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Updated August 2023
If you are considering traveling to Europe for business or leisure purposes, you may require a Schengen visa to enter any of the 27 countries within the Schengen Area. However, it is important to understand the processing time and steps involved in obtaining this visa.
In this article, we will provide you with an overview of the Schengen visa processing time and offer some tips to help you avoid delays and ensure a hassle-free trip.
Table of Contents
What is the standard time of Schengen visa processing time?
The typical duration for processing a Schengen visa is fifteen consecutive days. Your application will be reviewed and completed within 15 days starting from the date of submission.
It’s important to note that in some cases, the processing time may be prolonged to a maximum of thirty days. This is typically due to the need for further observation or examination of specific applications. Moreover, if your application is incomplete or requires additional documents, it may take up to a maximum of sixty consecutive days to process.
Factors influencing Schengen visa processing time
Some factors have the potential to impact the processing time of your Schengen Visa application. For instance:
- nationality of the applicant: In accordance with the Schengen Agreement, a Member State possesses the right to request that the central authorities of other Member States engage in consultation with its own central authorities when assessing visa applications from certain third-country nationals or specific groups of such individuals. This implies that the Member State making the request can seek supplementary input or information from the consulted Member State’s authorities while reviewing the visa application.
- type of visa: Depending on the type of visa you have applied for, the processing period varies. A long-term visa, for instance, can take longer to process than a short-term visa.
- time of year: The length of the wait will depend on what time of year you choose to apply for a visa. This can happen because the embassy or consulate might receive more visa applications during the busiest travel times, such as the summer season. Delay may result from this.
- consulate workload: The processing period will normally be longer than usual if the embassy or consulate where you have filed for a visa is frequently busy. The number of employees varies from week to week in various embassies and consulates, therefore that is another factor.
- completeness and accuracy of the application: Make sure that your application form is correct and full if you want a decision on your visa application as quickly as possible. This is due to the fact that the processing of your visa application will be delayed if it needs more information or is incomplete.
Although some of these elements are outside the applicant’s control, keep in mind that you may minimize the processing time for your visa application by ensuring that your application is accurate, comprehensive, and filed long before the anticipated trip dates.
Countries that need longer periods of Schengen visa processing time
As previously indicated, some Member States demand consultation before granting visas to nationals of specific nations who apply to other Schengen States. These nations are:
- Afghanistan
- Algeria
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Bangladesh
- Belarus
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Egypt
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kyrgyzstan
- North Korea
- Lebanon
- Libya
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Morocco
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Palestine
- Russia
- Rwanda
- Saudi Arabia
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Sri Lanka
- Sudan
- Syria
- Tajikistan
- Tunisia
- Turkmenistan
- Uzbekistan
- Vietnam
- Yemen
Schengen member countries might necessitate notification regarding the issuance of visas to specific third-country nationals. This obligation is applicable to all listed third-country nationals mentioned below:
- Afghanistan
- Algeria
- Angola
- Armenia
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Belarus
- Cameroon
- China
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Ivory Coast
- Cuba
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- North Korea
- Kuwait
- Lebanon
- Liberia
- Libya
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Morocco
- Myanmar
- Nepal*
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Palestine
- Philippines
- Qatar
- Russia
- Rwanda
- Saudi Arabia
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- Sri Lanka
- Sudan
- Suriname
- Syria
- Tajikistan
- Togo
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Turkmenistan
- Ukraine
- Uzbekistan
- Yemen
- Zimbabwe
How to speed up my Schengen visa application?
There are options available. In accordance with EU regulations, you may qualify for a cost-free speed up visa process if you satisfy the following conditions:
- you are a family member of a European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) citizen.
- the EU/EEA citizen is either traveling to or residing in a different member state than their own.
- you are accompanying the EU/EEA citizen or planning to join them in the Schengen State of destination.
However, in order to be eligible for the accelerated visa procedure, you must provide evidence that you meet these criteria. You should include the supporting documents with your visa application.
How to check the status of my Schengen visa application?
You can track the status of your Schengen visa application online. It depends on where you have submitted your application.
- If you have applied at an embassy or consulate-general, you must have received a code during your application which you can use to track your application online.
- go to the embassy’s website.
- select the country where you submitted your application and your language.
- enter your tracking number.
- click ‘Submit’ to view the status of your application.
- If you have applied at a third-party service provider (VFS Global, TLS Contact, etc), go to the website you applied from
- select ‘Track your application online’.
- fill in the reference number or write down your email address and password, as required from the webpage.
- click ‘Submit’ and view the status of your application online.
Some third-party service providers offer SMS alerts. You can sign up for SMS alerts when you apply. You will be notified about your application status. If your visa application is taking longer than expected, you may want to contact the embassy or consulate to inquire about the status of your application. You can ask if there is any additional information or documentation you can provide to expedite the process.
