Schengen visa from India (2026): a family guide

Rules checked against official sources in October 2026. Rules change; we confirm them again when we plan your trip.

Indian passport holders need a Schengen short-stay visa to visit most of Europe. One visa covers France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Austria, Hungary, Czechia, Croatia and the other Schengen countries.

For a family trip, the questions are always the same: which consulate, which documents, how early, and what it costs for the children. This guide answers each from the European Commission’s own pages. The one-page version is our Schengen visa guide.

Which consulate do you apply to?

You apply to the consulate of the country where you will spend the longest time. If your stays are equal, apply to the first Schengen country you enter.

Count nights, not cities. On a trip with 7 nights in Italy and 5 in Switzerland, you apply to Italy, even if you land in Zurich. On a trip with 4 nights in each, you apply to the country you enter first. For a long route like our Europe Grand Tour, we work this out from the final itinerary before anyone books an appointment.

When should you apply?

No earlier than 6 months before travel, and at least 15 days before. You may need to book an appointment first, and that can take its own time, so for summer holidays it pays to start well before the 15-day limit.

Documents for a Schengen visa from India

• Passport valid at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen area
• Completed application form
• Photo meeting ICAO standards
• Travel medical insurance covering emergency care, hospital and repatriation
• Proof of the purpose of your trip, money for the stay, accommodation and your intent to return home
• Fingerprints, taken when you apply (some exemptions apply)

Consulates may ask for more documents than this. The exact extra list varies by consulate, so we give you the checklist for the one you are applying to.

Schengen visa fees for Indians

• €90 per adult
• €45 for children aged 6 to 12
• A visa service centre fee may apply on top

The official page we checked gives these two rates. For children under 6 and for teenagers, we confirm the fee for your application when we plan the trip, rather than guess.

How long does a Schengen visa take?

Normally 15 days. It can be extended up to 45 days if the consulate needs more checks or documents. Allow for that when you book flights and hotels.

The 90/180-day rule, in plain words

A Schengen short-stay visa lets you stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period. On any day of your trip, count back 180 days: the days you have spent inside Schengen in that window must not pass 90.

A two-week family holiday is far inside this. It matters if someone in the family has already spent time in Europe in the last six months, for work or study.

Travelling with children or parents

Every traveller needs their own application. Children aged 6 to 12 pay the lower €45 fee. Fingerprints are taken when you apply, with some exemptions; we tell you which family members those cover for your consulate.

For parents and grandparents, the travel medical insurance matters most. It must cover emergency care, hospital treatment and repatriation for the whole stay.

What else changed in 2026

The EU Entry/Exit System has been fully operational since 10 April 2026. Your fingerprints and photo are also recorded at the Schengen border when you arrive, so allow a little more time at the first airport.

Countries a Schengen visa does not cover

The UK and Türkiye are not in Schengen and need their own visas. Switzerland is the opposite case: it is in Schengen even though it is outside the EU, so your Schengen visa covers it. Croatia joined Schengen on 1 January 2023.

On our Turkey and Greece trip, the Schengen visa for Greece also helps with Türkiye. Indians holding a valid Schengen visa can apply online for a single-entry Turkish e-Visa. The Türkiye visa guide has the details.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying to the country you land in instead of the one where you spend the most nights.
• Leaving it too late. The minimum is 15 days before travel, and processing can stretch to 45 days.
• A passport that expires less than 3 months after you leave Schengen.
• Insurance that leaves out repatriation.
• Assuming the Schengen visa covers London or Istanbul. It does not.

How AVR helps with a Europe visa

Every Europe trip in our catalogue, including Switzerland and Italy, includes visa application support and the visa fees. We work out the right consulate from your itinerary and give you the document list for it. The decision on the visa always rests with the consulate.

Schengen visa questions