Schengen is a small village in Luxembourg, on the border of Germany and France. This area is historically marked as the location where the Schengen Agreement was signed, resulting in present-day where 27 European countries provide border-free travel to tourists.

This area is known as the Schengen Area – one of the world’s most extensive regions where border control has formally ended.

The Schengen Area is a group of 27 European countries that have agreed to create a single entry and exit point, to remove the need for internal borders. This simply means that a person travelling from a non-Schengen country to the Schengen region only requires a Schengen visa to be able to visit 27 countries.

The Schengen Agreement is a treaty that addresses the wider control of external borders as well as the gradual elimination of internal borders between nations. It started in 1985 as an inter-governmental project between five European Union (EU) countries– France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg – and gradually grew to become the largest free travel area in the world. 

The Schengen Agreement and Schengen Convention were signed in 1985 and 1990, respectively, in the small town of Schengen, Luxembourg. Later, other nations joined to bring the total to 27, including both EU members and non-members. The enlargement of the Schengen Area continued its prosperous journey with Croatia being its recent addition in January 2023. 

Some of the benefits of the Schengen Zone for travellers are listed as follows:

• Ease of Travel: The Schengen zone allows travellers to travel freely without any border restrictions. If a traveller wants to visit more than one European country that lies within the Schengen area, they can simply apply for a single Schengen visa.

• No Border Checks Hassle: Citizens of the European Union states have the right to live and work in any other EU state, and Schengen helps facilitate this by removing costly or inconvenient border checks between nations.

• Single Visa: The Schengen Agreement also benefits foreign travellers as it is cheaper and easier to apply for a single short-stay Schengen Visa (issued by the country where you are spending most of your visit) that enables you to travel across all 27 countries.

• Economic Growth: Approximately more than 400 million people cross the borders annually. This has benefitted the European Schengen member countries greatly in terms of culture and tourism.

Since the 27 Schengen countries follow a common travel policy, they issue a single visa known as the Schengen visa for visiting tourists. Schengen is known as the world’s largest visa-free zone for countries which form a part of it.

All Indian passport holders are required to apply for a Schengen visa if they wish to travel to one or more of the 27 Schengen countries, for work, transit, travel or other purposes. Indians can get a Schengen visa for up to 90 days of stay. You may need a multiple entry visa if you’re looking to travel to more than one country in one trip.

Read more:

• Types of Schengen Visa Explained

When applying for a Schengen visa, you must check the following criteria to ensure a smooth visa application process. A visa application can be submitted 6 months prior to the beginning of the planned journey.

• Travel insurance that provides medical coverage of up to €30,000 is mandatory. 

• The reason for travelling as well as the time frame must be justified.

When applying for a Schengen visa, you will need the following list of documents:

• A duly filled application form.

• Two identical, recent coloured photos of dimensions 35X45mm. Ensure that it shows 70-80% of your face.

• A passport that is valid for minimum of 3 months after your proposed trip and has at least two blank pages. If you have a previous passport that has expired or been cancelled, this needs to be carried as well. 

• Proof of travel and stay reservations.

• Travel Insurance with minimum medical coverage of €30,000.

• Proof of sufficient financial means to support yourself, i.e., the bank statement of last 6 months.

• A cover letter explaining your purpose to travel. 

• Proof of paid fees for the respective visa.

The criteria to join the Schengen Area for countries are:

• They should be able to follow and implement the Schengen rules regarding border control, visa and data protection according to the Schengen Acquis*.

• The countries should cooperate with other agencies in the Schengen zones regarding security and border control.

• They should hold accountability for every Schengen visa issued and for external border control.

• They must use the Schengen Information System (SIS)**.

* The Schengen Acquis refers to a set of rules, regulations and legislations that regulate the abolishment of border controls for internal borders and strengthening the border controls at the external borders of member states.

**The Schengen Information System is a data tool where member states exchange information about suspected criminals, individuals who might not have the right to enter and illegal residents, stolen, misappropriated or lost assets, as well as missing people.

The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union among 27 countries. They detail more than just travel and visa policies for the member states. They were initially formed in 1993 to stop future wars and create an economic boom. Citizens of European states can vote on decisions of the European Union as it is a governmental body that upholds the democracy of the member states.

The Schengen Area, on the other hand, was formed in 1985 for the purpose of allowing borderless travel across 27 member states. The region promotes freedom of travel for its citizens and tourists with a common visa scheme for foreigners. 

The United Kingdom doesn’t belong either in the EU or in the Schengen region.

The departure of the UK from the EU was known as Brexit which occurred in the year 2020. The reason for the UK to leave the EU ranges from control of monetary decisions within the country’s own government to immigration laws and trade regulations, restoration of national independence and safe and secure borders.

For similar reasons, the UK is not a part of the Schengen Zone either. It maintains its own border restrictions and preserves movement arrangements with neighbouring countries such as Ireland. This is due to its unique geographical positioning- the UK, like Ireland, has sea borders and hence requires passport checks for security and immigration purposes. When travelling to the UK, you must have a UK Visa.