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short-term (schengen) visa

Short-term visa is issued as a Schengen visa, i.e. grants a possibility of stay in the Schengen Area for a maximum of 90 days within a period of 180 days for citizens of countries required to possess visa.

US citizens and citizens of other countries exempt from visa requirement

US citizens and citizens of certain other countries are not required to have Schengen visa for stays shorter than 90 days within a period of 180 days, on condition that the stays are not for gainful purpose. If this condition is met, these citizens are allowed to travel to the Schengen Area without visa.

Where to apply

In establishing at which Schengen country's Consular Office you should apply for visa, rules of the Visa Code apply in the following order:

If you intend to visit only one Schengen country, you must apply at the Embassy or Consulate of that particular country.

If you intend to visit several Schengen countries:
(1.) You must apply for visa at the Embassy or Consulate of the country which is your main destination (main purpose of stay).
(2.) If you do not have a main destination (a main purpose of stay), you must apply for visa at the Embassy or Consulate of the country where you intend to stay the longest time.
(3.) If the duration of stay is the same for each Schengen country, then you must apply at the Embassy or Consulate of the country which is your first point of entry.

If you do not need a visa for the Schengen country which is your main destination or first point of entry, bear in mind that you still may require a visa for other Schengen countries you plan to visit. You should then apply at the Embassy or Consulate of the first Schengen country which requires you to have a visa.

If you have established that the Czech Republic is the appropriate country, you may submit your application at the Consular Office (of the Embassy or Consulates General of the Czech Republic) in accordance with the jurisdiction where you permanently reside.

Who may apply

Anyone who is required to have a visa in order to visit the Czech Republic and who is, at the same time, legally residing in the United States (based on a valid Green Card or a valid US long-term visa). Applicants who are only staying in the United States temporarily based on a US tourist visa (type B) are not eligible and shall apply in their country of origin.

All Schengen visa applicants over 12 years of age must present their applications in person, in order to be interviewed in regard to their upcoming travel, and to provide fingerprints when necessary. Upon the decision of the visa officer, an additional visa interview may be performed anytime during the visa process. Applications for Schengen visa submitted by mail are not accepted by the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Los Angeles.

The person applying for visa on behalf of a minor under 15 years of age must be the parent or legal guardian. A minor aged 15-18 may apply for the visa on his/her own. However, a consent signed by all legal guardians of the minor of any age must be presented along with the visa application.

When to apply

Applications for Schengen visa may be lodged from 6 months to 15 days before the start of the intended visit. The lodging of applications for Schengen visa less than 15 days before the start of the intended visit is not allowed.

In most cases, visa applications are processed within 15 days. In exceptional cases, the processing period can be extended up to 45 days.

How and what to submit

In case several persons travel together and/or are covered by the same travel document, individual application forms must be filled in and signed by each of the persons concerned.

Schengen visa will only be issued to the applicant who provides all the necessary documentation according to the Visa Code. Any submitted documents (except for flight tickets) may not be older than 180 days. For further details about requirements, please, see the articles below.

 


Special derogation

In line with a European Council decision, different rules are in place for applicants for Schengen visas who hold passports issued by Gambia (effective November 1, 2021):
- decision on a visa shall be made within 45 days after lodging the application;
- double- and multiple entry visas cannot be issued.

requirements for schengen visa

requirements for family member of EU citizen

visa information system (VIS)

exercise of the right of access to the schengen information system (SIS)

Information for applicants for Schengen visa on personal data protection

rules for calculating short stays within the schengen area