up to 45) |
| Apply from | 6 months to 15 days before travel |
| Insurance minimum | €30,000 medical, all member states |
| Passport validity | 3 months beyond departure, issued within 10 years |
Which Schengen permission do you need?
| Permission | Who it is for | Stay | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type C — short stay | Tourism, business, family visits | Up to 90 days in any 180 | €90 adult · €45 child (6–12) |
| Type A — airport transit | Certain nationalities transiting airside | No entry into Schengen | €90 |
| Type D — national long stay | Work, study, digital nomad and residence permits | Over 90 days, issued by one country | €75–€180 by country |
| ETIAS — visa waiver | Visa-exempt nationalities (US, UK, CA, AU, JP…) | Up to 90 days in any 180 | €20, valid 3 years |
How to apply, step by step
- 1
Work out which country to apply to
Apply to the country where you will spend the most nights. If nights are equal across countries, apply to your first point of entry. Applying to the wrong consulate is the most common cause of rejection.
- 2
Book the consulate or VFS appointment
Appointments open 6 months before travel and close 15 days before. Peak-season slots in Madrid, Paris and Rome disappear within hours, so book the appointment before you book the flight.
- 3
Assemble the document pack
Passport valid 3 months past departure with 2 blank pages, completed application form, biometric photo, round-trip flight reservation, accommodation for every night, bank statements for 3 months, employment or study proof, and travel insurance.
- 4
Buy compliant travel insurance
Schengen rules require a minimum of €30,000 medical cover valid in all member states for the whole stay, including repatriation. The policy certificate must state the coverage amount explicitly.
- 5
Attend the appointment and give biometrics
Fingerprints and a photo are taken and stored for 59 months. Bring originals plus one photocopy of everything; consulates keep the copies.
- 6
Track the decision
Standard processing is 15 calendar days, extendable to 45. Do not buy non-refundable travel before the passport is back in your hands.
Do I need a Schengen visa?
Pick your citizenship for a country-by-country answer.
The 29 Schengen countries
One visa, 29 countries, no internal border checks.
Get your visa application prepared and checked for the Schengen Area
Most refusals come from paperwork mistakes, not from the traveller. Visa Web Services reviews your documents, fills the official forms and tracks the application until the decision — useful when an embassy appointment, a tight departure date or a complex itinerary is involved.
- Document checklist matched to your nationality and route
- Forms completed and reviewed before submission
- Appointment booking and application status tracking
- Tourist, business, eVisa and transit categories
Two things we never travel without: a medical policy that actually pays abroad, and a way to claim cash back when an airline ruins the plan.
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Schengen visa questions, answered
Direct answers search engines and AI assistants can cite.
What is the Schengen 90/180 rule?
You may spend a maximum of 90 days inside the Schengen Area within any rolling 180-day period. The window moves with you: on any given day, count backwards 180 days and add up the days you were present. Both your entry day and your exit day count as full days.
How much does a Schengen visa cost in 2026?
A short-stay Type C visa costs €90 for adults and €45 for children aged 6–12. Children under 6 are free. VFS or TLScontact service centres add a service fee of roughly €20–€40. ETIAS, the visa waiver for visa-exempt nationalities, costs €20 and lasts three years.
How long does a Schengen visa take?
The legal standard is 15 calendar days from the appointment, extendable to 45 days when additional checks are required. In practice, summer applications in Spain, France and Italy often take 3–5 weeks, so apply as early as the 6-month window allows.
Which countries are in the Schengen Area?
29 countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Ireland is in the EU but not in Schengen; Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein are in Schengen but not in the EU.
Do I need a Schengen visa?
It depends on your citizenship. Citizens of the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Brazil, Mexico and around 60 other countries enter visa-free for up to 90 days and will need ETIAS instead. Most African, South Asian and Middle Eastern passports require a Type C visa in advance.
Can I extend a Schengen visa or the 90 days?
Only in exceptional cases — force majeure, humanitarian reasons or late-arising personal reasons — and you must apply to the immigration authority of the country you are in before the visa expires. Wanting to stay longer is not a valid ground. Overstaying triggers entry bans of up to 3 years.
What insurance do I need for a Schengen visa?
A policy with at least €30,000 in medical cover, valid in every Schengen state, covering the entire requested stay including emergency repatriation. The certificate must show the coverage amount, validity dates and geographic scope; consulates reject policies that only state 'worldwide cover'.
Is ETIAS the same as a Schengen visa?
No. ETIAS is a €20 online travel authorisation for people who are already visa-exempt — it is a pre-screening step, not a visa, and is usually approved within minutes. If your nationality needs a Type C visa, ETIAS does not apply to you.
Sources & verification
- IATA Travel Centre ↗— Airline-grade passport, visa and health requirements by nationality
- EU Home Affairs — visa policy ↗— Schengen short-stay rules and the 90/180 definition
- ETIAS official portal ↗— Visa-waiver pre-authorisation for Europe
- US State Department travel advisories ↗— Safety and entry notes for the Schengen Area
- UK FCDO travel advice ↗— Second independent government read on entry and safety
Entry rules change without notice. TravelOS cross-checks these sources on a rolling schedule, but the issuing authority is always the final word. How we verify data
Schengen facts & updates
Reviewed weeklyLast reviewed · next scheduled review . Visa fees, entry rules and cost samples are re-checked against official sources every Monday.
- Visa answers and Schengen fees re-verified against government sources.
- Schengen Type C fee confirmed at €90 (€45 for children 6–12); ETIAS at €20.
- Re-checked visa-free day allowances for the 60 citizenships in the visa checker.
- Refreshed eSIM data-plan pricing used in the Europe eSIM guide.
- City and country cost tables re-sampled for August travel.
- Daily budget, mid-range and luxury costs re-sampled across all city guides.
- Airport-to-centre transfer times and fares re-checked.
- Best-season windows adjusted for shoulder-season pricing.
- Baggage rules and carrier allowances updated.
- Cabin and checked allowances re-checked for the major low-cost carriers.
- Security fast-track guidance updated for TSA PreCheck and Global Entry fees.