Types of Schengen visas

Now that you know where you can travel to, it’s important to work out which category of visa you fall under.  There are four categories of Schengen visa, as follows:

Short stay Schengen visas (Category C)

This is the most common form of visa, which is applicable to most travelers whether you are travelling for business, family or leisure.  This allows short stays in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in a 6 month period.  You can apply for either single or multiple entry visas under this category.  The single entry visa only allows entrance into the Schengen area once, whereas the multiple entry visa allows the traveler to make several trips from non-Schengen countries to Schengen countries during the period in which the visa is valid.

In most cases, we would recommend you to apply for the multiple entry visa as it offers more flexibility. For example, you can travel to a Schengen country like Spain for a weekend, come back to London to work for a week and be off to Paris the following weekend.  However, you will need to provide more supporting documents for the multiple entry visa. 

Transit Schengen visas (Categories A and B)

Airport transit (Category A) visas are for individuals travelling through a Schengen visa country on transit, who only need an overnight stay or a transfer towards their next destination of travel.  You would need to show a confirmed onward flight for this visa, and would not be allowed to leave the airport of the Schengen country that you are passing through.

Transit visas (Category B) allows individuals to travel through the Schengen area between 2 non-Schengen countries for a maximum of 5 days.  For example, if one is driving from the UK to Croatia and needed to pass through France and Italy, this transit visa allows you 5 days to travel through the Schengen area. 

Circulation Schengen visas (Category D)

This visa allows an individual to travel freely to the Schengen area multiple times for up to 90 days (over 6 months) over a period of 1 – 3 years.  It is usually given to individuals who can prove a need to travel frequently to the Schengen area for family or business purposes.