The concept of a “Schengen visa” appeared back in 1985, when several European countries in the city of Schengen signed an agreement on a simplified visa regime. Now a fairly large number of citizens of other European countries, including residents of the post-Soviet space, want to receive a Schengen visa for 3 or 5 years.
Political map of Europe
Thanks to this permit, you can visit 26 European countries. In addition to the desire to take tourist excursions, there is a category of people who dream of purchasing real estate abroad or making business trips. Therefore, it is not surprising that the issue of obtaining a Schengen visa for 3 years or more is very pressing for many.
In 2021, the Schengen area includes 26 countries. These are those European states between which there are no borders or visa requirements. There is a category of countries that have just signed the agreement, but due to certain conditions they are not yet included in the Schengen zone, while having their own benefits and privileges.
Almost all countries of the Schengen area are members of the EU and conduct various economic cooperation, which is more accessible due to the free, passport-free zone.
There are five smallest states in Europe: San Marino, Andorra, Monaco, Liechtenstein and Vatican City, which have not signed the Schengen Agreement, but have free border zones with EU countries. For example, the state of San Marino is surrounded on all sides by Italian territory. Therefore, tourists can only enter this country through Italy.
Some of them freely allow tourists into their territory, but the Vatican and Andorra have their own special rules on this issue. They do not require visas. For example, being on the territory of Rome, you may not even notice that you are already in the Vatican.
Central square of the Vatican
What you need to know about the Schengen visa
If you have a desire or need to visit a state that is part of the Schengen zone, the question of obtaining a visa arises. It is necessary to understand its varieties. There are several categories:
- Type "A" - intermediate visa. This type is also called airport. It is intended for those who fly across the borders of a certain state. This kind of document gives the right to be in the transit zone, that is, at airports. Travel within the country is prohibited on this visa.
- Type “C” is a category of multiple visa or temporary, short-term permit. This type of document is intended for a tourist holiday, which can last up to three months during the entire visit to the country for one hundred and eighty days, but no more than this time. And this takes into account all entries and exits. If you want to travel a lot under this Schengen zone, then carefully read the rules of stay and stay in Schengen countries in 2021. Category C also includes the well-known multiple visa.
- Type "D" - national visa. This visa allows you to stay in the country for more than three months, but less than six months.
- Resident card. This is a permit for permanent residence in the country. Typically, residence permits are issued by students and workers. The document is issued for one year, after which it is renewed directly in Europe.
How and where can you get Schengen
The document, simply called Schengen, can be obtained at an accredited visa center, a special consulting department of the consulate, or directly at the embassy of the selected country where entry will be carried out.
There are also a large number of companies that will process all the documents for the tourist. In this case, in addition to the consular fee, you will have to pay for the company’s services.
In which country is it better to apply for a visa?
If a trip or purposeful trip covers several countries and there is no way to choose a specific one, then it is better to apply for a visa from the state that will be the main country of stay. It is worth noting that in the case of such a tour of Europe, you will have to provide tickets between countries and hotel reservations in each of them.
Map and location of the German Embassy in Moscow
On February 2, 2021, new uniform rules for all countries, approved by the Council of the EU, on the regulations for issuing multiple visas came into force. Now, to obtain an annual permit, you must use at least 3 single-entry permits in the last 2 years without violations. After using a one-year visa, you can expect to be issued a 2-year visa, and then a 5-year one.
If a traveler has previously issued and used visas from Schengen countries in his passport, the decision to issue a visa for a particular period will be made based on his travel history.
If necessary, an urgent Schengen visa can be issued within the standard three working days, and at any convenient embassy or consulate. But such a service will cost several times more than the usual procedure.
Long-term visas are now most often issued by France and Greece. In these videos you can see how you independently obtained a visa to this country for 3 years and 5 years.
Which countries are easier to issue a multiple Schengen visa?
Among the countries, we can highlight those that easily issue a multiple Schengen visa for six months or more, while there are those that provide a visa only for the dates of the trip. In reviews, tourists mention Spain, Italy, France, Greece as countries with the most favorable visa regime. The embassies of these countries are more willing to issue long-term visas. I received my first Schengen in my life in Spain. I didn’t expect it, but I got the cartoon for six months. When I applied for a visa for the second time, the Spaniards gave me a visa for a year. But some of my friends were given a three-year multiple visa by the Greeks, and others by the French. The worst countries to issue visas are Germany, the Czech Republic, and the Baltic countries. You definitely won’t get it for six months the first time. But even with such knowledge, you cannot obtain a visa to one of these countries if you do not plan to visit it. These countries have many interesting places and beautiful resorts, so it is better to choose one of them for your first trip. And then, having become the holder of a Schengen multivisa, you can travel throughout Europe for several years.
Now you know what a Schengen multiple visa is and what its main advantages are. I am sure that obtaining this type of visa will not be difficult for you, which means that the path to frequent trips will be free of restrictions.
Have a nice travel
About the author: Ekaterina
On the pages of my blog you will find information about the places I have been, secrets and life hacks of independent travel.
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How much do the services and the Schengen registration procedure cost?
If you apply for a category C tourist visa yourself, the consular fee will cost 35 euros. You will also need to pay a service fee of 11-15 euros to the visa center of the European country where the trip will be made. This price does not depend on the state that will issue the visa. It is worth noting that children under 6 years of age, as well as disabled people, are exempt from payment.
In order to obtain education or get a job, you should apply for a special national visa D or residence permit, which will be issued by the specific country where you want to study or work.
You can also, if you are running out of time and have the funds, provide a Schengen visa for 5 years to special companies, and for a period of less than three years - to travel agencies. In a travel agency, the cost of a long-term Schengen visa will, of course, be higher, but you can avoid queues and various bureaucratic delays, since such organizations have their own connections and various business contacts with embassies and consulates.
The price of a Schengen visa may change depending on the complexity of registration in a particular country and when legislation related to the visa regime and the acquisition of permanent residence changes in these countries.
What is a Schengen multiple visa
It is worth taking a closer look at what a Schengen multiple visa is. Many tourists, having seen the validity of a visa for several years, decide to celebrate that they can go to Europe and return only after the visa expires. However, this is not true - there are special visa rules for staying in the countries of the Schengen zone and the European Union. In the upper right corner, immediately below the visa expiration date, there is a number that indicates the number of days allowed to stay in the Schengen countries. Usually this is 90 days.
This means that a tourist can stay in Europe for 3 months in one half-year. The half-year period is counted from the moment the visa is issued, that is, from the first entry into the territory of the European Union.
It is also worth noting that the Schengen multiple visa does not imply work and education in Europe. To work and study, you need a residence permit or a national visa category D.
Sample French multiple entry visa for 5 years
Having received a Schengen multiple visa, a foreigner can look for last-minute travel packages at any time or buy a convenient plane ticket at inexpensive prices at any time. You will also not have to submit documents for several years, pay visa fees and wait several days for visa approval.
The rules for entering another European country using a long-term Schengen tourist multiple visa are described in detail in these two original videos.
The second video provides answers to frequently asked questions about the first entry rule and how to answer questions from border guards if asked when crossing the border.
Types of Schengen visa
A Schengen visa can be of several categories. The most popular and in demand is the category C visa ; it can be called a tourist visa. In addition to tourism, it is also issued for purposes such as treatment (medical), participation in sporting events, short-term business trips (work) and visiting relatives and friends (guest).
It is worth noting that transit categories A and B have been abolished, and from April 5, 2010, visas of category C are also issued for transit. The national visa category D is issued to persons who are allowed to study, work or reside permanently in a Schengen country.
New design of Schengen visa
Old Schengen visa design
The scope of application of a Schengen visa varies significantly depending on the following parameters: the validity of the visa, the number of permitted days of stay and the number of entries.
Validity
The validity period of the visa is determined by the date range:
- Start date - starting from 00 hours 00 minutes of the specified date, you have the right to enter the Schengen zone.
- Expiry date - after 23:59 on this date, the visa is no longer valid, and you are required to leave the Schengen zone before this time.
Typical expiration dates:
- Strictly for travel dates;
- For half a year;
- For one, two, three and four years;
- Five years is the maximum possible validity period of a Schengen visa.
Period of stay
A category C visa is a permit to stay in the Schengen area for a certain period of time within the validity period. Possible options for days of stay:
- Strictly the number of days of travel;
- 30, 45, 60 days;
- 90 days is the maximum possible stay for a category C visa.
It is important to note that it is not the total number of days for the entire validity period of the visa that is indicated, but the number of days allowed to stay in the Schengen countries every 180 calendar days.
Thus, if a visa has been issued with a long-term validity of more than six months (from 180 days), for example, for a year and 30 days allowed to stay, then you have the right to stay in the Schengen zone for no more than 30 days every six months (180 days).
Number of entries
Regardless of the validity period and length of stay, a Schengen visa can be issued for a different number of permitted entries :
- A single-entry visa allows the holder to enter a Schengen country once. After departure, the visa will expire, even if it was issued for a longer period of time.
- A double-entry visa allows you to enter any Schengen country without any problems, leave the Schengen area and re-enter. The visa will expire after the second departure.
- Multiple entry visa , multivisa, MULT or affectionately “multik” allows the holder to visit the Schengen zone an unlimited number of times within the validity period.
How to apply for and receive a Schengen visa for 5 years
For residents of the CIS countries and Russia, a Schengen visa for 5 years in 2021 will be issued only after using a visa for 2 years. First, the consulate issues a visa for up to one year, then, subject to compliance with all rules and regulations, it is either extended for two years.
Recently, there have been some changes, and it has become easier to obtain a visa for up to 5 years. You can do this right away without long waits and constant extension or re-issuance of an existing permit. The European Parliament has adopted several amendments, according to which the procedure for obtaining the desired multiple visa has been simplified for many.
But here the question arises of how much a long-term visa now costs. Now it has begun to cost so much that not everyone can afford to pay that amount if he just wants to have a long-term Schengen, not knowing whether he will travel so much in European countries or not.
Despite the fact that the Schengen multiple visa is issued for a long period, the consular fee remains unchanged - you will need to pay 35 euros for submitting the application. You will also need to pay a service fee from an accredited visa center and mandatory travel health insurance.
The price of obtaining any visa on your own will always be lower than for the services of various travel and visa agencies.
Also, the procedure for obtaining a Spanish visa in 2021 is the simplest and easiest of all EU countries that issue such long-term visas.
Gods of multivisa
These countries generously distribute Schengen multiple visas for a long period (from 2 to 5 years):
France
This is the number 1 country for those who dream of a long-term visa! The chances of getting a Schengen visa only for the dates of your trip are only 1 in 50. And the chance of getting a multiple visa for 3-5 years is almost 50%!
I want to go to France →
| Travel dates | 2% |
| Six months | 21% |
| Year | 23% |
| Two years | 5% |
| Three years | 7% |
| Four or more | 42% |
Greece
Perhaps all Russians already know about the generosity of the Greeks. Greece is good at providing multiple visas for 1-3 years at once.
I want to go to Greece →
| Travel dates | 7% |
| Six months | 12% |
| Year | 26% |
| Two years | 19% |
| Three years | 34% |
| Four or more | 3% |
Spain
The Spaniards are greedy in issuing multiple visas for 3-5 years at once, but they hand them out for a year or two right and left - 91%. Cases of issuing visas based on dates are extremely rare.
I want to go to Spain →
| Travel dates | 4% |
| Six months | 3% |
| Year | 62% |
| Two years | 29% |
| Three years | 0% |
| Four or more | 1% |
The Spaniards are generous souls! Photo: @victoriano / unsplash.com.
