A Schengen visa is a visa for the so-called Schengen Area. The term Schengen refers to a borderless Europe without systematic personal checks at internal borders. The Schengen Area currently comprises over 25 European countries, including Germany, France, Italy, and Spain.

The word comes from the town of Schengen in Luxembourg. Schengen was originally a small village of winegrowers on the Luxembourg Moselle at the tripoint of Luxembourg, Germany and France.

The name became world-famous because it was there on the 14th The so-called Schengen Agreement was signed on the passenger ship M.S. Marie-Astrid in June 1985. The Federal Republic of Germany, France, and the Benelux countries Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg decided to gradually dismantle border controls to facilitate travel and trade.

Today, a Schengen visa allows people from many non-EU countries to enter the Schengen Area and move freely within it. With a single visa, you can travel to several Schengen countries without being checked at each border.