The Schengen visa

A Schengen visa is an authorisation issued by a Schengen state that allows travellers to enter the Schengen area for:

• intended short stays in or transit through the territory of a Schengen state (short stay visa)
• transit through the international transit areas of airports of the Schengen states (airport transit visa)

Short stays are stays of no more than 90 days within any 180-day period.

This interactive map shows the EU and non-EU countries issuing Schengen visas, as well as the EU countries that don't issue Schengen visas.

Today, 29 European countries issue Schengen visas, as members of the Schengen area:

• 25 of the 27 EU member states
• Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland

Romania and Bulgaria became full members of the Schengen Area on 1 January 2025. This milestone followed a phased integration process, with air and sea border controls lifted on 31 March 2024, and land border controls removed on 1 January 2025. ​

Cyprus  (where controls at the internal borders have not yet been lifted) and Ireland (not part of the Schengen area) do not issue Schengen visas, but only national visas.

More information:

• Schengen: Council decides to lift land border controls with Bulgaria and Romania (press release, 12 December 2024)
• EU visa policy (background information)
• The Schengen area explained (background information)
• EU visa agreements with non-EU countries (infographic)