Lodging your Schengen visa application
When to apply for a Schengen visa
You can submit your application no earlier than six months and generally no later than 15 days before your intended journey. If you apply less than 15 days before the journey, your application may not be processed in time. We suggest that you plan your trip and apply for a visa well in advance, as in peak seasons the visa center may not be able to offer you an appointment to submit your application immediately.
As a legal rule, a decision on a visa application is taken within 15 calendar days. This period may, in individual cases, be extended to up to 45 days, if a more detailed examination of your application and/or additional documents are required.
At the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Shanghai, the decision is in most cases taken within 5 working days.
Some Schengen States require to be consulted on visa applications by citizens of certain countries. The consultation process may delay the visa procedure by several days. Such consultation is currently required for nationals of the countries listed here.
(Likewise, some Schengen States may require to be informed when a visa has been issued to nationals of certain third countries, which are listed here.)
Where to apply for a Schengen visa
You must apply for your Schengen visa at the Consulate of the Schengen State that you intend to visit. As a general rule, it must be at the Consulate with territorial competence for the country in which you legally reside. The Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Shanghai accepts Schengen visa applications from residents of Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Anhui provinces and the municipality of Shanghai, who intend to visit the Czech Republic.
If you are going to visit several Schengen States, you must apply at the Consulate of that Schengen State which will be your main destination or where you will stay the longest period. If the stay in several Schengen States will be of equal length, the main destination is the Schengen State of the main purpose of the visit (i.e. conference, business meeting, etc.). If it is not possible to determine the main destination, you must apply at the Consulate of the Schengen State whose borders you will cross first when entering the Schengen area.
If the Czech Republic is the only country or the main destination of your visit and you are a resident of the provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Anhui, or Shanghai, you may apply for a visa through the VFS Global visa centers, which are located in Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Shanghai.
More information about the Visa Centers can be found at http://www.vfsglobal.cn/english/China/English/index.html
Based on what is mentioned above it is not possible to apply for the Schengen visa directly at the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Shanghai. Exceptions are the Family members of EU citizens who, in addition to submitting their application at the Visa Center, can also use the possibility of submission directly at the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Shanghai. If necessary, please contact us via our email address shanghai@embassy.mzv.cz.
How to apply for a Schengen visa
Individual travelers
Applications are generally submitted by the applicant in person. Simply follow this 3-step plan to apply:
1 Check whether you need an appointment to submit your visa application. If so, make an appointment.
2 Download, print, fill in and sign the application form and collect all required documents (see the checklists in “What you need to submit with the application for a Schengen visa”)
Check carefully that you have prepared all required documentation. Thereafter, arrange the documents according to the order in the ‘Document Checklist’.
Please note that in case you do not submit the application form, passport, photograph, fingerprints (where needed), or visa fee (where charged), the application will not be accepted. Failure to submit the other documents might lead to visa refusal.
Please note that all of the documents submitted for the application for a short-term Schengen visa must prove that a single stay will not exceed 90 days. Submission of documents proving a single stay will exceed 90 days is a reason for a refusal of the visa application.
Please pay special attention to any documents from the list that require legalization, as the legalization procedure takes 2-14 days.
3 Submit your application along with the supporting documents
When accepting your application, the Consulate will inform you when you can come to receive your passport with a visa, or with the information about visa refusal.
Tourist trips with an accredited Chinese travel agency (ADS - Approved Destination Status)
Accredited travel agencies are allowed to submit applications on behalf of their clients. You must, however, appear personally even as a client of an accredited travel agency when fingerprints are to be collected.
Chinese ADS Agencies must be accredited by the Ministry of Regional Development of the Czech Republic and by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China. These agencies may apply for visas for a group of at least five people accompanied by a tour guide. The visa will be a single entry valid for a maximum of 30 days.
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