Schengen countries. List of participants. Schengen visa
All European countries annually attract many tourists from all over the world. It is famous for its high standard of living, development of countries, culture, art, rich history and excellent service. To make a trip to any of them, a special visa is required - Schengen, and the whole of Europe is called the Schengen zone. One of the most attractive tourism destinations is the countries of the Schengen Agreement, the list of these states is replenished from year to year.
Story
The European Economic Community over the past decades has sought to achieve the Four Freedoms - the movement within Europe of services, goods, capital and people. To achieve these goals, many treaties and agreements have been signed that regulate relations between European countries. In 1958, an agreement was signed on the creation of a European Customs Union, which greatly simplified the movement of goods and services within the zone, the movement of citizens was hampered by passport and visa control - each entering citizen had to submit documents and go through customs. This caused certain inconveniences and took quite a lot of time at each crossed border. To simplify the movement of citizens within Europe, the Schengen Agreement was concluded - its signing took place in June 1985 on board the Princess Marie Astrid near the village of Schengen - hence the name of the agreement. This place was chosen because of its location - at the crossroads of three countries - Luxembourg, Germany and France. The agreement was signed by the heads of five states - Luxembourg, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. These states were the first to be called "the countries of the Schengen Agreement", their list is still being replenished. Gradually, all the rest joined the current agreement. The essence of this agreement was to simplify the borders between the participating countries, the abolition of customs, passport and visa control.
Countries
Most EU countries are Schengen countries. Their list changes from time to time. Currently, 27 states are included: Austria, Hungary, Germany, Belgium, Greece, Denmark, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Spain, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Malta, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Portugal, Finland, Czech Republic, Switzerland, France, Sweden and Estonia. The countries of the Schengen agreement - the list of 2014 - differ significantly from the data of previous years. Of all the states that are members of the Schengen Agreement, only Great Britain and Ireland refuse to sign - to visit these states, you need to obtain your own national visa, and your passport has been preserved.
How to get a Schengen
In order to get it, you must meet several conditions - according to the rules, you need to apply for permission at the embassy of the country in which you will have the longest stay. If the trip is made to several countries and the stay is approximately the same in each, then the visa must be issued by the embassy of the country of entry into the EU. At the embassy, you should provide maximum information about yourself, submit all documents and comply with all requirements. Forms of documents and filling out questionnaires can be found on the official websites of embassies. In case of refusal, it is possible to re-apply after a while.
Visa categories
There are several types of visas issued by Schengen countries. The 2014 list includes the following. Visa category A - airport. Issued when transiting through Europe. Category B - visa for transit, which is valid for several entries into EU countries, the duration of stay cannot exceed 5 days. Category C - short-term, the period of stay for it cannot exceed 90 days, for six months. Category D includes national visas of different EU countries, the period of stay on them allows you to stay in Europe for more than 90 days. The conditions for movement within the Schengen area are governed by the internal legislation of the country that issued such a visa. In some cases, countries issue visas marked LTV. This means that a citizen can only travel within the country that issued the visa - and not throughout the entire Schengen area. Visas for agreements are issued through embassies. Registration takes up to 30 days - depending on the category and country of residence. You can apply for an entry permit yourself or seek help from travel companies or intermediaries.
Documents for registration
One of the most difficult to obtain is permission to enter the Schengen countries. The list of documents required for obtaining a visa is updated from time to time. Documents are required to apply to the embassy for an entry permit. First of all, a passport. Moreover, it must be valid for six months after the trip. Photos of the established sample and the completed questionnaire - strictly according to the samples provided by the embassy. Certificate from the place of service or work - it must indicate all contact numbers and the address of the enterprise, for non-working citizens, for example, students, a certificate from the educational institution is required. Be sure to confirm financial viability - provide a certificate of purchase of currency for 50 euros per day per person or take an extract from a credit card or bank account. In cases of non-working citizens, it is necessary to provide information on who pays for travel and accommodation in the country. You will definitely need health insurance, information about all family members - children, spouses, etc., marriage certificates and documents for children - along with photocopies. All additional documents requested by the embassy must be provided upon request.
Reasons for rejection
The countries participating in the Schengen Agreement impose fairly strict requirements for all entering citizens. The most common reasons for refusal are: violation of a previously issued visa, lack of some necessary documents, the presence of information about a crime committed, the submission of false information about oneself, insufficient financial security. Embassy employees may refuse to issue a visa due to doubts that the citizen will return after the trip. In order to avoid this, it is recommended to confirm the presence of property and relatives in the home country.
