Read the Schengen visa correctly
Schengen visa and decoding its designations.
You have finally received the long-awaited Schengen visa. Now you have an important task - to learn how to correctly interpret the information contained in it, because a wrong understanding of the data can lead to serious problems when crossing the border. In this article, we will consider how to correctly decipher the data specified in this document.
How to decipher a Schengen visa correctly?
- Valid for.
This part indicates the territory on which the visa holder has the right to travel, that is, the phrase "Schengen zone" is prescribed. This information is filled in the language of the state that issued the document. Important: if you are allowed to enter only a few countries of the Schengen Agreement, there will be a minus sign in brackets and the codes of those states where the visa will not be valid. The second option: without the minus sign and the codes of the countries that are allowed to enter on this visa.
- The code of the state that issued the visa.
It is indicated at the top right near the Valid for. Each country has its own unique code. For example: Austria - AUT, Germany - D, Spain - ESP, Poland - POL, etc.
- Visa start date - From.
This is the beginning of the temporary corridor. It indicates from which date you are allowed to enter a Schengen country. The date is written as follows: DD-MM-YYY.
- Visa expiration date - From.
This is the last day of your stay in the Schengen zone/end of the temporary corridor. On this date you must leave the Schengen territory before midnight.
- Type of visa.
It is denoted by a Latin letter. Decoding of visa types: A - airport transit visa, C - tourist (short-term stay), D - national (long-term stay).
- Number of entries.
The number of authorized entries of the visa holder is indicated. If once, the number 1 is given. The number 2 is indicated if two trips are allowed or if the applicant has received a transit visa. For multiple entries a multi-entry visa is issued with the inscription MULT.
- Duration of stay.
This part indicates the number of days that the applicant is allowed to stay in the Schengen countries (see "From" and "Until"). In the space between the Duration of stay and Days, a two-digit number is written (if the number of days is less than 10, the first digit is zero). The maximum duration of stay for a short-term Schengen visa is 90 days within 6 months.
- Issued in.
The name of the issuing authority is indicated.
- On.
The date of issue is indicated just below.
- Number of passport.
The number of passport is written down.
- Name, Surname.
The name and surname of the visa holder are indicated.
- Remarks.
Information about the purpose of your trip and other additional data for internal communication between consular officials and other services.
- Penultimate Remarks.
This area is filled in small print with the name of the consular officer who processed the document. Does not affect the use of the visa.
- Special coding at the very bottom of the visa.
This information is read at the border using a scanner. It is recommended to check carefully before traveling to avoid errors due to automatic data entry. The area consists of two lines of 36 characters and necessarily contains the following symbols: V - type of document, A, C, D - type of visa, as well as the country code, surname and first name, visa number, date of birth, nationality, gender, date of visa expiration, territory of visa validity, number of entries, date of document validity start.
It is important that the visa stamps are well printed, without alterations, blots or corrections. The exception is technical force majeure, in which case it is allowed to fill in the data by hand.