Application for schengen visa

The Schengen Area comprises the territories of twenty-five European countries that have implemented the eponymous agreement signed in the town of Schengen, Luxembourg, in 1985. The Schengen Area operates very much like a single state for international travel purposes with border controls for travellers travelling in and out of the area, but with no internal border controls.

The Schengen rules were absorbed into European Union (EU) law by the Amsterdam Treaty in 1999, although the area officially includes three non-EU member states, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and de facto includes three European micro-states, Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City. All but two EU members states–Ireland and the United Kingdom–are required to implement Schengen and, with the exceptions of Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Romania have already done so. The area currently covers a population of over 400 million people and an area of 4,312,099 square kilometres (1,664,911 sq mi).

Implementing the Schengen rules involves eliminating border controls with other Schengen members while simultaneously strengthening border controls with non-member states. The rules include provisions on a common policy on the temporary entry of persons (including the Schengen visa), the harmonisation of external border controls, and cross-border police and judicial co-operation.

Whether a passport or an EU approved national identity card is required for identity checks done at airports, hotels, or by police, depends on national rules and varies between countries. Occasionally, regular border controls are used between Schengen countries.