What is a Schengen visa and how do you travel to Schengen countries?

Obtaining a Schengen visa allows you to travel to all countries subject to the Schengen Agreement, which are in Europe. The Schengen Agreement is a historic multilateral treaty that allows free travel within and across its member states. The 26 European countries comprising the resulting Schengen Area have removed border controls for travelers crossing between them and share a common visa policy.

History of the Schengen Agreement

Underpinned by the principle of freedom of movement, the Schengen Agreement emerged from a collective desire to ease travel restrictions for Europeans seeking to live, work and journey across the continent and its island nations.

Eliminating border controls would allow Europeans to move freely and without restrictions, increasing business and trade within and across member states while raising the quality of life for millions.

Despite widespread acceptance of the treaty in principle, the move to abolish border controls between European countries almost immediately encountered practical difficulties given the enormity of the task, the number of countries involved, and its technical aspects.

Despite these and other difficulties, on June 14, 1985, diplomatic efforts resulted in a treaty proposing the temporary abolition of border controls; Schengen Agreement.

The Schengen Agreement, which was signed outside Schengen Village, Luxembourg, took several decades to come into force. The original signatories to the treaty were joined by 20 additional parties over the following decades, and were initially signed by five member states, including Belgium, France, Germany (at that time West Germany), Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.

The Schengen Agreement was expanded in 1990 with the Schengen Agreement, which introduced a common visa policy, eventually taking effect in 1995, across the seven member states.

Nine years later, the agreement became part of European Union law; Today, the relationship between the European Union and the Schengen Area is incredibly close, with Europe's premier representative body adopting the Schengen Code as the primary source of its governing rules.

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Schengen Agreement today

More than 400000000 people live within the Schengen Area today, which covers 4312099 square kilometres.

Today, only four European Union countries remain outside the Schengen Area. However, these four countries are legally obligated to become parties to the agreement in the future

These are: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania.

On the other hand, there are four non-EU countries that are part of the Schengen Area: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

Although the Schengen Agreement is committed to opening borders to member states, it allows the re-imposition of border controls within a Schengen country for a period not exceeding 30 days.

However, this temporary exception is only applicable in exceptional cases involving a serious threat to the country's national security or public policy. In addition, the European Parliament and the European Commission, as well as the general public, must be informed if a country takes such an unusual step.

List of Schengen Agreement countries

The following countries are member states of the Schengen Agreement that together comprise the Schengen Area:

• All Schengen countries are located in continental Europe, with the exception of Iceland and Malta.
• Because the small states of Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City are landlocked European countries located within the territories of Schengen member states, they are de facto part of the Schengen Area, if not technically parties to the agreement.

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The Schengen Agreement abolishes internal border controls within and across the Schengen Area, meaning that in most cases, once you gain legal entry into one Schengen country, you subsequently have access to the entire area. All 26 countries. However, due to the lack of internal border controls, there are restrictions that limit access to the Schengen Area. In practice this means the following:

• If you are a citizen of one Schengen country, you do not need a visa to enter any other Schengen country.
• If you are a citizen of one of the countries listed below without a visa, you will need to apply for a visa to enter the Schengen Area.
• If you are a visa-free citizen of one of the countries listed below, you will not need a visa to enter the Schengen Area.

Do I need a Schengen visa?

The following countries are not Schengen Agreement countries, but their citizens do not require a visa to enter the Schengen Area:

Also not required to apply for a visa: British Nationals (Overseas), British Overseas Territories Citizens (BOTC), British Overseas Citizens (BOC), British Protected Persons (BPP) and British Nationals (BS).

Citizens of the following countries require a Schengen visa

Citizens of the following countries need to obtain a Schengen visa to enter the Schengen Area:

Third party nationals of the following entities/territories are also required to apply for a Schengen visa: Kosovo and the Palestinian Authority.

Schengen visa requirements

Schengen visa requirements depend on nationality and the purpose of your visit to the Schengen area countries.

However, here is a general list of basic documents that are usually required to obtain a Schengen visa:

1. Visa application form
2. The passport is valid for a period of not less than three months
3. Photograph
4. Details of confirmed reservations for international tickets, including return flight details.
5. Submitting a confirmed hotel reservation or a letter of invitation from a trusted person in the country in question, confirming that you will be hosted during the visit.
6. Obtain medical travel insurance that covers the costs of medical care
7. Provide proof of your financial means of livelihood, such as recent bank accounts, salary details or work certificates.

Pros and cons of the Schengen Agreement

You may have noticed that the list of visa-exempt countries for the Schengen Area is almost exclusively rich countries located in the Global North. Because the Schengen Agreement's immigration policy restricts access to poor countries and welcomes rich countries, critics of the Agreement argue that its principle of visa-free travel extends only to those countries under the Schengen Visa Agreement, which therefore marginalizes poor/unstable countries primarily in Asia. The Middle East and Africa.

It is true that the Schengen Agreement has problems. One of the drawbacks of the Schengen Agreement is that its benefits are reserved for citizens of member states, for whom travel and freedom opportunities have expanded at the expense of non-Schengen member states, especially those in the Global South.

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By contrast, supporters of the Schengen Agreement would argue that its most controversial aspect – its exclusivity – has increased security for millions of people living within the area by limiting access for individuals from certain countries.

Some critics may argue that the Schengen Agreement is not exclusive enough. For proponents of this belief, the Schengen Agreement may be overly welcoming to those who seek to abuse the open-door policy by overstaying their visas to obtain residency, or even committing crimes. The ongoing migrant crisis has been a constant test of the Schengen Agreement, as desperate migrants and refugees fleeing economic and political turmoil across the Middle East and North Africa have crossed the Mediterranean to seek asylum in Europe.

Despite these valid criticisms of the Schengen Area, the importance of the Schengen Agreement lies in its adherence to the principle of freedom of travel. The agreement has increased travel opportunities and personal happiness for millions of Europeans. The reduction of border controls led to increased economic cooperation and the removal of obstacles to scientific and academic research and cooperation, which led to the dissemination of knowledge not only in Europe, but also for the benefit of the entire world.

Read also: Request to object to a Schengen visa refusal

Source: The Schengen Agreement