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Europe – The Schengen Visa agreement

The following countries are all member states of the borderless region known as the Schengen Area. A Visa is NOT required for Canadian citizens to enter for tourism or business for a stay of up to 90 days.

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden

 For non-Canadians or Canadians who wish to remain in these areas for longer than 90 days please see below for further information and Embassy contact details.

 What is does this agreement mean?

Since 25th of March 2001, the following countries have signed an agreement to remove immigration controls for travel. A person entering one of the following countries may enter the other countries that are part of the agreement without requiring a separate visa.

Canadian and EU passport holders do not require a visa to enter the Schengen area for stays of up to 90 days.

For all other nationalities, please read the information below and contact the Embassy or Consulate directly. It is advisable to apply for the visa at least one month prior to your prospective departure date

NO THIRD PARTY REPRESENTATION IS ALLOWED, IT IS NECESSARY TO APPLY IN PERSON – EmbassyLink is unable to assist with obtaining a Schengen Visa.

General information on applying for a Schengen visa:

  • If you intend to visit only one Schengen country, you must apply at the Embassy or Consulate of that particular country. You need to apply at the Embassy or Consulate in whose jurisdiction you are a permanent resident.
  • If you intend to visit several Schengen countries, you must apply for a visa at the Embassy or Consulate of the country which is your main destination.
  • If you intend to visit several Schengen countries but do not have a main destination, you should apply for a visa at the Embassy or Consulate of the country which is your first point of entry.
  • If you do not require a visa for the Schengen country which is your main destination or first point of entry, please note that if you are entering any other country that is covered by the schengen agreement, you will require a visa. You should then apply at the Embassy or Consulate of the first Schengen country which does require you to have a visa.