• There are currently 25 European countries that belong to the Schengen Area: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
  


• Schengen visa generally covers entry and travel in all of the countries that have signed the Schengen Agreement, although there are exceptional cases in which the visa may restrict your travel to certain Schengen countries


• There are three types of the Schengen visas:
  - Airport transit visa (type “A”): for a stopover or transfer at an airport of a Schengen State
  
  - Transit visa (type “B”): for a transit through the territory of one or more Schengen States
  
  - Short-term visa (type “C”): for staying in one or several Schengen States


• Schengen visa allows stays which do not exceed three months over a six-month period (90 days during 180 days)
  


• For longer periods of time abroad, national visas (type “D”) and residence permits are required for Schengen countries


• Schengen visas can be valid for single entry or multiple entries. If you plan leaving the Schengen area during your travel, you should apply for the multiple-entry Schengen visa


• Applications for the Schengen visa must be made at the consulate of the country that is your main destination. If your main destination is unclear (you plan to visit several Schengen countries and stay approximately the same period of time in each of them), the country you first enter is responsible for handling your visa application


• A uniform visa application form is used by all Schengen countries


• SCHENGEN VISAS DO NOT ALLOW YOU TO WORK OR TO CARRY OUT ANY OTHER ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES DURING YOUR STAY

• Contact the respective embassy/consular section and clarify the information about:
  
  - specific documents to be provided for the visa type that you need
  
  - procedure of submission of your visa application. Please note that embassies of Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain have introduced the new procedure for handling the visa applications through the intermediaries. Following the new procedure, you should submit your visa application with all the supporting documents to the special visa centres. The services of such visa centres are not free. The embassies of Germany and France are partly using the services of such visa centres (they are responsible for assigning the date of your interview in the Embassy)


• Complete and sign your visa application form, attach your recent photograph to it. Schengen visa application forms are free and are distributed at the embassies. You may also download the application forms from the websites of the embassies or consular departments


• Present a valid passport (validity must extend until at least 3 months after the end of the planned journey)


• Present documents that describe the purpose and circumstances of your visit (an official letter, a written request, etc)


• Demonstrate sufficient means of subsistence for the proposed journey and for the return trip to Ukraine (for example, bank statements, proof of income or an invitation letter or sponsorship declaration from your relatives/friends in a Schengen country)


• You may be asked for a copy of your travel itinerary with a confirmed reservation or another proof of your means of transport


• Arrange and present the medical insurance which should be valid in all countries of the European Union and for the whole duration of the stay (number of days) and the validity period of the visa (insurance must cover a minimum of € 30 000)


• Pay the consular fee (handling fee for submitting visa application)
  

Any embassy reserves the right to request any other supporting documents.

A decision on a visa application shall be taken within 10 calendar days of the date of the receipt of the complete visa application and the supporting documents (this period may be extended up to 30 days when further scrutiny is needed).

The fee for processing all types of Schengen visa applications, irrespective of the number of entries, is € 35.

There is the possibility of charging an extra fee of € 70 on urgent requests (3 days before departure). This does not apply to members of official delegations, members of national and regional Governments and Parliaments, Constitutional Courts and Supreme Courts, cases related to humanitarian or health reasons (disabled persons and those to receive urgent medical treatment), journalists and pensioners.

CATEGORIES OF PEOPLE THAT ARE EXEMPTED FROM THE VISA FEE:

• close relatives - spouses, children (including adopted), parents (including custodians), grandparents and grandchildren, visiting citizens of Ukraine legally residing in the territory of the Member States


• members of official delegations who, following an official invitation addressed to Ukraine, shall participate in meetings, consultations, negotiations or exchange programmes, as well as in events held in the territory of one of the Member States by intergovernmental organizations


• members of national and regional Governments and Parliaments, Constitutional Courts and Supreme Courts, if they are not exempted from the visa requirement by the Agreement between EC and Ukraine on the facilitation of the issuance of visas


• pupils, students, post-graduate students and accompanying teachers who undertake trips for the purposes of study or educational training


• disabled persons and the person accompanying them, if necessary


• persons who have presented documents proving the necessity of their travel on humanitarian grounds, including to receive urgent medical treatment and the person accompanying such person, or to attend a funeral of a close relative, or to visit a close relative seriously ill


• participants in international sports events and persons accompanying them in a professional capacity


• persons participating in scientific, cultural and artistic activities including university and other exchange programmes


• participants in official exchange programmes organised by twin cities


• journalists


• pensioners


• drivers conducting international cargo and passenger transportation services to the territories of the Member states in vehicles registered in Ukraine


• members of train, refrigerator and locomotive crews in international trains travelling to the territories of the Member States


• children under the age of 18 and dependant children under the age of 21

       The Schengen Information System was introduced as a result of the agreements between the Schengen countries on police cooperation and assistance for purposes of prevention and search for punishable facts, and also for the purposes of preventing illegal migration from the third countries to the countries of Schengen area.
       The information on every applicant for the Schengen visa is checked in the SIS database. Schengen visa may be denied if the applicant is a person for whom an alert has been issued in the SIS. In such cases, the Schengen visa can be issued only in exceptional cases.

       Embassies ask that all individuals applying for a visa give complete and correct information about themselves on a visa application form. Do not fall prey to outside parties who want to convince you that there are “right” answers to visa applications. Though you may be reluctant to answer visa questions honestly, despite what “consultants” may say, truth is your greatest defence. If you are caught lying on your visa application, there is a good chance that you will be refused to enter the country. Remember that the information you provide during your visa application is investigated by the embassy officials and the only right answers are the truthful ones.