The mandatory documents to apply for a Student Schengen Visa are as following:

• Two visa application forms. Fully completed, with correct and honest answers. Print it and sign the form at the end.
• Two identical photos. Taken within the last three months according to the Schengen visa photo requirements.
• Valid passport. Issued within the last 10 years with validity of at least 3 months after the end of the planned journey.
• A copy of passport’s biometric data.
• Previous passports. Tied together with a rubber band. Do not staple them!
• Proof of residency. Some sort of document issued by the country where you are applying from as a proof that you are a citizen or resident of that country.
• Roundtrip reservation or itinerary. Specifying the dates and flight numbers of entry and exit from the Schengen area. Here you can learn more about how to book a flight reservation for eu visa application.
• Travel medical insurance. A document issued by your Europe health insurer, confirming you have insurance for the whole Schengen territory, throughout your whole stay with coverage of €30,000 for emergency health situations.
• Proof of accommodation. Evidence where you will be staying at, during your time in the Schengen zone. This could be one of the following:
  • Dormitory contract. Signed between you and an official of a dormitory in the country where you will be staying.
  • Rent Agreement. A contract with a property owner in this Schengen state, specifying the address and other information details about the facility and landlord.
  • Letter of Invitation. A letter written by a resident in the country you are applying to enter, confirming they are willing to take you in their home throughout the period you will be there.
• Letter of acceptance at an EU University/College/School. A recent, official and signed letter stating your name/type of studies/length of studies/part of a European program if applicable/number of hours per week.
• Proof of academic qualifications. Diploma, academic records, attestation of the application for equivalence or decision / dispatch of equivalence.
• Proof of financial means. Documents that show one is able to reside and financially maintain him / herself during their stay in the Schengen zone. This can be one of the following:
  • Scholarship. Original attestation of an official scholarship of minimum 631€/month.
  • Bank account statement. Showing your bank balance for the last three months.
  • Sponsorship.
• Proof of paid visa fee.

Additional Documents required for Minors.

• An extract of the minor’s birth certificate.
• An identity document bearing the parents’ signature (one document for each parent).
• A declaration of consent from both parents, stating that the minor can travel.
• If relevant: a court judgement stating which parent has been allocated parental responsibility for the minor.
• If relevant: a declaration from the minor’s school consenting to his/her absence.

Proof of occupation.

• If employed:
  • Employment contract
  • Leave permission from the employer
  • Income Tax Return
• If self-employed:
  • A copy of your business license,
  • Company’s bank statement of the latest 6 months
  • Income Tax Return (ITR)
• If a student:
  • Proof of enrollment
  • No Objection Letter from University

You should submit your Student Schengen Visa Application at the responsible Embassy / Consulate / VAC of your main Schengen destination in your country of residence. To figure that out check the rules on How to Choose the Right Embassy/Consulate/VAC to Submit the Student Visa Application.

To submit your Student Schengen Visa application successfully, follow these steps:

1. Check if you need a Student Schengen Visa.
2. Figure out where you need to apply.
3. Figure out the best time to submit your visa application.
4. Fill the application form for a short-stay visa.
5. Collect the required documents for a Student Schengen Visa.
6. Make an appointment.
7. Attend the interview.
8. Pay the student visa fee.
9. Wait for a response.

According to the Schengen rules, the period within which you can submit a Student Schengen visa application is as following:

• The earliest: three months prior to your trip towards Schengen.
• The latest: 15 days prior to your trip.

However, you are highly recommended to apply about 4 weeks prior to your departure date, since this way you will give to the embassy enough time for processing your visa.

Schengen short-stay visa (less than 90 days)

For non-EU citizens studying in Portugal on a short course or carrying out academic research lasting less than three months, and whose countries do not have an agreement with Portugal, will need to apply for a short stay (type C) visa in their home country before travelling to Portugal. Portugal is one of 26 Schengen countries and the Schengen visa allows you to travel to Portugal and any other Schengen country for a total of 90 days.

Portuguese student visas and residence permits (longer than 90 days)

If your studies in Portugal will last longer than 90 days, as a non-EU citizen you will have to apply for a long-term Portuguese student visa to enter Portugal (Schengen Visa type D, unless your country has an agreement) and subsequently pick up your residence permit at your office. Read more in our guide to visas for Portugal.

You need to apply for a Portuguese residence permit within three months of arriving in Portugal. This will be valid for one year. If your studies in Portugal last longer than one year, you can apply to the SEF to get your Portuguese student permit renewed. Portuguese resident permits are renewable for up to five years.

Portuguese residence permit for researchers

Non-EU nationals coming to Portugal to engage in post-doctoral research activities for longer than three months can apply for a specific residence permit for this purpose. This will enable you to engage in paid research work or work that is deemed a highly qualified activity.

You will need to apply for a Portuguese study visa with the Portuguese embassy or consulate in your home country. A list of Portuguese embassies around the world is available here.

To study in Portugal, you will also need to have gained prior acceptance onto a course at a Portuguese university or place of higher education. Read more in our guide to universities in Portugal.

For short-term (type C) visas of up to 90 days, you will need:

• a valid passport/travel ID
• proof of financial resources to support you during your stay
• proof of accommodation (or at least proof of sufficient finances to cover accommodation costs)
• two current passport-sized photos
• medical/travel insurance
• travel itinerary
• letter of acceptance from university or place of study
• a bank receipt to prove payment of processing fee
• some embassies/consulates may also request a criminal record certificate.

For residence permits if your study in Portugal lasts longer than 90 days, you will need to show:

• valid passport/travel ID
• two current passport photographs
• valid visa (if required)
• proof of financial resources
• proof of accommodation
• criminal record certificate
• proof of enrolment at place of study
• proof of payment of tuition fees, where applicable
• medical insurance.

After submitting your Portuguese student visa application, the approval process can take anywhere between one and three months to process, depending on which country you are applying from.

The Portuguese student visa cost is €60 for a short-stay visa and €99 for a long stay visa. The application cost is reduced to €35 for nationals from Kosovo, Russia, Georgia, and Ukraine. Read more about the application process here.

A Schengen visa gives to its holder the opportunity to visit 26 European countries. However, when it comes to where one should apply, the Schengen countries have very strict and clear rules. Many applicants fail to understand where they should apply, and in absence of information, apply at the wrong embassy.

Along with the required documents, figuring out at which European embassy/consulate to submit the application, are two of the most important steps in the entire Schengen visa application process because applying at the wrong embassy or consulate does not result in a successful application, even if the applicant did it by mistake.

That is why you should pay attention to your main destination country, which is the country responsible to process your visa application.

How to figure out where to apply for a Schengen visa?

The three following factors are determinative on where you should file your Schengen visa application:

• The number of countries you will be visiting
• The number of days you will be spending in each
• The country where you will step in first, in case you visit more than one of the Schengen member states

After having clear three factors given above, then you will be able to decide where to apply, according to the following rules:

• If you are planning to visit only one country – then you need to apply at the diplomatic representation of the Schengen you will be visiting, located in your country of residence.
• If you are planning to visit more than one country – then where you need to apply depends on the number of days you will be spending in each of the states you will be staying.
  • When spending an equal amount of days in each – then you need to apply at the diplomatic representation of the country where you will arrive first.
  • When spending unequal amount of days in each – then you will need to apply at the diplomatic representation of the country where you will be spending more time.

When you have it clear which is your main destination country that has to process your Schengen visa application, check about its diplomatic representation in your home country.

Depending on how your Schengen destination state has regulated visa submission in your country, you may have to lodge your application at:

• Their embassy
• Their consulate
• A visa application center, to which your visa-processing country has outsourced visa submission
• The embassy / consulate / VAC of another Schengen state, to which your visa-processing country has outsourced visa submission
• The embassy / consulate / VAC of your destination country located in a neighboring country, to which the embassy in your country of residence has outsourced visa submission

In addition, in some larger countries, one Schengen state has more than the embassy and one consulate that accept visa applications. In cases like that, usually the embassy and each consulate have their jurisdiction. You will have to apply at the embassy or consulate / VAC under the jurisdiction of which, the area where you live falls.

What happens if I apply at the embassy / consulate of the wrong country?

Applying at the wrong embassy / consulate may result in visa rejection, or the embassy where you applied will direct you to the right one.

However, this means you have already lost time, energy and money (since the fees are non-refundable even in these cases) applying at the wrong one. That is why you should pay a lot of attention where you are lodging your application.

What if my destination country does not have an embassy / consulate / VAC in my home country?

If there is no diplomatic representation, or a VAC of your main destination country to file a Schengen visa application at, you will have to check with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in your home country. Visa submission may have been outsourced to one of the following:

• The embassy / consulate / VAC of another Schengen state, to which your visa-processing country has outsourced visa submission
• The embassy / consulate / VAC of your main destination located in a neighboring country of your home country

My destination country has a consulate in my home country, but they told me to apply at the embassy of another country. Why?

In some third countries, Schengen states have their honorary consulates, which do not receive or process visa applications. Instead, they have outsourced visa application to the embassy / consulate / VAC of another country. In cases like this, submit your application as directed.

How do I know under the jurisdiction of which consulate or the embassy I fall?

You should contact the embassy of your destination country, or the consulate general. They will give you further information how your destination country has organized jurisdictions in your country of residence.

Can I apply for a Schengen Visa from a foreign country?

To apply for a visa to Europe you must be either a citizen of the country you are in, or on a valid residence permit issued by that country. Most of the countries do not accept Schengen visa applications from non-residents.

Still, if you need to travel to the Schengen area urgently, you can contact the embassy of the country you wish to visit and they will inform you if they make exceptions (since some of the countries do in extraordinary situations).  You must provide a justification for your application as a non-resident.

What exactly is a Visa Application Center?

A Visa Application Centre (VAC) is an exclusive third-party service provider authorized to accept visa applications on behalf of a country. The VACs then transmits the information on the applicant and their application to the responsible body for visa processing which is the embassy or consulate of the applicant’s destination country.

Which are the best countries to apply for a Schengen visa?

Some of the Schengen states from which are the easiest to obtain a Schengen visa are Latvia, Lithuania and Iceland. However, if these countries are not in your to-visit list, you can still check the list of the easiest Schengen countries to obtain a Schengen Visa, and find if there is listed any of the countries you plan to visit.

If your itinerary is all up to your choices, and you can decide where you wish to stay longer (or step in first) then you can arrange it in a way that you have to apply at one of the countries with the lowest rates of visa rejections.

How Long Does it Take to Get a Student Schengen visa?

The legal processing time for a Student Schengen visa is 15 calendar days. In some cases, you can receive an answer within even shorter periods. However, in extraordinary cases this period may also extend from 30 to 60 days.

How Long is the Student Schengen Visa valid for?

The Validity of a Student Schengen Visa is up to three months within a six-month period. When you get the passport with the visa in it, check the visa sticker information, to make sure about the validity period and the duration of permitted stay in the Schengen Area.

Can I extend a Student Schengen Visa?

A student Schengen Visa can be extended only in some very specific cases as late entry, humanitarian reasons, force majeure or important personal reasons. For more information, read How to Extend a Schengen Visa.

However, if you wish to extend your Student Schengen Visa with the purpose of continuing your studies in the Schengen State where you are in, that is not possible. Instead, you will have to return to your home country / country of residence and apply from there for a long-stay study visa.

Can I work under a Student Schengen Visa in Europe?

No, you cannot. Some long-stay Study Visas permit students to work for a limited number of hours per week. However, no Schengen member state allows you to get a job under a Student Schengen Visa.

Can I bring my family in Europe with a Student Schengen Visa?

Your family members can apply for a Tourist Visa or a visa for visiting Family Members.  However, you cannot bring them over under any family reunion visa, in any Schengen country.

Is there any age limit to apply for a Student Schengen Visa?

There is no age limit for those who wish to obtain a Schengen visa to attend a training or study course in the Schengen Zone.