Who Needs a Schengen Visa and Who Doesn’t – Eligible and Visa Free Countries
The Schengen Area consists of 26 countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
Source: Europa.eu
Who doesn’t need a Schengen Visa?
Nationals of certain countries, enjoy visa-free travel to these countries for stays of up to 90 days. There are 62 countries whose citizens do not need to visa:
Who needs a Schengen visa?
If you from any of the following countries, you will need to apply for a visa to be able to enter and stay in any of the Schengen countries mentioned above:
| Afghanistan | Gabon | Oman |
| Algeria | Gambia | Pakistan |
| Angola | Ghana | Papua New Guinea |
| Armenia | Guinea | Palestinian Authority |
| Azerbaijan | Guinea-Bissau | Philippines |
| Bahrain | Guyana | Qatar |
| Bangladesh | Haiti | Russia |
| Belarus | India | Rwanda |
| Belize | Indonesia | Sao Tome And Principe |
| Benin | Iran | Saudi Arabia |
| Bhutan | Iraq | Senegal |
| Bolivia | Jamaica | Sierra Leone |
| Botswana | Jordan | Somalia |
| Burkina Faso | Kazakhstan | South Africa |
| Burma/Myanmar | Kenya | South Sudan |
| Burundi | Kosovo | Sri Lanka |
| Cambodia | Kuwait | Sudan |
| Cameroon | Kyrgyzstan | Suriname |
| Cape Verde | Laos | Swaziland |
| Central African Republic | Lebanon | Syria |
| Chad | Lesotho | Tajikistan |
| China | Liberia | Tanzania |
| Comoros | Libya | Thailand |
| Congo | Madagascar | Timor-Leste |
| Cote D’ivoire | Malawi | Togo |
| Cuba | Maldives | Tonga |
| Dem. Rep. Of Congo | Mali | Tunisia |
| Djibouti | Mauritania | Turkey |
| Dominican Republic | Mongolia | Turkmenistan |
| Ecuador | Morocco | Uganda |
| Egypt | Mozambique | Uzbekistan |
| Equatorial Guinea | Namibia | Vietnam |
| Eritrea | Nepal | Yemen |
| Ethiopia | Niger | Zambia |
| Fiji | Nigeria | Zimbabwe |
| North Korea | Northern Mariana’s |
Airport Transit Visa
Generally, if you are catching a connecting flight in any of the Schengen countries’ airports and you are not leaving the international zone of the airport, you do not need a visa because you are simply transiting en route to your final destination.
However, nationals of the following countries must have an airport transit visa, even if they are not leaving the international zone of the airport:
- Afghanistan
- Bangladesh
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Ghana
- Iran
- Iraq
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Somalia
- Sri Lanka
You may be exempt from the airport transit visa requirement, if you:
- hold a valid visa or residence permit issued by a Schengen country
- hold a visa valid for a Member State of the European Union or the European Economic Area, Canada, Japan or the United States
- hold a valid residence permit issued by a Member State of the European Union or the European Economic Area
- hold a residence permit issued by the Principality of Andorra, Canada, Japan, Republic of San Marino, or the United States, that guarantees unrestricted right of return
- are a family member of a citizen of the EU, EEA or Switzerland
- hold a diplomatic passport
- are a flight crew member national of a contracting party to the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation
So, now you know who needs a Schengen visa! If you are someone who does and you don’t know where to start, contact us and we will guide you through the process! Happy holidays!
If you’re planning to obtain your flight reservation for visa without paying for the ticket, all you have to do is follow the 3 simple steps below:
- Visit the Visa Reservation website to choose the right package
- Submit the travel details and make the payment online
- Receive flight itinerary in email
At Visa Reservation, we strive to simplify the visa process by providing free visa consultations, cover letter templates and no objection letter templates for our clients from US, UK, Canada, Philippines, India, China, UAE, Europe, Nigeria and globally. We also offer flight itinerary for visa, travel medical insurance, hotel reservations for visa , Book Visa Appointment, Travel Guides, Visa Interview Guides, Visa Packages and many more. To learn more about how we can help you with our visa services, please feel free to contact us today.
