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Schengen short-stay visa (type C)
Schengen (Europe) visitor visa guide
A Schengen short-stay visa lets you visit the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. One visa covers travel across all 29 Schengen countries, but you apply to one country only. This guide is for Indian citizens applying from India, and reflects the official rules as of October 2026.
Visa name
Schengen short-stay visa (type C)
Maximum stay
Up to 90 days in any 180-day period, across the whole Schengen area
Visa fee
€90 for adults; €45 for children aged 6 to 12; children under 6 pay nothing. The visa centre adds its own service charge.
Where to apply
The country you will spend the most time in. If your stays are equal, the country you will enter first. Applications from India are lodged at that country's visa application centre.
Biometrics
Fingerprints are taken when you apply. German missions in India say they are generally not needed again if they were taken in the last 59 months.
Processing time
Normally 15 days. It can extend to up to 45 days if a closer look or more documents are needed.
When to apply
No earlier than 6 months and at least 15 days before you travel
1Visitor visa for a graduation ceremony
Parents often travel to see a son or daughter graduate in Germany, France or elsewhere in Europe. You apply for a normal Schengen short-stay visa, as a visit to family.
Apply to the country where you will spend the most time. If you plan to stay ten days in Germany for the ceremony and four days in France afterwards, you apply to Germany. If your stays are equal, apply to the country you enter first.
Be ready to explain who is graduating, when and where the ceremony is, who is paying for the trip and where you will stay. Keep your answers simple and match them to your documents.
Useful supporting documents: a letter from your child with their address and contact details, the dates of your visit and a short itinerary; a copy of their passport and residence permit; proof of your relationship, such as a birth certificate; proof of where you will stay; the graduation invitation or confirmation from the university; your flight reservation and travel medical insurance.
2Visitor visa for an event or family visit
If you are visiting family or friends, the person you visit usually writes an invitation letter. German missions in India ask for an original, signed letter with the host's address and contact details, the dates of your stay, proof of their legal residence, your name and passport number, and a short itinerary.
If your host in Germany will pay for your trip, German missions in India also list a formal obligation letter (Verpflichtungserklärung) among the sponsor documents, if one has been provided. It is not required for every applicant. Other countries have their own forms, so check the country you are applying to.
A Schengen visa does not allow you to work. Do not plan any paid work, even short or informal work, while you are visiting.
Useful supporting documents: the host's invitation letter; a copy of their passport or ID and residence permit; proof of your relationship; proof of accommodation from the host; and, if someone else pays, a sponsor letter with their bank statements.
3Visitor visa for tourism
Many families visit several countries on one trip. One Schengen visa covers all of them.
Apply to the country where you will spend the most nights. If your nights are equal in each country, apply to the country you will enter first.
Prepare a clear day-by-day plan. German missions in India ask for a covering letter with a detailed itinerary, or a travel agency certificate for an organised tour, and proof of accommodation for each country you visit.
Useful supporting documents: your itinerary; hotel or tour bookings for every country; return flight reservation; travel medical insurance; your financial documents; and a leave letter from your employer if you work.
4Applying again
Each application is assessed on its own. Submit a complete, honest set of documents every time, even if you have travelled before.
Indian citizens living in India have more favourable rules for multiple-entry visas, adopted by the European Commission on 18 April 2024. If you have obtained and lawfully used two Schengen visas within the previous three years, you can be issued a multiple-entry visa valid for two years.
That two-year visa will normally be followed by a five-year visa, if your passport has enough validity left. While these visas are valid, holders have travel rights equivalent to visa-free travellers. The 90 days in any 180-day rule still applies to every visit.
Useful supporting documents: copies of your previous Schengen visas and the entry and exit stamps or travel records that show you used them correctly.
How the application process works
Choose the right country
Work out where you will spend the most time. That country handles your application. If your stays are equal, it is the country you enter first.
Fill in the application
Complete that country's Schengen application form. For Germany this is done online through the VIDEX website, and every page, including the barcodes, must be printed and signed.
Book an appointment and pay
Book an appointment at the visa application centre. For Germany, the VFS service charge is paid when you book. The visa fee is €90 for adults and €45 for children aged 6 to 12.
Give your biometrics at the visa centre
Bring your passport and documents to the visa centre. Your fingerprints are taken there. If they were collected for a Schengen application in the last 59 months, they are generally not needed again.
Wait for the decision
Decisions normally take 15 days and can take up to 45 days. A booked flight does not speed things up. If you are refused, you will be told why and how to appeal.
Collect your passport
Your passport is returned through the visa centre. Check the visa dates, the number of entries and the spelling of your name before you travel.
Documents to keep ready
Application documents
Signed application form; passport issued within the last 10 years, valid at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen area, with at least two blank pages; one recent biometric photo (35x45mm, white background); flight reservation; proof of accommodation; travel medical insurance valid in all Schengen countries for the whole trip, covering at least €30,000 in medical expenses, including emergency care, hospital treatment and repatriation. German missions in India accept Indian insurance only from approved insurers.
Financial evidence
Bank statements for the last 3 months, stamped by the bank (passbook copies are not accepted by German missions). If employed: last 3 months' payslips and ITR acknowledgements for the last two years or Form 16. If self-employed: company registration with GST number and ITRs. If retired: last 3 months' pension statements. If someone sponsors you: their letter, passport copy and bank-stamped statements for the last 3 months.
Reasons to return
Evidence of what brings you home: an employment contract and a leave sanction letter from your employer, your business registration, pension records, property, or family responsibilities in India. A return flight reservation also helps.
There is no single EU rupee figure for funds. You must show that you have enough money for your stay, and each Schengen country sets its own reference amount. Check the figure published by the country you are applying to, and make sure your bank statements cover at least the last three months.
Before you travel
You can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area. Count back 180 days from each day you are there.
A Schengen visa does not allow you to work, paid or unpaid.
A visa is not a right of entry. The border police make the final decision and may ask to see your funds, the purpose of your stay and your health insurance, so carry copies.
Since 10 April 2026 the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) has been fully running. It records your entries and exits with your fingerprints and a facial image, and replaces passport stamping.
ETIAS is not yet in operation, and no date has been set. It is a requirement for visa-free travellers, not a replacement for your Schengen visa.
Golden Globe Overseas Education can help you understand the process, organise documents and prepare for the interview. Visa decisions are made by the immigration authorities of Europe.
