what is schengen visa

A Schengen visa is a short-stay visa that allows a person to travel to any member of the Schengen Area for tourism, business, cultural, sports events, airport transit, official visit, medical reasons, or short-term study and research purposes. The Schengen Area is an area comprising 27 European countries that have officially abolished passports and many other types of border control at their mutual borders. The common visa policy allows nationals of certain countries to enter the Schengen Area via air, land, or sea without a visa for stays of up to 90 days within a 180-day period. Nationals of certain other countries are required to have a visa either upon arrival or in transit. Citizens of some countries must hold an airport transit visa when transiting through the international parts of airports situated in any of the Schengen States, while citizens of certain countries must hold an airport transit visa when transiting through the international parts of airports situated in some of the Schengen States. U.S. citizens are permitted to travel freely to 26 European countries within the Schengen area for up to three months for tourism or business purposes without a visa. However, if you are planning to study, work, or live in one of the Schengen countries for more than 90 days, then you must apply for a national visa of that European country and not a Schengen Visa.