General Rules of Applying for Schengen Visa

 

Applying for Schengen Visa

As a rule application is lodged personally. As an exception the presence of the minor is not requested, if the minor does not have to give fingerprints. In this case presence of parent or guardian is sufficient.

Application can be lodged earliest 3 months before intended trip. Applicant with a valid multiple-entry Schengen visa can lodge an application maximum 4 weeks before end of the validity of his on her previous visa.

Applicant must give fingerprints when lodging an application. The following applicants are exempted from the fingerprinting:

  • children under the age of 12;
  • persons for whom fingerprinting is physically impossible. If the fingerprinting of fewer than 10 fingers is possible, the maximum number of fingerprints shall be taken;
  • heads of State or government and members of a national government with accompanying spouses, and the members of their official delegation when they are invited by Member States’ governments or by international organisations for an official purpose;
  • sovereigns and other senior members of a royal family, when they are invited by Member States’ governments or by international organisations for an official purpose;
  • applicants, whose fingerprints has been collected as part of an earlier application for the first time less than 59 months before the date of the new application.

Documents of the application can be in Estonian, English or Turkish. Documents in other languages must be translated to Estonian, English or Turkish, translation must be done by sworn translator or certified by the Notary.

Please take notice that if you are lodging your application directly to the Embassy and you do not speak and understand either Estonian, English or Turkish, you must take with you an interpreter.

Schengen visa application is examined and decided within 15 days of the date of lodging the application. In individual cases that period may be extended to 30 days and exceptionally up to maximum 60 days. If an application is lodged through VFS Global visa application center, the time of examination may extend on the account of the time needed for transport of the application to the Embassy and returning passport to the visa application center.

More information about general rules of applying for the Schengen visa can be found on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.