Types of visa
Which visa you need is decided by the purpose and the length of stay – not by the country you travel from. Since 10 April 2026 entry and exit are recorded in the EU border system EES, and passports are no longer stamped.
- Visitor visa (type C) tourism, family and friends. Up to 90 days in any 180-day period – across the whole Schengen area.
- Business visa (type C) meetings, conferences and negotiations. Same 90/180 rule. It does not allow you to take work; what counts as work is decided by the country you are in.
- Medical treatment (type C) treatment at a hospital or clinic in Schengen, with confirmation from the treating institution.
- Short study stay (type C) courses and stays of up to 90 days in any 180. Longer studies require a national visa or a residence permit.
- Airport transit (type A) required only of nationals of certain countries, listed in Annex IV of the Visa Code – some states require it of more. It applies while you stay in the transit area. If you leave the area, change airport or re-check baggage, you need an ordinary Schengen visa.
- National visa (type D) issued under national law, not under the Visa Code, for stays over 90 days in one country – work, study or family. The rules and the relationship to a residence permit vary between countries. The visa also allows travel in other Schengen states for up to 90 days in any 180.
- Visa with limited territorial validity (LTV) issued exceptionally and as a rule valid only for the issuing state. It may be granted on humanitarian grounds among others, even where the ordinary conditions are not met. EU law gives no right to such a visa.
Has your visa been refused?
A Schengen visa refusal is given on a standard form on which the authority ticks the ground for refusal. The tick tells you what was missing – and what an appeal has to answer.
Deadlines
- The appeal deadline is stated in the refusal letter and follows the national law of the state that refused. In several countries it is under a month – three weeks in Norway and Sweden, four weeks in the Netherlands, 30 days in France.
What we do
- We read the grounds for refusal and work out what was actually missing
- We obtain and draft the documentation that answers each point
- We appeal within the deadline and follow the case until the result is in
Send us the refusalI need a passport or travel document
Which document you are entitled to depends on your status – not on what you would prefer.
Deadlines
- Apply well before travelling: processing often takes several weeks.
The rules
- A refugee travel document and an alien's passport are two different documents with different conditions.
What we do
- We clarify which document you are actually entitled to
- We complete the application for an alien's passport or travel document
- We follow up if the application drags on or is refused
Send us your caseThis is general information, not an assessment of your case. Rules change and practice varies between countries. Get in touch and we will look at your situation.