Countries with Visa Requirements
The Schengen Agreement prescribes the visa requirements for entry into the Schengen area. However, there are additional agreements that exempt nationals of certain countries from this obligation.
Who needs a Schengen visa?
Not all nationals of non-Schengen states require a short stay visa. In many cases, there are mutual agreements on freedom of travel. The following third countries (or administrative regions) do not require a visa under these arrangements if the stay does not exceed 90 days within a 180-day period:
Background
Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 November 2018 specifies which third countries do not need a visa to enter the Schengen area.
- Andorra
- Arab Emirates (*3)
- Albania (*1)
- Argentina
- Australia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina (*1)
- Barbados
- Brunei
- Brazil
- Bahamas
- Canada
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Dominica (*3)
- El Salvador
*1 The visa exemption applies only to holders of the “Região Administrativa Especial de Macau” passport.
*3 The visa waiver applies only to holders of biometric passports issued in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.
- Georgia (*1)
- Grenada (*3)
- Grenadines (*1)
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Hong Kong (*6)
- Israel
- Japan
- Kiribati (*3)
- Macao (*7)
- Malaysia
- Marshall Islands (*1)
- Mauritius
- Macedonia (*2)
- Mexico
- Micronesia (*3)
- Moldova (*2)
- Monaco
- Montenegro (*3)
*1 The visa exemption applies only to holders of the “Região Administrativa Especial de Macau” passport.
*2 The visa exemption applies from the date of entry into force of an agreement on the waiver of visas to be concluded with the European Union.
*3 The visa waiver applies only to holders of biometric passports issued in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.
*6 The visa exemption applies only to holders of biometric passports issued by the Ukraine in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.
*7 The visa exemption applies only to holders of the “Hong Kong Special Administrative Region” passport.
- Nauru (*1)
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Palau (*1)
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru (*1)
- Solomon Islands
- Samoa
- San Marino
- Serbia (*3) (*4)
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- St. Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia (*3)
- Saint Vincent (*1)
- South Korea
*1 The visa exemption applies only to holders of the “Região Administrativa Especial de Macau” passport.
*3 The visa waiver applies only to holders of biometric passports issued in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.
*4 The visa exemption applies only to holders of biometric passports.
- Taiwan (*8)
- Timor-Leste (*1)
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tonga (*1)
- Tuvalu (*1)
- Ukraine (*5)
- United States / USA
- Uruguay
- Vanuatu (*1)
- Vatican
- Venezuela
*1 The visa exemption applies only to holders of the “Região Administrativa Especial de Macau” passport.
*5 Excluded are holders of Serbian passports issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate “Koordinaciona uprava”.
*8 The visa exemption applies only to holders of the “Hong Kong Special Administrative Region” passport.
Good to Know
The exemption for short stays also applies to UK citizens around the world:
- British nationals in overseas territories
- Citizens of the British Overseas Territories
- British citizens overseas
- Persons under the protection of the United Kingdom
- British subjects
These countries require a Schengen visa
Special regulation for Airport Transit
For some countries, the visa requirement is waived if you do not leave the transit area of the airport.
Who needs an Airport Transit Visa?
The following list shows all countries whose nationals in principle require a visa for transit at the airport in the Schengen area:
- Afghanistan
- Bangladesh
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Ghana
- Iran
- Iraq
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Somalia
- Sri Lanka
Additional visa requirement
Exceptions
Citizens of countries requiring a visa do not need a visa for airport transit if they:
- have a diplomatic passport
- are a close family member of an EU, EAA or Swiss citizen
- have a valid visa from a Schengen state, EU / EAA member state, from Andorra, Japan, Canada, San Marino or the USA
- are airline personnel of an airline that is a member of the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation
