Europe
One visa, twenty-nine countries. You apply to the country where you'll spend the most nights — or, if the nights are equal, wherever you land first.
- Visa type
- Schengen short-stay (Type C)
- Apply through
- Embassy or VFS of your main destination
- Insurance
- €30,000 medical cover, compulsory
- Checklist updated
- September 2026
Everyone travelling
Required regardless of what you do for a living.
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It needs at least two blank pages and must have been issued within the last 10 years. Carry your old passports as well.
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Taken within the last 6 months against a plain light background. Full details in the photograph specification below.
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We arrange thisThis is a hard Schengen requirement, not a recommendation. The policy must be valid in every Schengen country and must cover your entire stay, including repatriation. A cheap policy that falls short of €30,000 gets the whole application refused.
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We arrange thisA reservation is sufficient. Don't buy tickets before the visa is granted.
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We arrange thisGaps between bookings are queried, so the dates must run continuously.
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We prepare thisEspecially important for multi-country trips — it's what proves your chosen embassy really is your main destination.
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If you are travelling on business, this goes on your company letterhead and must state your name, passport number, the purpose of travel, and the passport details of everyone travelling with you.
Money and tax
Proof that you can fund the trip yourself and that you have reason to return.
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We recommend showing a closing balance of at least ₹4,00,000 per person . This is our guidance from experience, not a published Schengen minimum. Consulates look at the pattern as much as the number — a balance that has been there for months carries more weight than a recent lump sum.
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Strengthens your fileD-Mat statements, LIC policies, mutual funds, fixed deposits, property papers.
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Recommended
Proof of what you do
Your ties to India — the strongest argument that you intend to come back.
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On company letterhead, signed, confirming your position, approved leave dates and that your job continues after you return.
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See the sponsor section below.
Depending on your situation
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If travelling with your spouse
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For each child travelling
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If a child travels with one parent only
Which country do you apply to?
Apply to the embassy of the country where you'll spend the most nights. If you're spending equal time in two or more, apply to the one you enter first. Getting this wrong is a common reason for rejection on a multi-country trip, and it's the first thing we check when we plan your itinerary.
Biometrics are taken in person and remain valid for 59 months, so if you've given them for a Schengen visa in the last five years, you may be able to skip that step.
Photograph specification
- 35 mm wide × 45 mm high, no border, matt or semi-matt finish.
- Taken within the last 6 months, in a studio. Selfies and scanned reprints are rejected.
- Plain light-grey or off-white background, evenly lit, no shadow behind the head.
- Full face, straight to camera, neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open and unobscured.
- Face from chin to crown should fill roughly 70–80% of the frame height.
- No headgear unless worn daily for religious reasons, and never covering the face.
- Spectacles are best removed. If worn, frames must be thin, the eyes fully visible, and there must be no glare.
If someone in Europe is inviting or funding your trip
Only needed when a relative, friend or company in Europe is hosting you or paying part of your costs. Everything here comes from your sponsor.
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Stating the purpose of your visit, their relationship to you, how long you'll stay, and which expenses they will cover. Some countries require this on an official form obtained from their local municipality — we'll tell you if yours does.
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Residence permit, long-stay visa, or citizenship certificate.
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Birth certificate, marriage certificate, or family registration document.
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Stating their position, salary and length of service. If self-employed, business registration plus proof of income instead.
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Rental agreement or property ownership papers. If they will not be hosting you, a hotel booking instead.
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Optional
Planning more than one country?
Multi-country Europe trips are where most applications go wrong — wrong embassy, gaps in the hotel dates, insurance that doesn't cover the whole stay. Send us your plan and we'll build the file properly.