Full List Of Schengen & Non-Schengen Area Countries You Can Visit With A Schengen Visa
Are you planning an unforgettable trip to Europe?
First of all, you should know that the Schengen countries can offer you an unbelievable, once-in-a-lifetime travel experience.
And do you know what the best part is?
You can freely travel through them with a Schengen Visa for a maximum of 90 days in a 180-day period of time.
According to the Schengen Agreement, you have the right to enter the Schengen Area and move freely within the Member States’ territories, without internal border controls.
In other words, you can move within the Schengen Area using your Visa with no immigration control and queuing at airports (outside of the immigration control you must pass through when entering the Schengen Area), sea or land borders, or internal border checks.
To learn more about the Schengen Area and Agreement, please check out this post.
However, the Schengen countries are not the only countries you can visit using your Schengen Visa.
Many non-Schengen states allow you to enter their territories with a Schengen Visa.
Therefore, you should read this post before planning your travel itinerary and decide whether to visit the non-Schengen countries you can enter with your Schengen Visa or not.
Table of contents:
- Schengen countries you can visit with a Schengen Visa
- Non-Schengen countries you can visit with a Schengen Visa
1. Schengen Countries You Can Visit With A Schengen Visa
The Schengen Area is a group of 27 countries you can enter using the same Visa.
The Schengen Visa policy allows you to move freely from one Schengen country to another unless you hold a Limited Territorial Validity Visa or an Airport Transit Visa.
The Member Countries you can enter using a Schengen Visa are as follows: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
De facto, the Schengen Area also includes Monaco, San Marino, and the Vatican City, which are microstates that maintain open borders with the Schengen countries (meaning you can enter these three states with your Schengen Visa).
2. Non-Schengen Countries You Can Visit With A Schengen Visa
Below you will find the list of European and non-European countries you can enter with a double-entry or multiple-entry Schengen Visa.
The countries listed below are not part of the Schengen Area.
However, you can use your Schengen Visa in these countries as a substitute for their national visas.
Still, we strongly suggest that you contact the Embassies or the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of these countries before travelling and request additional information concerning their immigration and visa policies.
Important note: If you plan on visiting just one of the countries below, then you must apply for a national Visa of that country (and not a Schengen Visa).
- Albania
According to Albania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, citizens of third countries can enter Albania if they:
“a) Are holding a valid multiple entries Schengen visa, that such visa is previously used in one of the countries of Schengen area, or have a valid stay permission in one of the countries of Schengen area.”
“b) Are holding a valid multiple entries visa of USA or UK, that such visa is previously used in these respective countries, or have valid stay permission in USA or UK.”
- Antigua and Barbuda
You can enter Antigua and Barbuda with a Schengen Visa, but you will still be granted a tourist visa on arrival. For further information, please check out this link.
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
According to the Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Norway, “Citizens of countries with which BiH has a visa regime can stay up to 30 days in Bosnia and Herzegovina without visa under condition that they possess a valid multiple visa or residence permit issued by the Schengen Agreement country, European Union Member States or United States of America. Such visas or resident permits should be valid for at least 30 days longer than the date of entry into our country.
- Bulgaria
Bulgaria is expected to join the Schengen Area in the future.
According to Bulgaria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “On 25 January 2012 the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria adopted a decision according to which by the date of Bulgaria’s accession to the Schengen area, our country will unilaterally apply a visa-free system for holders of valid Schengen visas. They will have the right to enter and reside in the Republic of Bulgaria for a period of no more than three months in any six-month period from the date of the first entry, without needing to have a Bulgarian short-stay visa. The decision entered into force on 31.01.2012.”
- Colombia
You may enter Colombia if you hold a valid US or Schengen Visa, depending on your country of citizenship.
To know if you can enter Colombia using a Schengen Visa, please check out this link. Then, select your nationality, passport-type, and trip purpose. Finally, read the visa policy that the Colombian government has applied to your country of citizenship.
For example, suppose you are an Indian citizen holding an ordinary passport and travelling for tourism purposes. In that case, you will get the following message: “You do not need a visa to enter Colombia if you are a US or Schengen visa holder with a minimum validity of 180 days at the time of entering Colombia (an airport transit visa is not admissible) or you have residence permit in a Member State of the Schengen Area or in the United States of America.”
- Cyprus
“Since June 2014 Cyprus accepts a valid Schengen Visa (category C, double or multiple entry)equivalent to its national visa for transit through or intended stay on its territory not exceeding 90 days in any 180-day period.
Third country nationals (non EU)* holders of a valid visa category D or residence permit in the European Union (except the UK and Ireland), in the Schengen countries and also in Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania** have the right to visit Cyprus without an additional visa.”
For further information, please visit this link.
- Georgia
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, you can enter Georgia for 90 days in a 180-day period if you hold a Schengen Visa or residence permit issued by a Schengen country.
- Gibraltar
As stated by Gibraltar’s Borders & Coast Guard Agency, travellers who can enter Gibraltar with a Schengen Visa must be “nationals or citizens of Morocco, the People’s Republic of China, Mongolia, India or Russia who are holders of multiple entry Schengen visas with a minimum remaining validity of 7 days on the date of departure. Such persons are only allowed to enter Gibraltar for a maximum period of 21 days.”
- Kosovo
The Embassy of Kosovo in Washington has outlined that the exemption from the visa requirement applies to “holders of travel documents issued by EU Member States, Schengen zone States, United States of America, Canada, Australia and Japan based on the 1951 Convention on Refugee Status or the 1954 Convention on the Status of Stateless Persons, as well as holders of valid travel documents for foreigners, may enter, pass through the territory and stay in the Republic of Kosovo up to 15 days without a visa.”
- Mexico
According to the Embassy of Mexico in Finlandia, “If you are a citizen in the Schengen Area, UK, USA, Canada or Japan or if you have a permanent residence permit or a valid visa for any of those countries, you DO NOT REQUIRE A VISA to visit Mexico under the following conditions:
- The purpose of your visit is tourism, studies or business.
- The duration of your stay does not exceed 180 days.
- You will not receive any remuneration at all from Mexico.”
- Montenegro
As stated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro, “holders of travel documents containing a valid Schengen visa, a valid visa of the United States of America, United Kingdom and Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, or a permission to stay in these countries, may enter and stay, or pass through the territory of Montenegro up to 30 days, and not longer than the expiry of visa, if the period of validity of the visa is less than 30 days.”
- North Macedonia
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia, “third-country nationals with multiple-entry Schengen visa (type C) valid for at least 5 (five) days beyond the intended stay in the Republic of North Macedonia may stay no longer than 15 (fifteen) days upon every entry into the territory of the Republic of North Macedonia as long as the total length of stay does not exceed 90 days in any 180-day period.”
- Romania
Romania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has informed that “holders of Schengen visas with two or multiple entries, national visas or residence permits issued by Schengen Member States” are exempted from the requirement to hold a Romanian short-stay visa.
- Sao Tome and Principe
According to the International Trade Administration – U.S. Department of Commerce, “there are few São Toméan embassies worldwide to process visa applications. Under the Legal Regime of Foreign Citizens in STP (Law no. 5/2015), STP lifted visa requirements for citizens of the United States, EU, Canada, and the Community of Portuguese Language Countries. Also, any foreign citizen holding a valid passport with a valid Schengen or U.S. visa can enter and stay in the country up to 15 days.”
- Serbia
The Embassy of Serbia in Pretoria has informed that “holders of foreign passports with the valid Schengen visa, visa of the Great Britain, as well as the visas of other countries members of European Union, or with the valid visa of USA, can travel to the Republic of Serbia without a visa, and stay in Serbia 90 days in the period of 6 months. Furthermore, holders of foreign passports who have residence permits in the countries of the Schengen zone, countries members of European Union, or USA can travel in the Republic of Serbia without a visa, and stay in Serbia 90 days in the period of 6 months”.
- Turkey
Citizens of several countries are allowed to enter Turkey using a Schengen Visa.
You should visit the link provided above, find your country on the list, and read if you can enter Turkey using a Schengen Visa.
Please note that in most cases, even if you are allowed to enter Turkey using a Schengen Visa, you still have to get a one-month single-entry e-Visa.
Visiting any of the countries listed above using your Schengen Visa will improve your understanding of other cultures and let you create lifetime memories.
However, please note that you should include non-Schengen countries in your day-to-day travel itinerary when applying for your Schengen Visa.
You should also know that you may need to hold travel insurance covering the non-Schengen countries you plan on visiting as Schengen travel insurance policies cover only the countries within the Schengen Area.
If you need assistance with your Schengen Visa application process, do not forget to schedule your FREE consultation. Our team is always ready to guide you and help you submit a compelling application that will bring you one step closer to your dream trip.
