What is a Schengen visa and which countries accept it?
A Schengen visa lets you travel across 29 European countries on one document for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. It is the most common European tourist visa.
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What is a Schengen visa?
The Schengen visa is a unified short-stay visa that allows non-EU travelers to enter and travel freely within the Schengen Area. It was created under the Schengen Agreement to remove internal border controls between participating European countries.
With one visa, you can cross internal Schengen borders without passport checks at every country. This makes it ideal for multi-country European trips - from a hotel stay in Paris to a city break in Prague, all on a single document. trip1 lets you book hotels across the Schengen Area and pay with cryptocurrency in one place.
Which countries accept the Schengen visa?
As of 2026, the Schengen Area includes 29 countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
Bulgaria and Romania completed full Schengen integration in 2025, while Ireland and Cyprus remain outside Schengen despite being EU members - they require separate national visas.
How long can I stay on a Schengen visa?
A Schengen tourist visa allows stays of up to 90 days within any 180-day period. This rule applies to total time spent across the entire Schengen Area, not per country. Overstaying can result in fines, deportation, and future entry bans.
Schengen visa basics - FAQ
The Schengen area has 29 countries: 25 EU members plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Bulgaria and Romania were the last to join, on 1 January 2025. Ireland and Cyprus are in the EU but outside Schengen, so a Schengen visa does not cover them and you need to check their own entry rules.
No. UK citizens can visit Schengen countries such as France and Spain without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, counted across the whole area. Staying longer, working or studying needs a national visa from that country. Once the EU's ETIAS authorisation launches, planned for the last quarter of 2026, UK visitors will need one before travelling.
No country has joined so far in 2026. The Schengen area still has 29 members, and Bulgaria and Romania were the latest to join, on 1 January 2025. Cyprus takes part in Schengen cooperation but still has border controls, and its full entry needs a decision by EU ministers. Until then, Cyprus needs its own entry check.
No. The UK is not in the Schengen area, so a Schengen visa does not let you enter it. Depending on your nationality, you need either a UK visa or a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), which costs 20 pounds. Use the visa checker on GOV.UK before you book any trip that adds London to a European itinerary.
The standard fee is 90 euros for adults and 45 euros for children aged 6 to 11, while children under 6 pay nothing. If you apply through a visa application centre, it adds its own service charge on top. The same fee applies whichever Schengen country you apply to, and it is not refunded if your application is refused.
Yes. France is in the Schengen area, so a standard Schengen visa issued by any member country lets you visit Paris within its dates and the 90-day limit. Apply to the country where you will spend the most nights, or the first one you enter if your nights are split evenly, rather than simply where you land.