International Student Support

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Visiting Europe - Schengen visa

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If you are a national of one of the countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA), you may be required to obtain an additional visa to travel to Europe.

The Schengen visa scheme

This scheme allows you to visit and travel between the countries in the Schengen Space using only one visa. At present the Schengen Space is made up of 26 countries:

Austria	Belgium	Czech Republic	Denmark	Estonia	Finland
France	Germany	Greece	Hungary	Iceland	Italy
Latvia	Liechtenstein	Lithuania	Luxembourg	Malta	The Netherlands
Norway	Poland	Portugal	Slovakia	Slovenia	Spain
Sweden	Switzerland

(N.B. The UK and Republic of Ireland are NOT part of the Schengen space)

Types of Schengen visa:

• Short stay visa - single or multiple entry
• Airport Transit visa
• The Transit visa

The short stay visa allows a visit of up to three months in any six month period. This is the visa that most students will require to travel within the Schengen Space as tourists or to attend conferences.

The two transit visas are to be used if entering a Schengen country briefly in order to pass through into another country outside of the Schengen Space.

Students from Canada, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea and USA do not require a Schengen visa.

Where to apply?

If you are intending to travel to only one Schengen country, you will need to apply for a visa at the embassy of that particular country.

If you intend to visit a number of Schengen countries, you need to apply for a visa at the embassy of the main destination country (ie. where you will be spending the most nights).

If you are applying for a Schengen visa to travel to a number of countries and do not have a main destination, you will need to apply to the embassy of the country you are visiting first.

What documents do I require from UCL in order to apply?

To support your Schengen visa application you will require a Student Status letter from UCL confirming that you are enrolled and attending a programme of study. You can request this letter in person at the Student Centre.

How to apply?

Each embassy has its own application form and application process. Some embassies will require you to make an application in person, whilst others will require you to submit a postal application. The embassy website will instruct you on the application process. You can be redirected to the relevant embassy website via the country links above.

Application tips

• You will need to have at least one or two blank pages in your passport when making an application.
• Certain embassies will require you to have a specific amount of time left on your passport and UK visa at the time of re-entering the UK. This will usually be between three and six months. You will need to check individual embassy websites for further details.
• Application processing times will vary depending upon which embassy you are applying to. Applicants are advised to leave plenty of time (two or three months) before you plan to travel.
• Take a copy of the application form and any additional documents that you send, for your own records.