Visiting Europe from Africa: your visa application

One visa, 29 countries

France, Italy, Spain, Germany and most other European Union countries belong to the Schengen area, along with Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. Bulgaria and Romania became full members in 2025. Ireland, Cyprus and the United Kingdom are not part of Schengen and need separate visas.

A short-stay Schengen visa (type C) allows stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period across all member countries, for tourism, family visits or business. Studying or working requires a different, national visa.

Where to apply

You apply to the country where you will spend the most nights. If your nights are split equally, you apply to the country you will enter first. For our Paris and Rome journey, for example, the application goes to the country where most of your nights are booked.

Most embassies use an external visa centre, such as VFS Global or TLScontact, to receive applications and take fingerprints. You book an appointment online, attend in person and receive your passport back from the same centre.

You normally apply in the country where you live legally, even if your nationality is different.

Documents embassies usually ask for

The exact list depends on the embassy, your nationality and your situation, so always check the official checklist of the embassy you apply to. These documents are asked for in most applications:

• A passport issued within the last ten years, valid for at least three months after you leave Europe, with two blank pages
• The completed and signed application form and recent passport photos that meet the embassy’s size rules
• Return flight reservations and hotel bookings that cover every night of your trip
• Travel medical insurance valid in all Schengen countries, with at least EUR 30,000 of cover
• Bank statements for the last three to six months and proof of income or employment
• Proof of ties to home, such as an employment letter, business registration, enrolment letter or family documents
• For family or friend visits, an invitation letter and a copy of your host’s residence document

Fees and timing

Since June 2024 the Schengen visa fee is EUR 90 for adults and EUR 45 for children aged 6 to 11; children under 6 pay nothing. Visa centres add their own service fee. All of these are paid directly by you and are separate from our services.

You can apply up to six months before you travel and no later than 15 days before. Embassies usually decide within 15 calendar days, but this can be extended to 45 days, and appointments are scarce before the summer and Christmas holidays. We recommend applying two to three months ahead.

Your fingerprints are kept for five years, so a second application within that time is often quicker.

What makes an application strong

Consistency matters more than volume. Your itinerary, hotel bookings, insurance dates and leave letter from your employer should all describe the same trip. A clear budget backed by bank statements shows that you can pay for the trip, and documents about your job, business or family show why you will return home.

A good travel history helps too. Previous Schengen, UK, US or Canadian visas that you used correctly show embassies that you respect visa rules. Travellers with a good record can later receive multiple-entry visas valid for longer periods.

Never submit false documents or bookings you do not intend to use. Embassies check, and a refusal for false documents can affect every future application.

At the border: the Entry/Exit System

A visa allows you to travel, but border officers make the final decision on entry. Carry copies of your hotel bookings, return ticket, insurance and proof of funds in your hand luggage.

Since October 2025, the EU’s Entry/Exit System records your fingerprints and a photo the first time you cross a Schengen border, and then logs each entry and exit electronically instead of stamping your passport. The first crossing can take a little longer, so allow extra time at the airport.

If your application is refused

A refusal comes with a standard letter that ticks the reason, for example doubts about the purpose of the trip, insufficient funds or doubts that you will return. You can appeal within the deadline in the letter, or apply again with stronger documents.

Before reapplying, read the reason carefully and address it directly. Sending the same file again rarely changes the result.

How we help

Every trip abroad starts with our free assessment. It tells us about you, your trip and your travel history, so a consultant can prepare the right checklist for your situation.

We then build an itinerary that matches your dates and budget, provide hotel and tour confirmations, explain the appointment and application steps, and can arrange travel insurance through licensed partners. After your trip is confirmed, we stay in touch until you are home.

What we never do

We do not sell visas, and we cannot guarantee approval: only the embassy decides. We never prepare false documents, never advise anyone to get around immigration rules and never ask you to pay an embassy fee through us.

Start early

Start as soon as your dates are clear, ideally three months before travel. That leaves time to gather documents, get an appointment, wait for the decision and, if needed, apply again before your departure date.