All European countries attract many tourists from all over the world every year. It is famous for its high standard of living, development of countries, culture, art, rich history and excellent service. To travel to any of the countries of the European Union, a special visa is required - the Schengen one, and the whole of Europe is called the Schengen zone. One of the most attractive tourism destinations is the countries of the Schengen Agreement, the list of these states is replenished from year to year.
History
The European Economic Community over the past decades has striven to achieve the Four Freedoms - the movement within Europe of services, goods, capital and people. To achieve these goals, many treaties and agreements have been signed that regulate relations between European countries. In 1958, an agreement was signed to create a European Customs Union, which greatly simplified the movement of goods within the zone.and services, the movement of citizens was hampered by passport and visa control - each entering citizen had to submit documents and go through customs inspection. This caused certain inconveniences and took quite a lot of time at each crossed border. To facilitate the movement of citizens within Europe, the Schengen Agreement was concluded - its signing took place in June 1985 on board the Princess Marie Astrid near the village of Schengen - hence the name of the agreement. This place was chosen because of its location - at the intersection of the borders of three countries - Luxembourg, Germany and France. The agreement was signed by the heads of five states - Luxembourg, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. These states were the first to be called "the countries of the Schengen Agreement", their list is still being replenished. Gradually, all other EU members acceded to the current agreement. The essence of this agreement was to simplify the borders between the participating countries, the abolition of customs, passport and visa control.
Countries
Most EU countries are Schengen countries. Their list changes from time to time. Currently, the Schengen area includes 27 states: Austria, Hungary, Germany, Belgium, Greece, Denmark, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Spain, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, M alta, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Portugal, Finland, Czech Republic, Switzerland, France, Sweden and Estonia. The countries of the Schengen agreement - the list of 2014 - differ significantly from the data of previous years. From all statesthat are members of the European Union, only Great Britain and Ireland refuse to sign the Schengen Agreement - to visit these states, you need to obtain your own national visa, passport and customs control has been preserved.
How to get a Schengen
In order to obtain a Schengen visa, several conditions must be met - according to the rules, you need to apply for permission from the embassy of the country in which you will have the longest stay. If the trip is made to several countries and the stay is approximately the same in each, then the visa must be issued by the embassy of the country of entry into the EU. At the embassy, you should provide maximum information about yourself, submit all documents and comply with all requirements. Forms of documents and filling out questionnaires can be found on the official websites of embassies. In case of refusal, it is possible to re-apply after a while.
Visa categories
There are several types of visas issued by Schengen countries. The 2014 list includes the following. Visa category A - airport. Issued when transiting through Europe. Category B is a transit visa, which is valid for multiple entries into the EU countries, the duration of stay cannot exceed 5 days. Category C - short-term, the period of stay for it cannot exceed 90 days, for six months. Category D includes national visas of different EU countries, the period of stay on them allows you to stay in Europe for more than 90 days. Travel conditions in the Schengen areaare governed by the domestic law of the country that issued the visa. In some cases, countries issue visas marked LTV. This means that a citizen can only move within the country that issued the visa - and not throughout the entire Schengen area. Visas to the Schengen countries are issued through embassies. Registration takes up to 30 days - depending on the category and country of residence. You can apply for an entry permit yourself or seek help from travel agencies or intermediaries.
Documents for registration
One of the most difficult to obtain is permission to enter the Schengen countries. The list of documents required for obtaining a visa is updated from time to time. Documents are required to apply to the embassy for an entry permit. First of all, a passport. Moreover, it must be valid for six months after the trip. Photos of the established sample and the completed questionnaire - strictly according to the samples provided by the embassy. Certificate from the place of service or work - it must indicate all contact numbers and the address of the enterprise, for non-working citizens, for example, students, a certificate from the educational institution is required. Be sure to confirm financial solvency - provide a certificate of purchase of currency for 50 euros per day per person or take an extract from a credit card or bank account. In cases of non-working citizens, it is necessary to provide information on who pays for the trip andresidence in the country. You will definitely need he alth insurance, information about all family members - children, spouses, etc., marriage certificates and documents for children - along with photocopies. All additional documents requested by the embassy must be provided upon request.
Reason for rejection
Schengen countries have rather strict requirements for all entering citizens. The most common reasons for refusal are: violation of a previously issued visa, lack of some necessary documents, the presence of information about a crime committed, the submission of false information about oneself, insufficient financial security. Embassy employees may refuse to issue a visa due to doubts that the citizen will return after the trip. In order to avoid this, it is recommended to confirm the presence of property and relatives in your home country.
