Schengen visa

The Schengen area consists of 26 countries, each of which requires a visa to stay. The article will tell you about the procedure for obtaining a visa and the reasons for refusal.

Types of Schengen visas

A Schengen visa allows its holder to move freely throughout all Schengen countries. It is issued for a specific period and gives the right to enter 26 countries of the world.

Depending on the purpose of your trip, you may be issued one of three types of Schengen visas.

Unified Schengen Visa

Unified Schengen visa - a visa that grants the right to enter and stay in one of the member states of the Schengen area. Her stay is limited to 90 days.

National Schengen visa

A national visa category is issued to persons who are allowed to study, work or permanently reside in one of the Schengen countries.

Obtaining a Schengen visa in Belarus

Before applying for Schengen, you need to fulfill some requirements. If you have planned a trip to several Schengen countries at once, apply to the embassy of the country where you are planning the longest stay.

List of required documents for a Schengen visa

First, you need to understand that all documents must be submitted personally. Try to start dealing with the issue of obtaining a visa in advance, namely 15 days before departure, so that you do not have problems with the processing time of documents.

The Schengen area has almost the same visa requirements for all countries. A single copy of the required documents is presented below:

• Application with appropriate signatures;

• 1 current photo on a light background;

• Passport and all copies of previous visas, valid at least 3 months prior to your departure.

• A copy of the booked return ticket for the duration of the trip.

• Travel medical insurance policy. It can be purchased both in a Belarusian medical organization and a foreign one. A mandatory clause in the policy will be its validity in all Schengen countries.

Filling out an application for a Schengen visa

The application form can be downloaded from the official Schengen visa website. The application template has a specific format regardless of the country in which the applicant is applying for a visa.

Remember that the application form must be completed consistently, and all questions must have valid answers. In case of incorrect wording or incorrect information, your application will not be processed. You can fill out the form manually or on a typewriter, and you don't need to skip a single column. If you think there are columns that do not match your position, you must fill them in with NA.

Procedure for obtaining a Schengen visa in Belarus

Once you have collected all the necessary documents, you must submit them personally to the embassy.

The consul's task is to make sure that in the host country you will have all the necessary living conditions, as well as the opportunity to return home.

Your task is to correctly fill out the form and prepare all the required documents. If you are planning to travel to the Schengen area for the first time, you may have difficulties filling out the application form. Take this issue with the utmost responsibility or contact special agencies that can help you apply for a visa for an additional fee.

Terms of obtaining Schengen visas in Belarus

Typically, you will receive a response to your visa application within 15 calendar days after submitting your application. In some cases, this period can be extended up to a maximum of 30 calendar days. In exceptional cases, this period is extended to a maximum of 60 calendar days.

When submitting an application, it is worth considering the possible presence of various national holidays in the near future (embassies / consulates do not work on such days).

Obtaining a Schengen visa by foreign citizens

If you came to Belarus as a tourist and you need to apply for a Schengen visa, you will be served in a general manner. For this, it will be enough to justify why you applied in this country.

Reasons for refusing a Schengen visa

You may be refused a Schengen visa for the following reasons:

• The list of required documents contained counterfeit papers;

• The purposes and conditions of the trip were not confirmed or the consulate did not find sufficient grounds for your departure;

• The consul did not find confirmation that you have sufficient material resources to stay in the Schengen area and return to your country;

• You have already been in the Schengen area for 90 days during the current 180-day period;

• Some Schengen countries view you as a threat to public order, internal security and public health;

• The health insurance policy is expired, not provided or does not cover the required amount;

• The specified information about the purpose of the intended stay was unreliable (the hotel did not confirm your booking, the invitation was not approved by a notary, etc.);

• The applicant's intention to leave the Schengen area cannot be established.

We draw your attention to the correctness of filling out the application for a Schengen visa. If the embassy staff doubts the originality of your documents or intentions, then your visa history will be spoiled, and it will be much more difficult to obtain a visa in the future.

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