This is the short-stay Type C list, with the requirement behind each item. Consulates add their own document lists on top, so check the page for the country you are applying to before you submit.
Passport
- Issued within the last ten years. An older passport is refused even if the expiry is years away.
- Valid for at least three months after you leave the Schengen area.
- At least two blank pages, facing each other.
- Copies of every previous visa and entry stamp.
Travel medical insurance
- Minimum €30,000 of cover, valid in every Schengen state.
- Must include emergency treatment and repatriation.
- Must run from your first entry to your last exit with no gaps.
A one-day gap is enough. Buy the policy to match your travel dates, not your booking dates.
Proof of funds
- Six months of bank statements, stamped and signed at the branch.
- The last three salary slips if you are employed.
- Income tax returns for the last two years.
Each member state publishes its own daily reference amount for means of subsistence, so check the figure for the country handling your file rather than assuming a common threshold.
Accommodation and itinerary
- A booking or invitation letter covering every single night.
- Flight reservations that match the dates on your form exactly.
- A day-by-day itinerary if the trip covers more than one country.
If someone is hosting you, their invitation letter needs their ID proof and address proof attached.
Evidence of ties to India
This is the weakest part of most files, and it maps directly onto the refusal ground about intention to leave before the visa expires.
- Leave approval on company letterhead, with your designation and salary.
- Property documents, business registration, or proof of dependent family.
- If you are a student, your enrolment letter and fee receipts.
Timing
Apply no earlier than six months before travel and at least fifteen calendar days before. Processing can legally run to 45 days. Keep flights refundable until the visa is issued.
The fee
€90 for adults, €45 for children aged 6 to 11, plus VFS service charges. It is not refunded if you are refused, which is the entire reason to check the file before you submit it.