The Schengen Area, made up of 29 countries, is the world's largest borderless area, allowing free movement of people from country to country.
However, not many people are lucky enough to pack their bags and travel to Europe without having to worry about the Schengen visa application process.
A Schengen visa is a travel permit that allows any holder to enter and stay in the Schengen Area/European Union for short stays of up to 90 days within any 180 day period.
Currently, citizens of 104 countries around the world need a Schengen visa to travel to Europe.
Here is the full list of countries that will require a Schengen visa to travel to 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 Cote d'Ivoire Cuba Democratic Republic of the 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 PakistanPapua 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 Turkey Turkmenistan Uganda Uzbekistan Vanuatu* Vietnam Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe
* Visa-free travel to Vanuatu is suspended until 3 August 2024.
Passport holders from countries not on the above list can travel to the Schengen Area without a visa and stay for a maximum of 90 days within any 180-day period.
What is a Schengen Transit Visa and do I need one?
A Schengen transit visa is a type of permit that allows travelers to pass through a Schengen country to reach a non-Schengen destination without leaving the airport transit area.
Passport holders from the following countries are required to obtain a transit visa for all Schengen countries, regardless of whether they are leaving the airport transit area or not:
Afghanistan Bangladesh Democratic Republic of the Congo Eritrea Ethiopia Ghana Iran Iraq Nigeria Pakistan Somalia Sri Lanka
Nationals of other third countries require a transit visa to pass through airports in certain Schengen countries. Each Schengen country has its own list of countries whose nationals require an airport transit visa.
For comprehensive and up-to-date information, including application requirements, please visit SchengenVisaInfo.com.
Do I need to apply for ETIAS?
If you fall under the list of foreigners who need a Schengen visa, you do not need to apply for ETIAS.
From 2025 onwards, foreigners who wish to enter the Schengen area without a visa will be required to apply for ETIAS.
