Where should I apply for the Schengen visa?

This totally depends on your trip and how you are planning it.  There are generally three scenarios:

1.         If you are only travelling to one country, then obviously you must apply to the Embassy of that Schengen country;

2.         If you are travelling to several Schengen countries, you should apply to the Embassy where you will be spending the most number of nights;

3.         If you are travelling to several Schengen countries and staying for an equal number of nights in two or more Schengen countries, then you should apply to the Embassy where you will enter the Schengen area first. 

Sometimes, your trip may be flexible and you may not care which Schengen country you enter. You just want the country which will process your visa application the fastest!  In that case, check how long it takes to book an appointment with different Schengen country embassies.  This is because if you cannot book an appointment, you cannot submit an application!   Every Schengen country Embassy has different rules and waiting times to book an appointment.  Secondly, check how long the Schengen Embassy is expected to take to process you visa.

 

To help applicant applying from the United Kingdom (UK), we have contacted every Schengen Visa country Embassy in the UK to obtain their standard visa processing times in the UK.  This is detailed in Chapter 6.  Please note that these times are for guidance only, as they may fluctuate depending on the season, demand for visas and the complexity of each particular application.