Schengen Area 2026: 29 Countries & Travel Rules Explained

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The Schengen Agreement and the Schengen Area

The Schengen area consists of 29 countries whose residents can travel visa-free and without routine border controls across Schengen member states. Its significance is fundamental to the idea and practice of the European Union: citizens of Schengen countries can move around in most of Europe as if it were a single country. There are also very liberal regulations regarding their residence in another Schengen country.

International travelers and expats also benefit from the freedom to travel within the Schengen zone. According to our German visa guide, a short-stay Schengen C visa is generally valid for the country it was applied to and all Schengen states, subject to the visa’s validity and permitted duration of stay. A German national D visa or residence permit is legally distinct from a Schengen C visa but generally also allows short visits to other Schengen countries for up to 90 days within any 180-day period.

The abolition of internal border controls in the Schengen area is accompanied by the goal of reliably protecting Europe’s external borders. The cornerstone for creating the world’s largest free travel area was laid in 1985 with the Schengen Agreement.

The Schengen Agreement

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The Schengen Agreement was initiated by Germany and France in 1984. It was signed on June 14, 1985, initially by the initiators and by Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. The Luxembourg village, where representatives of the participating countries met for this purpose, gave the Schengen process its name.

The Schengen Convention was signed in 1990 and entered into force in 1993. Its practical implementation, including the abolition of internal border checks between the first participating countries, began on March 26, 1995. In the following decades, the group of Schengen member states gradually expanded. The Schengen Agreement and all the regulations based on it are also referred to as the Schengen acquis.

From the outset, the fundamental objectives of the Schengen Agreement were:

• Abolition of internal border controls between member states
• Uniform procedures for issuing visas based on Schengen visa German requirements
• Establishment of the SIS database (SIS — Schengen Information System)
• Close cooperation between officials of various internal departments and the immigration authorities

Today, more than 400 million people live within the Schengen area. For the member states, it is not least an important economic factor. Because of international law and national regulations based on it, Schengen enables uncomplicated economic relations, barrier-free cross-border work, and cultural exchange. Tourism also benefits from this within the Schengen area and in the global dimension.

Schengen member states

Today, the Schengen Area includes all European Union countries except Ireland and Cyprus. Schengen member states outside the EU are Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland.

Bulgaria and Romania are the newest Schengen member states. Internal air and sea border controls were lifted on March 31, 2024, followed by internal land-border controls on January 1, 2025. Both countries now participate fully in the Schengen area.

Special regulations for individual countries

Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Cyprus are non-Schengen countries and do not issue Schengen visas. The United Kingdom also left the European Union in 2020. International expats may need to apply for a separate visa for each country, and a visa issued by one of these countries does not automatically entitle them to enter the Schengen area or vice versa.

However, citizens of the Schengen member states do not require a visa for short visits to Ireland, Great Britain, or Cyprus. They are also associated with the Schengen states in other respects. Cyprus is in the process of creating the structural conditions for full Schengen membership.

Great Britain and Ireland form the Common Travel Area, which primarily gives British and Irish citizens rights to travel, live, and work across both countries. Third-country nationals and other expats living in either country do not automatically receive the same freedom of movement and must comply with the separate immigration and entry rules applicable to their nationality and residence status.

The 4 European microstates (Andorra, San Marino, Monaco, Vatican) are also non-Schengen countries. They have freedom of movement without border controls with their immediate neighbors.

Overseas territories

The Schengen member states Denmark, France, the Netherlands, and Norway have overseas territories that belong to their national territory but are not part of the Schengen zone.

The British overseas territory of Gibraltar belongs neither to the EU nor the Schengen area.

Other European countries

All other countries that geographically belong in whole or in part to Europe – for example, the Balkan countries except the EU member states Croatia and Slovenia or Turkey – do not belong to the Schengen area.

Common Schengen Information Systems

Border controls, visa issuance, and cooperation between authorities are uniformly regulated in and between the Schengen member states.

The basis for freedom of movement within the Schengen area is largely the Schengen Borders Code, which defines the absence of internal border controls as the normal state of affairs. However, the Schengen states are entitled to introduce temporary border controls if they can claim national security interests.

In addition, these countries operate joint border and security systems, including the VIS (Visa Information System), SIS (Schengen Information System), and EES (Entry/Exit System).

The Entry/Exit System became fully operational on April 10, 2026 across the external borders of the Schengen Area. It electronically registers the entry, exit, and refusal-of-entry data of covered non-EU nationals traveling for short stays.

EES records information from the traveler’s passport together with biometric data, including a facial image and fingerprints where required. It digitally calculates the duration of an authorized stay and helps authorities identify overstayers and document fraud.

For travelers covered by EES, electronic registration has replaced routine physical entry and exit stamps. Manual passport stamping may still be used as a fallback during a technical failure or where another specific exception applies. Holders of residence permits, national long-stay visas, and certain other exempt travelers are generally not registered in EES.

ETIAS is expected to begin operating in the last quarter of 2026. Once introduced, eligible visa-exempt travelers will need an ETIAS travel authorization before a short trip to participating European countries. ETIAS is not a visa and is not yet accepting applications; the EU will announce the specific start date before launch. Current information is available from the official EU ETIAS portal.

Visa Information System

The VIS is designed to optimize the exchange of information between Schengen member states regarding granting visas and the decision on asylum applications. The system has the following functions:

• facilitating border controls at the external Schengen borders (if necessary, also internally in the case of justified national interests)
• facilitating the granting of visas for the Schengen area
• Combating illegal entry
• Support in deciding which Schengen state is responsible for examining asylum applications

Schengen Information System

The SIS explicitly fulfills security functions. Among other things, it supports:

• Cross-border police cooperation between the Schengen states
• Cooperation between their law enforcement agencies, judicial cooperation
• Cooperation in vehicle registration

Schengen visa – visa types and visa requirements

The Schengen member states have established a uniform procedure for issuing airport-transit A visas and short-stay Schengen C visas. When you apply for a short-stay Schengen visa at the embassy of a Schengen country, your application is assessed according to the common criteria established by the Schengen Visa Code.

A Schengen C visa is normally issued as a sticker that is affixed to your passport. It allows you to visit all 29 Schengen countries, subject to the visa’s validity and permitted duration of stay. If you have a German Schengen C visa, you can travel throughout the entire Schengen area, usually without routine internal border controls.

At the external Schengen border, travelers covered by EES now undergo electronic entry registration rather than routine passport stamping. Border authorities check the traveler’s passport and visa and may collect or verify a facial image and fingerprints. A valid visa does not create an automatic right of entry, and temporary internal border checks may also take place.

A short-stay Schengen C visa is intended for tourism, business visits, family visits, medical treatment, cultural events, and other short visits. It permits a maximum stay of 90 days within any 180-day period and does not generally authorize paid employment or long-term study.

Schengen visa types

Visas for Germany are issued for various purposes, which you must state in your visa application and interview. However, a visa for Germany is not always a Schengen visa.

Schengen visas are limited to airport-transit A visas and short-stay C visas. German national D visas form a legally separate category governed primarily by German immigration law. The available visa purposes are therefore divided between German short stay visas and German national long-stay visas:

• Tourist visas and German airport transit visas
• German cultural events visas and visas for visiting family members or friends
• German business visas
• German medical treatment visas
• National work visas, including German freelance visas
• National German job-seeker visas
• National student visas, including full-time study, study preparation, and German language course visas
• National visas for vocational training and German internship visas
• National visas for family reasons, including German spouse visas and family reunification

Schengen C visas are issued for a single entry, as a double-entry or multiple entry visa.

Short- and long-term Schengen visas

Despite the commonly used wording, only airport-transit A visas and short-stay C visas are Schengen visas governed by the Schengen Visa Code. National D visas are separate national visas for longer stays, although they generally provide limited mobility rights within the Schengen Area.

Short-stay Schengen visas and national long-stay visas differ in terms of their legal basis, purpose, and period of validity:

• C visas are Schengen short-stay visas issued for a maximum of 90 days within 180 days according to the German 90/180 day rule calculator tool. You can get this visa for tourist trips, visits to family and friends, business trips, medical treatment, or short study visits. It does not authorize paid employment or long-term study.
• National D visas (German long stay visas) are issued under national law for a planned stay of more than 90 days. They are not long-term Schengen visas. A residence permit may also be required after entry, depending on the duration and purpose of the stay. The validity of D visas and national residence permits depends on the purpose of your stay. For example, student or work permits may allow a stay of several years. Although a national D visa generally allows short visits within the wider Schengen area, it is legally distinct from a Schengen C visa.

European embassies usually issue a Schengen C visa for the period you have applied for. However, a shorter period of validity is also possible. After your permitted stay has expired, you must leave the Schengen area unless a lawful extension or another valid residence status applies.

However, not all visas are extendable. According to the Schengen Visa Code, a C visa can normally be extended only in limited exceptional circumstances. For D visas and residence permits, the available extension options depend on the visa type and national immigration law.

Schengen visa process and visa requirements

You apply for a Schengen visa at the embassy or consulate of the Schengen country that is your main destination. You’ll normally need to schedule an appointment to submit your visa documents and biometric information. Depending on the country, the application may be handled by an embassy, consulate, or authorized external service provider.

The basic requirements for a Schengen visa are:

Depending on the type of visa you are applying for, you will need further documents for the visa application, some of which may require official certification. You can find information on the website of the embassy, consulate, or authorized application center where you are applying.

If a Schengen visa is refused

If a German Schengen visa application is rejected, the applicant receives a refusal notice stating the reasons and available legal remedies. Since July 1, 2025, German missions no longer accept remonstrations against visa refusals. Applicants may submit a new application with corrected or additional evidence, or seek judicial review in accordance with the instructions and deadline stated in the refusal notice. Further information is available from the German Federal Foreign Office.

Conclusion

The Schengen Area represents a groundbreaking achievement in European and global mobility, enabling seamless travel across 29 European countries. By eliminating routine internal border controls and harmonizing short-stay visa regulations, it offers substantial freedom of movement for residents and international travelers.

The standardized Schengen visa system covers airport-transit A visas and short-stay C visas. German national D visas are a legally separate category governed by national immigration law and continue to regulate long-term work, study, vocational training, and family reunification. Although national D visas generally permit short visits to other Schengen countries, they should not be described as long-term Schengen visas.

The VIS, SIS, and fully operational EES support common visa, security, and external-border processes. For covered short-stay non-EU travelers, EES now records entries and exits electronically using passport and biometric information, replacing routine physical passport stamping.

This framework facilitates cultural exchange and economic cooperation while maintaining common external-border and security systems. Travelers should nevertheless observe the conditions of their specific visa or residence permit, particularly the 90-day limit and the prohibition on using a short-stay Schengen C visa for paid employment or long-term study.

Frequently Asked Questions