What does Schengen means?

You might have been heard the word schengen, Schengen area or Schengen visa, but do you know what it actually means? If the answer is no, keep reading and after this article, you will know everything you need about Schengen.

 

What is the Schengen area?

It is the territory of 26 European countries which have officially abolished all passports and all other forms of border control at their borders. This area largely functions as a single jurisdiction for international travel with a common visa policy. The Schengen area is named after the 1985 Schengen Agreement.

26 Schengen countries include:

Austria

Hungary

Norway

Belgium

Iceland

Poland

The Czech Republic

Italy

Portugal

Denmark

Latvia

Slovakia

Estonia

Liechtenstein

Slovenia

Finland

Lithuania

Spain

France

Luxembourg

Sweden

Germany

Malta

Switzerland

Greece

Netherlands

What is the Schengen visa?

A Schengen visa is a short stay visa that allows a person to travel to any member of the Schengen area for a single stay of up to 90 days for tourism or business purposes.

The Schengen visa is the most common visa in Europe. It allows its holder to enter, travel freely within and outside the Schengen area from any Schengen Member State. In the Schengen area, there are no border controls.

However, if you intend to study, work or live in a Schengen country for more than 90 days, you must apply for a national visa for that European country, not a Schengen visa.

The Schengen Agreement is the treaty leading to the creation of the European Schengen area, which has been largely repealed. It was signed on June 14, 1985, near the Schengen city of Luxembourg by five of the ten Member States of the then European Economic Community.