How To Read Your Schengen Visa Number For Indian Nationality

As an Indian national planning to visit the Schengen area, you must have a Schengen visa. With the Schengen agreement, you can enter various countries in the Schengen area once you have your visa. But what does your Schengen visa number indicate? In this blog, we will look at how to read the Schengen visa number.

What is a Schengen Visa Number?

The Schengen visa number is a unique number on your visa used for identification and tracking purposes for each individual visa holder. The visa sticker number is also called the Schengen visa sticker number.

Where To Find The Schengen Visa Number?

The visa number is on the top right-hand side of your visa. The visa number consists of a letter or letters and then numbers. The letter indicates which country the visa is issued from.

For example, if the visa was issued from Germany, the letter in front of the number will be D, followed by numbers.

What Is The Schengen Visa Number Used For?

The authorities use the visa number for various purposes, such as:

• Identifying Each Visa: Each visa type number is different. This allows the authorities to locate each individual visa.

• Tracking Your Visa: The authorities use your visa number to track your visa application.

• Verification: When going through immigration, the visa number is used to check if the visa is valid and has not been altered in any way.

How To Read Your Schengen Sticker Visa

Next, we will discuss the important areas you need to focus on when reading your Schengen visa sticker:

• Visa Number: The visa number is unique to each visa and is located in the top right corner of your visa.

• Allowed Countries: On your visa, you will find "Schengen States", allowing you to enter all Schengen areas or the country codes of the countries you are allowed to visit.

• Validity Period: You can find the validity of your visa by looking at the "From" and "Until" dates.

• Stay Period: Each visa will indicate the stay duration of that visa.

• Number of Entries: On your visa, you can find the 01 (single entry), 02 (dual entries), or Mult (multiple entries).

• Visa Type: Your Schengen visa type will be indicated on your visa by the letter A for airport visa, C for short-term visa, or D for long-term visa.

Visa Number

As mentioned before, the visa number is located at the top right-hand corner of the visa.

In this example, the letter 'NLD' under the visa number indicates the country of issue, which, in this case, is the Netherlands. These letters may vary depending on the specific country through which you applied for your visa.

Permitted countries

Depending on the country you applied for, your visa will indicate something like <<Valid For>>, <<Geldig Voor>>, or <<Valable Four>>. This shows you which countries you can visit with your visa.

If your visa is marked <<Schengen States>> or <<Schengen Staten>>, you can use it to enter the countries in the Schengen area.

However, it's important to note that in certain cases, your access may be limited to certain countries within the Schengen area. This will be indicated by having the country letters of the allowed countries on your visa under "Valid For."

Here is a list of each country in the Schengen member state and their country letter/letters:

• A = Austria.

• B = Belgium.

• CH = Switzerland

• CZH = Czech Republic

• D = Germany

• DK = Denmark

• E = Spain

• EST = Estonia

• FIN = Finland

• F = France

• GR = Greece

• H = Hungary

• HR = Croatia.

• I = Italy

• IS = Iceland

• LVA = Latvia:

• LIE = Liechtenstein

• LT = Lithuania

• L = Luxembourg

• M = Malta

• N = Norway

• NL = Netherlands

• P = Portugal

• PL = Poland

• SK = Slovakia

• SVN = Slovenia

• SW = Sweden

Validity Period

Your Schengen visa also shows you how long your visa is valid. You can find this by looking at the <<From>> and <<Until>> dates.

The 'From' date indicates the day you are permitted to enter the Schengen area, while the 'Until' date specifies the final day of your allowed stay in the Schengen area.

Note: Depending on the country of issue, the start date can be under <<From>>, <<Vanaf>>, or <<DU>>, and the end date can be under <<Until>>, <<Au>>, or <<Tot>>.

Stay Period

The stay period on your Schengen sticker visa indicates the number of days you can stay in the Schengen area at once. You will find the stay period under the section labelled <<Duration Of Stay>>, <<Duree De Sejour>>, or <<Duur Van Het Verblijf>>.

Next to one of the Duration of Stay sections, you will see a number, such as 90, indicating that you can stay in the Schengen area for 90 days. The number on your visa will vary depending on your visa type.

Number Of Entries

On your Schengen visa, you can see the times you can enter with your visa.

Under the section <<Number of Entries>>, <<Nombre D’etnrees>>, or <<Aantal Binnen komsten>>, your visa will show one of the following:

• Number of Entries <<01>>: This indicates that you can enter the Schengen area once with your visa. If you leave the area, you can not return with the same visa and must reapply for a visa.

• Number of Entries <<02>>: With a double entry visa, you can enter the Schengen area twice with a single visa.

• Number of Entries <<Mult>>: The multiple-entry visa allows you to enter the Schengen area for multiple entries.

Visa Types

The type of visa you have applied for will be indicated on your visa. This will be labelled <<Type of Visa>>, <<Type De Visa>>, or <<Type Visum>>:

• Type A Visa: The Type A Schengen visa is an airport transit visa, allowing you to travel through the Schengen area. On your visa, the letter 'A' indicates its classification as a transit visa.

• Type C Visa: This is a short-stay visa, which allows a stay period under 90 days. It is mainly used as a tourist visa or a business visa for Schengen. Your Schengen visa will be marked with a 'C' to indicate the short-term visa type.

• Type D Visa: The Schengen Type D visa allows Indian citizens who seek long-term stays (over 90 days). The long-stay visa is mainly used as a work visa or a student visa for Schengen. Look for the letter 'D' on your Schengen visa, which classifies it as a long-stay visa.

Visa Holder Information

On your visa, you will find some additional information, which are:

• Holder Name: Your last name and name will be under the section <<Surname, Name>>, <<Nom, Prenom>>, or <<Name, Voornaam>>.

• Passport Number: Your passport number is shown on your visa under the sections <<Number of Passport>>, <<Numero De Passeport>>, or <<Paspoort Nummer>>.

• Remarks: The remarks section on your visa will indicate any remarks or additional information, such as travelling purposes.

• Country Of Issue: The section labelled <<Issued In>>, <<Dilivre A>>, or <<uitgegeven In>> indicates the country that the visa was issued in.

• Date of Issue: On your visa, you will also see a section indicating <<On>>, <<Le>>, or <<Op>>. This shows you the date that your visa was issued.

Importance Of Understanding Your Visa

Knowing what your visa states is important for various factors. Let's look at a few examples.

• Avoiding Penalties: Your visa provides important information, such as the stay or validity period. Knowing where to look for these details can avoid penalties like overstaying your visa.

• Travel Planning: You can easily plan your travel by looking at the details provided on your visa, such as the entry date and stay period.

• Smooth Immigration Process: By understanding your visa, you can easily answer any questions asked by the immigration authorities. This will help you have a smooth process through immigration.

Summary

The Schengen visa sticker includes important information, such as the visa number, type, validity period, entry requirements, and eligible countries. These details are vital when travelling through the Schengen countries.

With the help of this blog, you can easily find your Schengen visa number and understand the details of your visa. This will help you have a smooth travel experience through Schengen in various ways.

Government Sources

Atlys only provides accurate and up-to-date information since we know how important the information is when applying for your visa. All the details from this blog were gathered from trusted government sources like:

• European Commission, Migration & Home Affairs.