How to Apply for a Schengen Visa from the UK

Who needs a Schengen visa from the UK?

You need a Schengen visa if you live in the UK and hold a passport from a country whose citizens need a visa for short trips to Europe, such as India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, China, South Africa, Ghana or the Philippines. British, Irish, EU, EEA and Swiss citizens do not, and nor do nationals of visa-exempt countries such as the US, Canada and Australia. If your nationality is one of the most common among UK applicants, see our guides for Indian, Pakistani, Nigerian and Bangladeshi nationals.

A short-stay (type C) Schengen visa covers tourism, visiting family or friends, business meetings, conferences and short courses. It allows up to 90 days in any 180-day period across all 29 Schengen countries. Cyprus and Ireland are not in Schengen, so this visa does not cover them.

You must be legally resident in the UK to apply here. That means a UK work, study or family visa, pre-settled or settled status, or indefinite leave to remain. If you are only in the UK as a visitor, UK consulates will normally turn your application away and expect you to apply from home. Our guide to applying on a UK visitor visa explains the narrow exceptions. Dependants on a partner’s or parent’s UK visa can apply here; see Schengen visas for dependants.

Note: Family members of EU, EEA or Swiss citizens who travel with or join that person usually qualify for a free, simplified visa under EU free movement rules. Tell the centre when you book, because the documents and fee are different. Being the family member of a British citizen does not qualify you for this route.

Step 1: Which country should you apply to?

Apply to the country where you will spend the most nights. If you split your nights equally, choose the country that matches the main purpose of the trip or, failing that, the one you will enter first. Our guide to which country to apply to works through the rules with UK examples.

A ten-day trip with six nights in Barcelona and four in Paris is a Spain application, not a France one, even if you fly into Paris. Applying to a country simply because it has earlier appointments is a common reason for refusal, and it can lead to awkward questions at the border.

Step 2: Are your passport and UK status valid long enough?

Check your passport and UK status before you book anything, because either can stop an application on its own.

• Passport: issued within the last 10 years, valid for at least 3 months after you plan to leave the Schengen area, with at least two blank pages.
• UK immigration status: since BRPs have all expired, you prove your status with your UKVI eVisa. Generate a share code on GOV.UK (it lasts 90 days) and print the status page. Our eVisa and share code guide shows what consulates want to see.
• Status validity: most consulates expect your UK permission to remain valid for at least 3 months beyond your return. Italy’s London consulate asks for at least 3 months beyond the last day of the trip on its main checklist, while Poland asks for UK residence valid at least 1 month after the visa itself expires. If your UK permission runs out soon, plan the trip for after it has been renewed, and expect a shorter visa if it is close to the limit. Our guide to how long your UK visa must be valid compares the rules.
• Old BRP: an expired BRP can still be used to sign in to your UKVI account until 31 December 2026 at the latest, but it is not accepted as proof of status for a Schengen application. See what to do if your BRP has expired.

Step 3: Who handles your application in the UK?

Each Schengen country uses either an outsourced visa centre or its own embassy in the UK. The provider runs the booking system and takes your fingerprints. The consulate or embassy makes the decision.

Most countries let you use any of their UK centres, but a few tie you to one by where you live:

• Spain: the Manchester consulate covers Wales, the Isle of Man, the East and West Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber and north-west England except Cumbria. Edinburgh covers Scotland, Northern Ireland, Cumbria, Durham, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and the Tees Valley. Everyone else applies through London.
• Portugal: residents of London-jurisdiction counties must submit in London; residents of Manchester-jurisdiction counties use Manchester or Edinburgh.
• Germany: applications from Scottish residents are decided by the Consulate General in Edinburgh; the rest of the UK is handled by the embassy in London.

Where the country has no consulate in the city you submit in, the file is couriered to London for a decision. Allow 2 to 5 extra days: VFS quotes about 2 days, and GVCW says about 5 for Greek applications from Manchester and Edinburgh. The Birmingham-area VFS centre moved on 27 July 2026 to 5-14 South Road, Smethwick, B67 7BN, so check the address on your booking confirmation. Our city guides cover London, Manchester and Edinburgh centre by centre.

Step 4: How do you complete the application form?

You complete the same harmonised Schengen application form whichever country you apply to, but where you fill it in depends on the country. Some systems will not let you book until the form is done.

• France: complete the form on France-Visas, then register with TLScontact, which allocates the appointment.
• Croatia: complete the Crovisa form on crovisa.mvep.hr first, then print and sign it; filling it in online does not submit the application.
• Lithuania: complete the form in MIGRIS before your VFS appointment.
• Denmark: apply and pay on ApplyVisa before booking with VFS Global.
• Most other countries: use the provider’s online form or a printable PDF that you sign and bring.

Answer every question consistently with your documents. The dates, addresses and purpose you enter must match your bookings, cover letter and insurance. Mismatches are one of the quickest ways to a refusal.

Step 5: How do you book the appointment?

You book the appointment yourself, in your own name, on the official system, and the booking is free. Each country does this slightly differently:

• Most VFS, TLScontact, BLS and GVCW countries: create an account on the provider’s website and choose a date at your centre.
• Italy: the consulate says appointments are managed only by VFS Global; follow the booking route on the VFS Italy UK site, which may direct you to its Italy Global mobile app.
• Germany: since 1 June 2026, you no longer pick a date in London or Manchester. You register on a waiting list and are allocated a slot, then have 24 hours to pay TLScontact’s service fee and confirm.
• France: since 1 August 2026 (London and Manchester) and 11 September 2026 (Edinburgh), TLScontact also allocates short-stay appointments from a queue; you have 12 hours to pay and confirm once a slot is allocated.
• Poland: book on e-Konsulat for the embassy at 10 Bouverie Street; tourist and visit slots are released every Sunday at 11:00 (business, conference and family-of-Polish-nationals cases are allocated on Sundays and Wednesdays).
• Luxembourg and Romania: book directly with the embassy (by email) or, for Romania, through the foreign ministry’s e-Viza portal for the Consulate General in London or Manchester.

Providers sell optional extras such as Premium Lounge or Prime Time, but you do not need them for a valid application. Schengen Visa Support does not book, hold or supply appointments. We help you understand the official system and complete the booking correctly in your name. Our appointment guide covers availability and what to do when slots are scarce.

Step 6: Which documents do you need?

The core documents are the same across Schengen, and each country adds a few of its own. See the full documents checklist for detail.

• Completed and signed application form
• Passport plus copies of previous Schengen visas
• One or two recent passport photos (35 x 45 mm, light background; the number varies by country)
• eVisa status page and share code
• Travel medical insurance with at least €30,000 cover, valid in all Schengen states for the whole trip
• Return flight or travel reservation and accommodation for every night (see flight and hotel bookings)
• A cover letter explaining the trip
• Three to six months of bank statements and recent payslips
• An employer letter confirming your job and approved leave

If you are self-employed, a student or applying for children, you need extra evidence. Some countries also want specific items, such as an invitation or sponsor letter or a hosting form when you stay with family. If you are visiting relatives or travelling for work, see our guides to the family visit visa and the business visa.

Tip: Consulates look for a consistent picture. Your leave dates, flights, hotels, insurance and bank balance should all tell the same story.

Step 7: What happens at the appointment?

You attend in person with your printed booking confirmation, passport, and originals plus copies of every document. Staff check your file, scan your fingerprints and take a digital photo, then collect the visa fee and service charge. If your fingerprints were taken for a Schengen visa in the last 59 months they can be reused, but most UK centres still expect you to hand in your passport in person. Our biometrics appointment guide walks through the day.

Arrive close to your slot time, as centres often do not admit people long before it. Security rules are strict: large bags are usually not allowed and phones must be switched off. You leave your passport with the centre while the consulate decides, so do not book other travel that needs it.

Schengen visa cost from the UK

Expect to pay the €90 visa fee, around £80 in sterling, plus the visa centre’s service charge. The visa fee is set by EU law and has not changed since June 2024. The service charge is set by each provider, varies by country and changes often, so check the live amount on the booking site. Our fee guide has more detail.

How long does a Schengen visa take, and when should you apply?

Most decisions arrive within 15 calendar days of submission, but consulates can extend this to 45 in individual cases, for example when they need more documents. You can apply up to 6 months before you travel and no later than 15 calendar days before. Some countries advise more margin in practice: Malta’s page, for example, suggests allowing at least 3 weeks plus courier time.

Full timelines by country are in our processing time guide.

What should you check after you get your visa?

Check your visa sticker as soon as you collect your passport. Look at the dates, number of entries, days allowed and territorial validity. Ask the centre about any errors before you travel.

At the border you will be registered in the EU Entry/Exit System (EES), which has been fully operational since 10 April 2026. It records your face and fingerprints, replaces passport stamps and logs every entry and exit, so it counts your days automatically. The temporary option for countries to scale back EES checks at busy times ended on 6 September 2026, so expect full registration on your first crossing and allow extra time at the border. Track your stays using our 90/180-day rule guide and read about EES and ETIAS. ETIAS is for visa-exempt travellers, not visa holders, and has no confirmed launch date.

If you travel to Europe regularly, using your visas correctly builds a history that can lead to longer multiple-entry visas under the cascade rules.

What if your application is refused?

A refusal is not the end of the road: you can appeal or reapply. The refusal letter uses a standard EU form with the reasons ticked. You can appeal to the deciding country within the deadline and by the route stated on the letter, or reapply with stronger evidence. Common reasons include unclear travel purpose, weak financial evidence, applying to the wrong country and doubts about your intention to return to the UK. Our refusal guide explains your options.

Important: Never hide a previous refusal. Schengen states share visa records, and an omission is treated far more seriously than the refusal itself.

If you want your form, documents and booking steps checked before you apply, see what our admin support includes; the consulate makes every decision, and we cannot guarantee a visa or a date.