Who can Apply for a Short-Term (Schengen) Visa

Citizens or residents in the following countries can apply for a short-term (Schengen) visa up to 90 days: India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Where to Apply for a Short-Term (Schengen) Visa 

The place where to apply for a short-term (Schengen) visa up to 90 days depends on the country of residence of the applicant:

 - Applicants legally residing in India shall apply at any VFS Global visa application center. New slots are released every second Monday of a month for visa appointments in the upcoming month. 

 - Applicants legally residing in Nepal shall apply at the VFS centre in Kathmandu. New slots are released every second Monday of a month for visa appointments in the upcoming month. 

 - Applicants legally residing in Bhutan and the Maldives shall apply at the designated VFS Global visa application center.

- Applicants legally residing in Sri Lanka shall apply at the French Embassy in Colombo (applications for the purpose of work can be submitted in the VFS visa center in Delhi only). Please contact the Embassy directly in order to make an appointment https://lk.ambafrance.org/France-Czech-Republic-bilateral. You can also schedule an appointment via the outsourcing company of VFS Global in its visa center in Delhi.

- Applicants legally residing in Bangladesh shall apply at the French Embassy in Dhaka. Please contact the Embassy directly in order to make an appointment https://bd.ambafrance.org/Applying-for-a-French-visa-in-Bangladesh-2012. You can also schedule an appointment via the outsourcing company of VFS Global in its visa center in Delhi.

- Family members (spouses, parents, children or siblings only) residing in Nepal may submit their visa application at the VFS centre in Kathmandu even without a prior appointment. A document proving the family relationship to an inviting person and a hard copy of an official Invitation verified by the Alien Police Service must be included in the application. 

- In particular cases (diplomatic and service passport holders, family members of EU citizens), the application can be lodged directly at the Consular Section of the Embassy of the Czech Republic in New Delhi based on the previous appointment  booked via newdelhi.consulate@mzv.gov.cz

What is the Processing Time

Schengen visa applications can be submitted six months at the earliest and 15 days at the latest ahead of the trip. Please be aware that the application has to reach our Embassy at least 15 days prior the planned journey. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to apply at least 3 weeks prior the planned departure. Issuing a short-term (Schengen) visa takes normally up to 15 calendar days. This period may be extended up to a maximum of 45 calendar days in individual cases, notably when further scrutiny of the application is needed.

Required documents

The required documents depend on the purpose of your travel:

• tourism, spa and medical treatment
• business, business meetings, conference, seminars, cultural purpose and sports
• invitation, visiting family or friends
• study or scientific research
• employment or seasonal employment
• training
• airport transit visa

Additional documents according to the Schengen harmonised list of supporting documents have to be submitted by visa applicants in India (PDF, 238 KB) and Nepal (PDF, 129 KB)

Common EU Information Sheet for Schengen Visa Applicants in India