Schengen Visa 2027: Requirements, Fees and Which Embassy to Apply To

A Schengen visa lets you visit 29 European countries on one sticker for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. It is the visa most of our readers in Nigeria, Ghana, India, Pakistan, the Philippines and South Africa need for a holiday, a business trip or a family visit to Europe.

The process is not complicated. What usually goes wrong is applying to the wrong country, sending weak bank statements, or failing to get an appointment in time. This guide covers all three.

One honest line before you start: the visa fee is non-refundable, and in 2025 roughly one application in seven was refused across the Schengen area. For some African and South Asian nationalities the refusal rate is far higher. A well-prepared file does not guarantee approval, but a thin one almost guarantees refusal.

Visa-exempt passport holders (UK, US, Canada, UAE and others) don't need this visa; they will need ETIAS from 2027. See our guide to the EU Entry/Exit System and ETIAS.

Which countries the visa covers

The Schengen area has 29 members: 25 EU countries (all except Ireland and Cyprus) plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Bulgaria and Romania became full members in January 2025, so a Schengen visa now covers them too.

Ireland and the UK have their own visas. Cyprus issues national visas but generally admits Schengen visa holders; check before you go.

Which embassy to apply to: the main destination rule

This is where many applications start going wrong. You do not get to pick the embassy with the shortest queue or the friendliest reputation. The rules are fixed:

1. If you visit only one Schengen country, apply to that country.
2. If you visit several, apply to the country where you will spend the most nights.
3. If you spend an equal number of nights in each, apply to the country you enter first.

You must also apply in the country where you legally live. A Nigerian working in Dubai on a UAE residence visa applies in the UAE. A Nigerian on a tourist visa in Dubai cannot.

Do not engineer your itinerary to apply through a country with a lower refusal rate. Consulates compare bookings with your plans, the Entry/Exit System records where you entered, and a visa obtained on a misleading itinerary can be annulled at the border.

Schengen visa fees in 2026 and 2027

The fee is set under the EU's common visa policy and has been €90 for adults since June 2024. It is confirmed on the European Commission's Schengen visa application page.

Optional extras at service centres (SMS updates, courier return, "premium lounge") do nothing for your chances of approval. A few nationalities pay a higher fee because the EU considers their governments uncooperative on returns; your consulate's website will say so.

Documents checklist

Every consulate publishes its own list, and you should follow that list exactly. The core documents are the same nearly everywhere:

• Completed and signed application form (most consulates now use an online form you print).
• Passport issued within the last 10 years, valid for at least three months after your planned departure, with two blank pages.
• Two recent passport photos meeting ICAO standards.
• Travel medical insurance (see below).
• Return flight reservation. A reservation is fine; do not buy a non-refundable ticket before the visa is issued.
• Proof of accommodation: hotel bookings or an invitation letter from your host, sometimes with the host's ID and proof of address.
• Bank statements for the last three to six months.
• Proof of employment: a letter from your employer stating your role, salary, start date and approved leave dates, plus recent payslips.
• Self-employed: business registration, tax documents and company bank statements.
• Students: a letter from your school or university confirming enrolment and approved absence.
• Proof of ties to home: property documents, family responsibilities, a return date tied to work or study.
• Previous visas, especially earlier Schengen, UK, US or Canadian visas.

Business trips need an invitation from the European company; family visits need the host's invitation, ID and proof of the relationship.

Travel insurance: the €30,000 rule

Travel medical insurance is mandatory. It must:

• Cover at least €30,000 in medical expenses.
• Cover emergency hospital treatment and repatriation, including repatriation of remains.
• Be valid in all Schengen countries.
• Cover the full duration of your trip, including the day you leave.

Buy a policy whose certificate states "Schengen" and the €30,000 figure in plain words, because the officer will look for it. Our guide to travel insurance for visa applications explains what to check before you pay.

Bank statements and proof of funds

Each Schengen country sets its own reference amount for daily living costs, usually somewhere between €45 and €120 per day depending on the country and whether your accommodation is already paid for. The officer adds that up for your stay and checks it against your balance and income.

What gets applications refused is not the size of the balance but its story:

• Sudden large deposits look like borrowed money. If a relative sent funds, explain it and include their statement.
• Salary that doesn't match the employer letter raises fraud flags immediately.
• Unverifiable statements. Many consulates want bank stamps or a verification code.
• A balance the trip would wipe out makes the officer doubt you have a stable life to return to.

If someone else is paying, such as a host in Europe, many countries accept a formal sponsorship declaration. Germany's "Verpflichtungserklärung", signed by the host at their local foreigners' office, is the best-known example. Our guide to proof of funds for visa applications goes into detail.

Multiple-entry visas and the cascade rules

First-time applicants usually get a single-entry visa covering the exact dates of their trip. The cascade system rewards a clean travel record with longer visas.

Under the standard rules, if you have obtained and lawfully used three Schengen visas within the previous two years, you should normally receive a one-year multiple-entry visa. Use that properly and you can move to a two-year visa, and then to a five-year visa, provided your passport has enough validity.

The Commission has adopted more generous cascades for some nationalities. Indian residents of India can get a two-year multiple-entry visa after lawfully using two visas in the previous three years, then a five-year visa. Specific rules have also been adopted for Ghana, Indonesia and several Gulf states, among others. The terms differ, so check the consulate's page for your nationality.

"Lawfully used" means you travelled within the dates, respected the 90/180 rule, and went to the country you said you would. One overstay can reset you to the bottom.

Getting an appointment: VFS, TLScontact and the slot shortage

Most consulates outsource appointments to private service centres: VFS Global, TLScontact or BLS International, depending on the country. In busy markets such as Lagos, Abuja, Accra, Delhi, Mumbai, Manila, Dubai and Islamabad, slots for popular countries like France, Italy, Spain and Germany can be booked out weeks or months ahead of the summer.

Part of the shortage is artificial: bots grab slots the moment they are released and resell them through agents and social media groups. VFS Global says its appointments are free on its own websites and has been adding anti-bot measures. Never pay a third party for a slot; consulates can cancel resold appointments, and many of these "agents" are scammers. Our guide to overseas job scams describes many of the same tactics.

Practical tips:

• Start looking as soon as you know your dates, up to six months ahead.
• Check for new slots early in the morning and at the start of each week, when many centres release them.
• If the main city is full, check whether the consulate covers another service centre in your country.
• Apply in winter if you can choose. February and March applications for May travel move faster than May applications for July.

Processing times

The legal standard is 15 calendar days from lodging, extendable to 45 if the consulate needs more checks. Book nothing non-refundable until your passport is back.

Common refusal reasons

Refusals come on a standard EU form with tick-box reasons. The ones that come up most:

• Purpose and conditions of the stay not justified.
• Insufficient means of subsistence, either for the stay or for the return.
• Reasonable doubts about your intention to leave before the visa expires.
• No valid travel medical insurance.
• False or forged documents, or unreliable statements.
• A previous overstay, or an alert in the Schengen Information System.

The "intention to leave" box is the one that frustrates people most, because it is subjective. It usually reflects weak ties at home: no stable job, no property, no family obligations, or a travel history that shows long gaps.

Appeals and reapplying

You can appeal any refusal. The procedure and deadline depend on the country that refused you, typically somewhere between two weeks and two months, and the refusal letter will state both. Some countries start with an internal review (Germany's "remonstration", for example), others go to a specific appeals board or court.

Appeal if the refusal was clearly wrong, for example an overlooked document. Reapply if your file was genuinely weak and you can fix it; a new application is usually faster than an appeal. Address each ticked reason directly in your cover letter.

If you are paying a consultant to help, check they are registered or accredited in your country and never hand over your passport to anyone other than the official service centre.

The digital Schengen visa: what's changing

The EU adopted a regulation in 2023 to move Schengen visa applications online and replace the sticker in your passport with a digital visa carrying a cryptographically signed barcode. The plan is a single EU visa application platform where you fill in the form, upload documents and pay online.

At the time of writing (late 2026), the platform is being introduced gradually, with full use expected around 2028. First-time applicants will still give fingerprints in person. For trips in 2027, expect to apply the familiar way, through the consulate or its service centre.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a Schengen visa in 2027?

At the time of writing, the visa fee is €90 for adults and €45 for children aged 6 to 11, with children under 6 free. You also pay the service centre's own fee, typically €15 to €45. Some nationalities with EU facilitation agreements pay less, and a few pay more.

Which embassy should I apply to if I'm visiting several countries?

Apply to the country where you will spend the most nights. If your nights are split equally, apply to the country you will enter first. You must also apply from the country where you legally live.

How much money should I have in my bank account for a Schengen visa?

There is no single figure. Each country sets a daily reference amount, broadly €45 to €120 per day, and officers look at the whole picture: your regular income, your balance and where the money came from. A steady salary history matters more than a large one-off deposit.

Can I work on a Schengen visa?

No. A Schengen short-stay visa covers tourism, business meetings, conferences and family visits, not employment. If you have a job offer in Europe, you need a national work visa from that country, such as the EU Blue Card in Germany.

How long after a refusal can I reapply?

There is no mandatory waiting period. You can reapply immediately, but you should only do so once you have fixed the reasons for the refusal. Submitting the same file again usually gets the same result.

Final Thoughts

The best predictor of a Schengen visa approval is a file that tells one consistent story: your itinerary matches your bookings, your bank statements match your employer letter, and your ties at home are obvious. Spend more time on that consistency than on hunting for the "easiest" embassy.

Book early, ideally in the quiet months, never pay anyone for a slot, and keep copies of everything you submit. Use your first visa exactly as stated, and the cascade rules will make every later trip easier.