Visa services · Schengen Area
Schengen Visa for Indians
One visa, 29 European countries — and the most scrutinised application most Indians ever file. Which country to apply through, the documents that decide outcomes, and honest timelines.
Published 27 July 2026 · Updated 27 July 2026
One visa, twenty-nine countries
The Schengen visa admits you to 29 European countries on a single sticker — France to Finland, Portugal to Poland. That power is why it's also the most carefully assessed file most Indian travellers ever submit, and why preparation quality decides outcomes more than any other visa we handle.
Which country do you apply through?
The rule consulates actually enforce: apply to the country of your **main destination** — the most nights, or the purpose of the trip. Equal nights everywhere? Then the country of **first entry**. Applying to a "easier" consulate while spending your trip elsewhere is the classic self-inflicted refusal; itineraries are read.
Applications route through each country's contracted centre in India — VFS Global for most (France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain among them), BLS for a few. Slots in Delhi NCR fluctuate hard with season: **book the appointment before you build the rest of the calendar** in summer and December.
The file that succeeds
- Passport: valid 3+ months beyond return, issued within 10 years, two blank pages
- Schengen form + 35×45 mm biometric photos
- **Travel insurance: €30,000 medical minimum, covering the whole area and stay** — non-negotiable
- Flight reservations both ways and hotels for EVERY night (day-wise, matching the form)
- Funds: 3–6 months of statements sized to the trip — consulates think in per-day terms
- Employment proof with sanctioned leave, or business registration + ITRs
- A one-page cover letter tying it together — routing, purpose, funding, ties to India
First-time applicants give biometrics at the centre; prints stay valid in VIS for 59 months, so repeat applications skip that step.
Fees and timelines
The standard adult fee is **€90** (children discounted), plus the centre's service charge — non-refundable regardless of outcome. Legal processing is 15 calendar days from submission; peak-season reality is longer, and appointment scarcity adds weeks before you even submit. Our standing advice: **start 8–10 weeks before summer travel.**
What refusals actually cite
Insufficient justification of purpose and means; doubts about intention to return; inconsistent bookings. Every one is a file-construction problem — which is why we pre-check Schengen files line by line against the consulate's own checklist before submission.
FAQ
Does a Schengen visa fix my whole Europe trip's borders?
Within Schengen, yes — no internal passport controls. The UK and Ireland are NOT Schengen; they need separate visas.
Single or multiple entry — what will I get?
First-timers usually receive a visa matched to the itinerary. Clean travel history earns longer multiple-entry visas over time — consulates reward compliance.
Can I extend a Schengen visa from inside Europe?
Practically no — extensions are exceptional (force majeure). Plan the full trip before applying.