Schengen, Schengen countries, Schengen visa, Schengen agreement - which of us did not hear these concepts, firmly entrenched in the vocabulary of the Russian tourist community? But, sadly, it’s only the upcoming trip abroad that makes us think about the true meaning of the usual phrases and find out what a Schengen visa is. Meanwhile, the modern enlightened person should at least in general terms imagine what is at stake.
The Schengen area was formed in 1985 as a result of the agreement of several European countries on the abolition of customs passport control. Near the town of Schengen (Duchy of Luxembourg), an agreement was signed that became an alternative to the previously existing visa regime standard. Today, speaking of Schengen, they often mean a visa or a group of countries where it is allowed to enter, and the Schengen visa itself is the possibility of access and free movement without internal border control across 24 EU states. Having a Schengen visa issued at the Italian embassy, you can, for example, make a trip to Germany or France without bothering yourself with excessive red tape on requesting visas at the embassies of these countries.
But, speaking about what a Schengen visa is, one should not forget about the existing restrictions. So, you should request it at the embassy or consulate of the state where you plan to stay most of the time, and it is preferable to enter the Schengen countries through the country to which you applied. It should also be remembered that, despite the open borders of the Schengen countries, spot checks are possible at any of the border points.
There are various types of Schengen visas, but Russian citizens require category C (tourist) for tourist or business trips. It can be of two types: single or multiple action. Such visas are divided into several subtypes. So, a single stay is allowed for up to 30 or up to 90 days, and permission for multiple entries is issued for 1 year or 5 years.
Having decided on what a Schengen visa is, you should also submit the period of its validity. A single entry visa allows you to stay in the country that issued it for a specified period. At the same time, there is the opportunity to travel freely throughout the European Union. The current rules allow unhindered movement within the Schengen area without entering the country that issued the visa. But you should prepare for possible issues at border crossings and document the veracity of your story. For example, if you have a Finnish visa, it doesn’t hurt to show a hotel reservation in Finland or an invitation from your Finnish friends. By receiving a multiple visa, you become the holder of the right to stay in Europe for up to 90 days, and you can use it every six months.
When applying to the consulate or embassy for a visa, it is recommended to remember that by default its employees perceive a future visitor to their country as undesirable for entry. After all, knowing what a Schengen visa is and what benefits it provides to tourists, the consulate thinks about the economic feasibility of such a trip for the country, as well as the absence of any criminal subtext in the thoughts of the candidate for entry. Therefore, before you get the coveted visa, you have to prove the decency of your intentions and financial viability.
The requirements for a Schengen candidate are generally unified for all countries, but there may be different nuances in each embassy. In such a situation, references and documents confirming the purity of your intentions cannot be superfluous, and you should not rely on a standard set of documents. In connection with the tightening of the procedure for issuing visas by EU countries, a lot can affect the process of obtaining them - the presentable appearance of the candidate, his speech, and his behavior.