Schengen Visa countries – for Visa Free travel in Europe

Schengen Visa countries

Updated on 25 April 2012

Schengen currently has 26 member states (Out of which 24 are members of the European Union)

Remember that the UK is not a Schengen member state !. So even if you have visa for the UK you cannot travel to other European countries with the British Visa.

The European Schengen Area previosly increased by nine countries on December 21st, 2007. Approximately 400 million people in 24 countries may now travel from Finland to Portugal without encountering any border controls. Mandatory border checks have ceased immediately for land and sea borders but, in March, they will also stop for air travel as well.

The Schengen Agreement features an enormous database that allows government agencies to coordinate and exchange information on citizens, visitors and immigrants traveling between signatory countries. European Union nations don’t have to become part of the Schengen Zone, and non-EU countries may join the agreement if they qualify.

Schengen Visa countries – What is the best visa to get in My experience

The countries that you can travel to without visa restrictions are the 26 below , with the noted exceptions for Denmark, France, Netherlands, Norwaya, and Spain. You can still travel to these countries with this visa, but only certain areas/territories as noted below next to the country are restricted.

  1. Austria
  2. Belgium
  3. Czech Republic
  4. Denmark (excluding Greenlandd and the Faroe Islandsd)
  5. Estonia
  6. Finland
  7. France(excluding overseas departments and territories)
  8. Germany
  9. Greece
  10. Hungary
  11. Icelanda
  12. Italy
  13. Latvia
  14. Liechtenstein a
  15. Lithuania
  16. Luxembourg
  17. Malta
  18. Netherlands (excluding Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten and the Caribbean Netherlands)
  19. Norwaya(excluding Svalbarde)
  20. Poland
  21. Portugal
  22. Slovakia
  23. Slovenia
  24. Spain(excluding Ceuta and Melillaf)
  25. Sweden
  26. Switzerlanda

in  my experience (before I got my British Citizenship) the BEST Schengen visa is from the French Embassy in London. The embassy is very conveniently located near the South Kensington tube station (6A Cromwell Place _ London SW7 2EW). They have always been very generous with their visa (for example I always used to get 6 months multiple entry visa). The visa application process is not the most streamlined or efficient I have seen but the staff are very friendly and helpful.

Armed with a Schengen visa you can travel to and from the above 26 countries without visa restrictions !. Still passing the life in the UK test and getting getting the British Passport is the best and the cheapest way to travel anywhere in the world (at least most countries allow you free or on arrival visa when you have a British Passport)

Schengen Visa countries – information Disclaimer

Life in the UK Test London OVERVIEWThis article details about Schengen Visa countries, why you might need Schengen Visa and how. This page is NOT the official Life in the UK Test (Hopefully this fact is fairly evident).

Every effort has been made to make these Free information (about Schengen Visa countries) on this site as complete and as accurate as possible, so that your experience will be thoroughly enjoyable, but NO warranty or fitness is implied. Please double check the current visa regulations and documentation requirements before applying.