All You Need to Know Before Travelling to Schengen Zone

Schengen Area is a zone in Europe that comprises of 26 countries. The countries include France, Spain, Germany, Sweden, Austria, Denmark, among many others. The zone is popular as it is a visa-free travel zone for citizens of member countries. The zone attracts people from all over the world. These people range from students, entrepreneurs to tourists. You can’t just move and settle in the region. However, you can visit the region and stay for 90 days or less. If you come from a country that is not a member of the zone, you need to have a Europe visa. Below is a detailed discussion of all you need to know before you travel to any country in the Schengen Area.

Having a passport and a visa is a must today

Before you travel to Europe, you need to have a valid passport and a visa. You need to apply for a visa and undergo an interview at the embassy or consulate. The interview is to make sure that you are going to the country for a purpose and with good intentions. To get the visa, you need to provide a wide range of documents. Some of the documents include travel insurance, temporally travel medical insurance, itinerary, among others. With that, you will be able to get a visa, and you are ready to visit any country in the Schengen Area.

Before you get the visa, you must explain the purpose of your visit

At the embassy or consulate, you must provide a cover letter explaining the purpose of your visit. The purpose of your visit can vary. You can travel for studies, business or even for treatment. You can also travel for tourism. For that reason, you need to explain the purpose of your visit and the amount of time you intend to spend abroad. You must be honest here, and that will ensure you get a visa.

You need to understand the laws of the country you intend to visit

Foreigners always end up messing around when they don’t know the laws of the country they are in. To avoid that, you need to understand some of the laws to be on the safe side. This will ensure that you enjoy your visit, and you are not deported.

Come January 2021, you will not need a visa for short period visits to Schengen Area

The ETIAS Schengen visa waiver will come to effect 1^st January 2021. With this visa waiver, you will be able to travel visa-free to any member country of the Schengen area. All you will need is to apply for the ETIAS, and if approved, you will be able to travel visa-free. This will save time and money mostly used to get the Europe visa. The application is done online, and within minutes, you will have your waiver approved.

Conclusion

The above tips will help you get ready for that visit to the Schengen Area. Right now you cannot travel to Schengen area visa-free. However, when the ETIAS visa waiver comes in to effect in 2021, you will be able to travel visa-free to any country in the Schengen area.