Citizens from some non-EU countries are required to obtain a visa to enter the Schengen Area. A Type C Schengen visa (hereinafter the “Schengen visa”) is a short-stay visa that grants its holder permission to travel to any of the member states for up to 90 days during a 180-day period. The purposes of a Schengen visa include business & work, flight transit, tourism, short study, or family visit.

An applicant can apply for a Schengen visa from the Embassy/Consulate of one of the 27 Schengen states via a visa service provider. If the applicant is not currently residing in his country of citizenship, he/she must have a legal resident status (valid resident permit or visa) in the jurisdiction where he/she wants to submit the application.

If the intended visit includes more than one Schengen countries, the applicant may submit the visa application to the respective Embassy/Consulate of the country of main destination or the country representing the first entry. Depending on the purpose of the trip and travel history, an applicant may be granted a single entry, double entry, or multiple entry Schengen visa.

The 27 Schengen states are Austria, Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

1.

Schengen Visa Handling and Application Fees

Our handling fee for assisting a client with the preparation of a Schengen visa application is USD1,230. It is inclusive of the government visa fee.

In particular, our fee also covers the following services:

1. Continuous guidance on the Schengen visa application;
2. Assistance with the preparation of supporting documents;
3. Review of application documents prepared by applicant(s) and employing company, where applicable;
4. Filling out application forms and submitting the application to the Embassy/Consulate of the designated Schengen country via a visa service provider;
5. Liaising with the Embassy/Consulate/visa service provider;
6. Application status reporting to the client;
7. Scheduling of the visa appointment;
8. Forwarding of Schengen visa to the client’s specified address.

1. The fees quoted above are inclusive of the government fee.
2. The fees stated are exclusive of delivery charges, if any.
   

2.

Payment Term and Method

Upon receipt of confirmation of engagement, we will issue an invoice and email it together with detailed wire instructions to you. Because of the nature of services, we require full payment in advance. In addition, once service is commenced, no service fees will be refunded. We currently only accept check, cash or TT and credit card payment through PayPal. If invoice is settled by PayPal, an extra 5% service fee will be charged.

If Taiwan uniform invoice is required, a Business Tax at 5% of the invoiced amount will be charged and collected.

3.

Eligibility Criteria

To apply for a Schengen visa, the following eligibility criteria must be met:

1. The applicant must be a citizen of a non-European country;
2. The applicant plans to remain in the Schengen area for a specific, limited time period;
3. The applicant must hold a valid passport/travel document (valid at least 3 months after expiry of visa);
4. The applicant must have a legal resident status (valid resident permit or visa) in the jurisdiction where he/she wants to submit the application if he/she is not currently residing in his country of citizenship.

The above-mentioned eligibility criteria are subject to change from time to time by one or more of the Schengen member states. Please consult with Kaizen’s Mobility and Migration Team for more information.

4.

Supporting Documents and Information Requirements

An Embassy or a Consulate of a receiving Schengen state reserves the right to demand further documents from the applicant as and when necessary. All submitted documents must be either in English or translated into English by a certified translation body. (Please note that translation in other languages may be required depending on the country of submission.)

5.

Application Procedures and Estimated Timeline

A Schengen visa application must be lodged at least 15 calendar days before the intended visit and cannot be lodged earlier than 6 months before the intended visit.

The estimated processing time for an application submitted in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, Wuhan, and Shenyang generally takes 10 working days. For other locations, please consult with Kaizen’s Mobility and Migration team. The processing time may be extended depending on a number of factors: individual circumstances, the nationality of the applicant, the purpose of the stay, the location of submission, and the local visa issuing conditions. Further note that the Embassy/Consulate might request additional evidence to complete the adjudication, in which case the processing time will be prolonged.

6.

Validity of Schengen Visa

A Schengen visa may be granted for one of the following purposes: tourist trip, business travel, family visit, short-term training, internship, or other activities permissible under the law of the country of submission.

Once you are granted a Schengen visa, you are free to travel among 27 Schengen states and remain for up to 90 days in any 180-day period within your visa validity period. A first-time applicant will normally be granted a single-entry visa; If your itinerary involves leaving and re-entering the Schengen area, you will need to successfully apply for a double- or multiple-entry visa.

Depending on the purpose of your travel and your travel history, you may be granted a single-entry, double-entry, or multiple-entry Schengen visa. According to the European Union legislation:

• A 1-year multiple-entry visa is granted provided that the applicant has obtained and used three visas within the previous two years.
• A 3-year multiple-entry visa requires the applicant to have obtained and used a previous multiple-entry visa valid for one year within the previous two years.
• A 5-year multiple entry visa requires the applicant to have obtained and lawfully used a previous multiple-entry visa for at least two years within the previous three years.

To obtain a visa with a longer validity period and/or double- or multiple entries for a first-time applicant, you have the burden of demonstrating a genuine need for the sought validity and number of entries. This can be done by providing convincing and sufficient evidence, including proof of your travel history with past visas, a detailed itinerary, a clear travel purpose, comprehensive information about yourself and your trip, and that you will leave the Schengen area before or at the expiration of your granted stay. Such approval cannot be guaranteed and is subject to the holistic assessment and adjudication by the handling officer.

Legal authority and normative framework: REGULATION (EU) 2018/1806 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

Related Topics: US B-1/B-2 Non-immigrant Visitor Visa | Saint Kitts and Nevis Citizenship-by-Investment Program (Real Estate Investment Option)

Should you wish to obtain more information or assistance, please visit our official website at www.kaizenvis.com or reach out to our professionals through the following means:

T: +852 2341 1444

M: +852 5616 4140, +86 152 1943 4614

WhatsApp / Line / Signal / WeChat: +852 5616 4140

Skype: kaizencpa

E: info@kaizenvis.com