Apply for a Schengen visa

With a Schengen visa, you can enter one country and travel freely throughout the Schengen zone. Within the Schengen area, there are no or few stop-and-checks for internal air, road, and train travel which are handled as domestic trips.

Countries covered by the Schengen visa

• Austria
• Belgium
• Czechia
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Gibraltar
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Italy
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Luxemburg
• Malta
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland

Before you apply

Before making arrangements to travel or applying for a Schengen visa, you will need to

Report your absence:

1. Submit an authorised absence request on eVision - you can find this form under Information, International Students, Submit Absence
2. Submit an absence request to your school 
   • Undergraduate students are not expected to be on campus outside of term times however you should submit the form anyway in case you encounter any problems during your trip.
   • Term times do not apply for Masters and PhD students who instead have a seven week holiday allowance. Leave for Christmas when the University is officially closed is taken from this allowance
3. Wait for your school to approve your absence.
   • You will receive an email confirming your eVision absence request.
   • After receiving confirmation of your absence, you may request a student status confirmation from Registry.

Request a student status confirmation letter from Registry

1. Request a student status confirmation letter
2. Please allow five working days to process a student status confirmation letter from Registry. If you make a request later than five days before your travel, it may not be processed.

Please ensure that all the dates on your absence requests and your student status confirmation letter match

When and where to apply

Apply a minimum of two weeks before your planned travel.

If you want to visit only one Schengen country

• you apply for a visa at the Embassy or Consulate of that particular country

If you intend to visit several Schengen countries with a main destination

• you apply at the Embassy or Consulate of the country you will be spending the most nights on your trip

If you plan to visit several Schengen countries without a main destination

• you should apply at the Embassy or Consulate of the country which is your first entry point

Fees

Visa fees and required documents vary depending on the Schengen country you are applying to visit. See Schengen Visa fees for details.

You should contact the relevant embassy for further details. Here is a list of embassies in the UK.

Documents you may need

• valid passport (issued within the last ten years and with at least three months validity after the scheduled return; passports with observations regarding the front data page cannot be accepted) with at least two empty pages
• evidence of current UK immigration permission. Most Schengen countries insist that your immigration permission to be in the UK should last for at least three months after you return from your trip.
• application form and declarations signed
• one copy of your passport’s data page (A4 size copy)
• travel health insurance
• personal covering letter with entire travel plan (itinerary)
• leave letter of your company (if employed)
• student status letter and No Objection certificate from the University (if student).
• flight reservation, rail tickets, others
• proof of accommodation for your entire stay in the Schengen area
• For children:
  
  • birth certificate
  • if travelling unaccompanied by parent(s), consent letter signed by both parents & applicant
  • application form signed by both parents
• Relevant proof of financial status:
  
  • Personal bank statement of the past three months with sufficient funds
  • Pay slips of the past three months / employment contract (if employed)
• Relevant Proof of civil status: (if applicable)
  
  • Marriage certificate
  • Birth certificate of children
  • Death certificate of spouse
• Two passport photographs according to biometric specifications, a recent whole-face capture with a light background. See Visa Guide website for Schengen Visa photo requirements.

It is essential that you organise travel insurance, otherwise in the event of an emergency or injury that required you to return home, you may need to cover all costs.

Further information

You can find out more information from Schengen Visa Information and UKCISA.