Travel Guide: What Is A Schengen Visa & Who Needs It to Travel to Europe in 2024?

With 29 countries that make up the Schengen Area, it is the largest borderless area in the world that allows individuals to travel freely between nations. However, not everyone moves to Europe without having to bother about the requirements for applying for a Schengen visa.

What is a Schengen Visa?

A Schengen visa is a type of travel document that enables its bearers to enter and remain in the European Union and Schengen Area for brief visits of up to ninety days throughout 180 days.

Citizens of 104 nations currently require a Schengen visa to enter Europe.

The following is a complete list of nations whose citizens require a Schengen visa to enter Europe in 2024:

• Afghanistan
• Algeria
• Angola
• Armenia
• Azerbaijan
• Bahrain
• Bangladesh
• Belarus
• Belize
• Benin
• Bhutan
• Bolivia
• Botswana
• Burkina Faso
• Burma/Myanmar
• Burundi
• Cambodia
• Cameroon
• Cape Verde
• Central African Republic
• Chad
• China
• Comoros
• Congo
• Côte d´Ivoire
• Cuba
• Democratic Republic of Congo
• Djibouti
• Dominican Republic
• Ecuador
• Egypt
• Equatorial Guinea
• Eritrea
• Eswatini
• Ethiopia
• Fiji
• Gabon
• Gambia
• Ghana
• Guinea
• Guinea-Bissau
• Guyana
• Haiti
• India
• Indonesia
• Iran
• Iraq
• Jamaica
• Jordan
• Kazakhstan
• Kenya
• Kuwait
• Kyrgyzstan
• Laos
• Lebanon
• Lesotho
• Liberia
• Libya
• Madagascar
• Malawi
• Maldives
• Mali
• Mauritania
• Mongolia
• Morocco
• Mozambique
• Namibia
• Nauru
• Nepal
• Niger
• Nigeria
• North Korea
• Oman
• Pakistan
• Papua New Guinea
• Philippines
• Qatar
• Russia
• Rwanda
• Sao Tome and Principe
• Saudi Arabia
• Senegal
• Sierra Leone
• Somalia
• South Africa
• South Sudan
• Sri Lanka
• Sudan
• Suriname
• Syria
• Tajikistan
• Tanzania
• Thailand
• Togo
• Tunisia
• Türkiye
• Turkmenistan
• Uganda
• Uzbekistan
• Vanuatu*
• Vietnam
• Yemen
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

* Note that visa-free travel for Vanuatu is temporarily suspended until August 3, 2024.

In countries not on the above list, passport holders can enter the Schengen Area without a visa and remain for up to 90 days in 180 days.

Read Also: How to Apply for Work Visas for Top Countries With High Salary In-Demand Jobs

What Is a Schengen Transit Visa & Do I Need It?

A Schengen transit visa is a kind of visa that permits travelers to enter a Schengen member state and then transit through it to reach their non-Schengen destination country without having to exit the airport’s transit area.

Regardless of whether they depart the airport’s transit area or not, passport holders from the following nations must get a transit visa for all Schengen member states:

• Afghanistan
• Bangladesh
• The Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Eritrea
• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• Iran
• Iraq
• Nigeria
• Pakistan
• Somalia
• Sri Lanka

A transit visa is required for citizens of a number of other third-country nationals to enter certain Schengen member nations’ airports. Every Schengen member state maintains an official list of the nations whose nationals require an airport transit visa.

For more information on Schengen Visa requirements, and to see if you need a visa to travel to Europe, visit this comprehensive guide: Schengen.News

Do I Have to Submit an ETIAS Application?

Applying for an ETIAS is not necessary if you are one of the foreign nationals listed as needing a Schengen visa.

Finally, starting from 2025, you will need to apply for an ETIAS if you are a citizen of a foreign country who can enter the Schengen Area without a visa.

Read Also: How to Apply for the Au Pair Visa (D-Visa) Programme in Germany