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Reviewed March 2024

Planning to travel to one or more countries within the Schengen Area? If so, understanding the Schengen visa number is essential. The Schengen visa number, also known as the visa sticker number, holds vital information about the visa and its conditions. It indicates the countries where the visa is applicable to specifying the type of visa, its validity, and the number of entries permitted. Understanding the Schengen visa sticker is important to enjoy a hassle-free vacation.

Keep reading this Wego article to know more about the Schengen visa number.

Table of Contents

Schengen visa number

The Schengen visa number also referred to as the visa sticker number, contains crucial details regarding the visa and its terms. It provides information regarding the specific countries where the visa is valid, specifies the visa type, its duration of validity, and the number of entries allowed. The Schengen visa number can be found on the top right corner of the visa sticker.

To learn more about the Schengen visa, the application process and more details, please visit our dedicated article:

Schengen Visa: Everything You Need to Know About Europe’s Short Stay Visa

Country code

A Schengen visa is a short-stay visa that permits an individual to travel to any member of the Schengen Area for up to 90 days per stay for tourism or business purposes. Here is a list of the Schengen Area countries, along with their abbreviations, where the Schengen visa is applicable:

Austria – A
Belgium – B
Switzerland – CH
Czech Republic – CZE
Germany – D
Denmark – DK
Spain – E
Estonia – EST
France – F
Finland – FIN
Greece – GR
Hungary – H
Italy – I
Iceland – IS
Luxembourg – L
Lithuania – LT
Latvia – LVA
Malta – M
Norway – N
Netherlands – NL
Portugal – P
Poland – PL
Sweden – S
Slovakia – SK
Slovenia – SVN

Permission to enter

If the visa sticker contains the “SCHENGEN STATES” tag, the visa holder is allowed entry into all areas within the Schengen Area. However, if it only includes specific country codes, the holder is only permitted entry into those countries.

For instance, if the visa sticker only displays the abbreviations “NL” and “L,” the visa holder is allowed entry solely into the Netherlands and Luxembourg. This means that the visa holder will be denied entry into other countries that are part of the Schengen Area.

Visa type

The visa sticker also indicates the type of visa assigned to the visa holder. The visa type is denoted by the labels “A,” “C,” and “D.”

Label A: This type of visa is known as an airport visa. With this visa, the holder can only travel within the international airport zone.
Label C: This type of visa is referred to as a standard short-stay visa. Holders of this visa can stay within the Schengen Area for a maximum of three months.
Label D: This type of visa is called a long-term visa. Holders of this visa can stay in the Schengen Area for longer than three months.

Validity

The visa sticker contains important information regarding the terms and conditions of entry and stay in the country. The visa sticker includes specific terms, such as “FROM,” “DU,” and “VOM,” which indicate the date of arrival allowed for the visa holder. These terms specify when the visa holder is permitted to enter the country.

Additionally, the visa sticker displays the terms “UNTIL,” “AU,” and “BIS,” which indicate the expiration date of the visa’s validity. The visa holder is required to depart from the Schengen Area before the visa expires.

Duration of stay

The visa sticker indicates the number of entries and exits permitted for the visa holder in the Schengen Area. The Schengen countries offer three types of entry options: One, Two, and Multiple.

one entry: If the visa sticker displays the number “01,” the visa holder can enter and exit the Schengen Area only once. Once the visa holder leaves the country, re-entry is not permitted.
two entries: If the visa sticker displays the number “02,” the visa holder can enter twice and exit once. After leaving the country, the visa holder can enter the Schengen Area once more as long as the visa remains valid. For example, the visa holder can enter, exit, and re-enter as long as the visa’s validity period allows.
multiple entries: If the visa sticker includes the term “MULT,” the visa holder can freely enter and exit the Schengen Area multiple times within the visa’s validity period