Navigating the Schengen Maze: Visas, Trends, and Travel Realities
The Schengen Area, often referred to as one of the most significant achievements of the European Union, has transformed travel within Europe. With a single visa, a traveler can explore picturesque towns in France, ski the Alps in Austria, or enjoy the fjords of Norway. However, despite its ease and efficiency, the Schengen visa process can be daunting for first-time travelers—especially those planning to visit multiple countries. In this blog, we will delve into the composition of the Schengen Area, analyze visa trends and approval rates, guide travelers on the correct visa application route, and highlight real-world challenges travelers face when entering through countries other than the one that issued their visa.
The Schengen Area is a zone comprising 27 European countries that have abolished internal borders, allowing for the free and unrestricted movement of people. It includes most EU countries and a few non-EU nations that have opted into the agreement.
Member States (countries) of the Schengen Area (as of 2025) are:
Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.
Ireland, Romania, Bulgaria, and Cyprus are EU members but not part of the Schengen Area. Romania and Bulgaria, however, are in the process of partial implementation.
For non-EU nationals, entering the Schengen Area generally requires a short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) for varied reasons like tourism, business, social visits, short trainings etc., which allows for stays up to 90 days within a 180-day period.
In year 2023 over 10 million Schengen visa applications were processed. Top five destination countries: are France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Netherlands. Most of the applicants were from Russia, India, Turkey, Morocco, and China. Overall visa approval rate was 83%. Assessment of visa application is always a judgmental decision based on the merits of the applicant, applications presented for Iceland, Lithuania, Latvia visa received higher approvals and for Malta, Belgium, France witnessed more rejection.
It is tricky to decide, which country should one apply to for a Visa for a multi – country Schengen trip?
Either one should apply visa to the country where one will spend the most days (main destination (rule) or if time is evenly split between countries, one should apply to the country one enter first (first entry rule).
Example: 5 days in France, 3 in Italy, 2 in Germany → Apply to France.
Example: 3 days each in Italy, France, and Spain, entering through Italy → Apply to Italy.
Legally, a Schengen visa allows you to enter any country in the Schengen Zone, but border officers may question entry through a country different from the one that issued your visa. The traveler must know even with a valid visa, entry is not guaranteed. One must be prepared with convincing reasons for entering Schengen through border different than that declared at the time of visa application and able to provide documents and other evidence:
Passport
Confirmed accommodation (hotel bookings)
Access to financial support
Return tickets
Overseas travel insurance
Travelers face practical impediments at boarding and arrivals. Boarding can be denied due to visa – issuing vs entry country mismatch. Unconvincing reasons or unverifiable documents presented at the time of boarding. At arrival there may be questioning over entry country, visa intent verifications and in rare cases one may face entry is denial.
Be a smart traveler, always apply through the correct country, follow the declared itinerary, carry complete and clear copy of all documents.
The Schengen visa opens a gateway to Europe, but careful planning is crucial. Do not have blind faith on your travel agent’s deeds, remain vigil, remain informed. Understand the rules, be transparent, and enjoy a smooth journey across the continent.