Schengen visa for Indians: where to apply, what to bring, how long it takes

Which country you apply to

The Schengen area has 29 member countries; Bulgaria and Romania became full members on 1 January 2025. You make one application, to your main destination: the country where you will spend the most nights. If two countries have the same number of nights, you apply to the one where you first enter the Schengen area. Fix the itinerary before you book the appointment, because the nights decide the consulate.

Where Tamil Nadu applications go

You hand in your documents and give fingerprints at a visa application centre; the consulate or embassy makes the decision. How it works for six countries:

France

VFS Global, Chennai. Decided by the Consulate General in Pondicherry, which covers Tamil Nadu.

Germany

VFS Global. Schengen visas are decided by the Consulate General in Mumbai; the consulate in Chennai handles national visas.

Italy

VFS Global, Chennai. Decided by the Consulate General in Bengaluru.

Switzerland

VFS Global, Chennai. Decided by the Embassy in New Delhi.

Spain

BLS International, Chennai (Guindy). Decided by the Consulate General in Mumbai.

Netherlands

VFS Global, Chennai.

The documents

Each consulate publishes its own checklist, and that is the one that counts. The core of every Schengen application is the same:

• A passport issued within the last 10 years, valid for at least three months after you leave the Schengen area, with two blank pages.
• The completed application form and a recent photograph to the consulate's specification.
• Travel medical insurance valid across the Schengen area, with at least €30,000 of cover. Germany accepts only insurers on its approved list for India.
• Flight reservations and proof of accommodation for the whole stay, with a day-by-day plan that matches them.
• Proof you can pay for the trip: recent bank statements, and income tax returns or salary slips.
• Proof of your ties at home, such as a leave letter from your employer.

Make sure every document tells the same story. The dates on your flights, hotel bookings, insurance and leave letter should all agree.

How long it takes

You can apply up to six months before you travel and no later than 15 days before. Consulates normally decide within 15 days, and in individual cases that can be extended to 45. Appointment slots can be the slowest part, so book one as soon as your dates are fixed.

Fingerprints are kept for five years, so if you applied recently you may not need to give them again. Children under 12 are not fingerprinted.

Your next visa can be longer

Since April 2024, Indian nationals have had a 'cascade' of longer visas. If you have obtained and lawfully used two Schengen visas in the previous three years, you can be issued a two-year multiple-entry visa. After that, you would normally be given a five-year visa, as long as your passport is valid for long enough. It is one more reason to travel on the dates you declared and leave on time.

At the border: fingerprints instead of stamps

Europe's Entry/Exit System started on 12 October 2025 and has been fully running since 10 April 2026. The first time you enter, border officers take your fingerprints and a facial image, and your entries and exits are recorded digitally instead of being stamped in your passport. Allow extra time at passport control on that first trip.

You may also read about ETIAS, Europe's new travel authorisation. It is for travellers who don't need a visa. If you are travelling on a Schengen visa, it doesn't apply to you.

Champion's Schengen visa desk prepares Schengen applications alongside the trip itself, so the itinerary, bookings and insurance agree before anything is submitted.