Schengen area · Entry rules

Who needs a visa for the Schengen area?

Entry rules for the Schengen area by nationality, for short tourist or business visits, from the European Union, Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 (EUR-Lex consolidated text of 30.12.2025), checked 6 Nov 2026.

In brief

Citizens of 94 countries and territories can visit the Schengen area without a visa, most for up to 90 days. Everyone else, 105 nationalities, needs a visa.

Schengen visa fee: EUR 90 for adults and EUR 45 for children aged 6-12; EUR 35 for applicants from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus and EUR 67.50 for applicants from Cabo Verde. Visa service centres may add a fee, and the fee can be waived for some applicants (European Commission page dated 2 December 2025). Official fee. Source: European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs, checked 1 Nov 2026.

Schengen visa processing time: By law a consulate must decide within 15 calendar days of lodging an admissible application. In individual cases it may extend this to a maximum of 45 calendar days, notably when further scrutiny is needed; urgent cases are decided without delay. Source: European Union (Regulation (EC) No 810/2009, Visa Code; EUR-Lex consolidated text of 28.06.2024), checked 1 Nov 2026.

Visa-free: 94
On arrival: 0
eVisa or ETA: 0
Visa required: 105

Checked 6 Nov 2026Source: European Union, Regulation 2018/1806Report a change

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Most commonIndia United States Hong Kong Pakistan Vietnam Saudi Arabia All passports

Schengen area entry rules at a glance

Group	Stay	Nationalities	Examples	Source
Free movement	Not stated	31	Germany, France, Italy, Spain	European Commission
Visa-free	90 days in any 180	51	United States, Brazil, Mexico, Japan	European Union, Regulation 2018/1806
Visa-free, biometric passport	90 days in any 180	9	Ukraine, Serbia, Georgia, Bosnia and Herzegovina	European Union, Regulation 2018/1806
Visa-free, passport type	90 days in any 180	3	Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan	European Union, Regulation 2018/1806
Visa required	Not stated	104	India, China, Indonesia, Pakistan	European Union, Regulation 2018/1806
Visa required	Not stated	1	Nauru	Federal Foreign Office of Germany, Staatenliste zur Visumpflicht…

Free movement: Germany, France, Italy and 28 more

31 nationalities

Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Romania and 21 more: a valid passport or national ID card is enough.

Source: European Commission (Your Europe), checked 6 Nov 2026As an EU national, you have the right to travel freely in the 27 EU member countries as well as in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland (non-EU countries but members of the Schengen area) carrying either a valid passport or a national identity card (ID card).

Source: European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), Handbook on European law relating to asylum, borders and immigration, 2026 edition, p. 22, checked 6 Nov 2026Nationals of non-EU member states that are part of the EEA – namely, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway – have the same free movement rights as EU nationals [...] Swiss nationals enjoy a right to move and settle in the EU.

Visa-free for 90 days in any 180: the US, Brazil, Mexico and 48 more

51 nationalities

No visa is needed for stays of up to 90 days in any 180.

Source: European Union, Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 (EUR-Lex consolidated text of 30.12.2025), checked 6 Nov 2026LIST OF THIRD COUNTRIES WHOSE NATIONALS ARE EXEMPT FROM THE REQUIREMENT TO BE IN POSSESSION OF A VISA WHEN CROSSING THE EXTERNAL BORDERS OF THE MEMBER STATES FOR STAYS OF NO MORE THAN 90 DAYS IN ANY 180-DAY PERIOD

Visa-free for 90 days in any 180 with a biometric passport: Ukraine, Serbia, Georgia and 6 more

9 nationalities

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, North Macedonia and Montenegro: biometric passport only.

Ukraine, Serbia, Georgia, Moldova and Kosovo: biometric passport issued in line with ICAO standards only.

Source: European Union, Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 (EUR-Lex consolidated text of 30.12.2025), checked 6 Nov 2026The exemption from the visa requirement shall only apply to holders of biometric passports issued in line with the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Visa-free for 90 days in any 180 with specific passports: Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan

3 nationalities

Hong Kong: Hong Kong SAR passport only.

Macao: Macao SAR passport only.

Taiwan: Taiwan passport that includes an identity card number only.

Source: European Union, Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 (EUR-Lex consolidated text of 30.12.2025), checked 6 Nov 2026The exemption from the visa requirement shall only apply to holders of a ‘Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’ passport.

Source: European Union, Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 (EUR-Lex consolidated text of 30.12.2025), checked 6 Nov 2026The exemption from the visa requirement shall only apply to holders of a ‘Região Administrativa Especial de Macau’ passport.

Source: European Union, Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 (EUR-Lex consolidated text of 30.12.2025), checked 6 Nov 2026The exemption from the visa requirement shall only apply to holders of passports issued by Taiwan which include an identity card number.

Visa required: India, China, Indonesia and 101 more

104 nationalities

Apply for a visa before you travel.

Source: European Union, Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 (EUR-Lex consolidated text of 30.12.2025), checked 6 Nov 2026LIST OF THIRD COUNTRIES WHOSE NATIONALS ARE REQUIRED TO BE IN POSSESSION OF A VISA WHEN CROSSING THE EXTERNAL BORDERS OF THE MEMBER STATES

Visa required: Nauru

1 nationality

Until an EU–Nauru visa waiver agreement enters into force (Annex II footnote); none has been concluded.

Nauru

Source: Federal Foreign Office of Germany (Auswärtiges Amt), Staatenliste zur Visumpflicht, 03.06.2026, checked 6 Nov 2026Visumpflicht für Deutschland: Ja/Nein [...] Nauru JaIn English: Visa required for Germany: yes/no [...] Nauru: yes

If you live in the UAE

Emirati citizens: visa-free, 90 days in any 180.

See Schengen Visa from Dubai for UAE Residents.

Where to apply

A visa is applied for at the embassy or consulate of the Schengen state that is your main destination, in the country where you live.

These rules cover ordinary passports and short visits; work, study and transit have their own rules. Our guides: Schengen Visa from Dubai for UAE Residents, ETIAS: the official website, the fee and who will need it, Schengen visa from the UK for UK residents, Schengen transit visa: who needs one, Schengen visa fee: what you pay, and where, EU Entry/Exit System (EES): what happens at the border, Countries you can visit with a Schengen visa.

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FAQ

Do I need a visa to visit the Schengen area?

It depends on your passport: 94 nationalities are visa-free and 105 need a visa. Choose your passport above.

Do Indian citizens need a visa for the Schengen area?

Yes. Indian citizens need a visa before they travel to the Schengen area (European Union, Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 (EUR-Lex consolidated text of 30.12.2025), checked 6 Nov 2026).

Do US citizens need a visa for the Schengen area?

No, not for a short stay. US citizens can visit the Schengen area visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180 (European Union, Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 (EUR-Lex consolidated text of 30.12.2025), checked 6 Nov 2026).

Sources and changes

European Commission (Your Europe)europa.eu · checked 6 Nov 2026
European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), Handbook on European law relating to asylum, borders and immigration, 2026 edition, p. 22fra.europa.eu · checked 6 Nov 2026
Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, consolidated text (EUR-Lex)eur-lex.europa.eu · checked 6 Nov 2026
Federal Foreign Office of Germany (Auswärtiges Amt), Staatenliste zur Visumpflicht, 03.06.2026auswaertiges-amt.de · checked 6 Nov 2026
European Commission: EU visa policyhome-affairs.ec.europa.eu · checked 6 Nov 2026
ETIAS official website (not yet in operation)travel-europe.europa.eu · checked 6 Nov 2026

6 Nov 2026All groups checked against European Union: Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 (EUR-Lex) and European Commission, DG Migration and Home Affairs. No change since.

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