The Schengen Visa sticker, affixed to your passport, serves as authorization for entry into and travel within the Schengen Area—a group of 27 European countries that have abolished passport control at their mutual borders. This visa grants you permission to visit any or all of these countries during the validity period specified on the sticker.
- ❶ « VALABLE POUR / VALID FOR » : Territorial validity of visa.
- If the sticker is marked « ETATS SCHENGEN », this visa entitles you to enter the Schengen Area:
- Initials of destination countries if a territorial restriction applies:
- either the initial of the Schengen states for which the visa is valid: AT (Austria), BE (Belgium), CH (Switzerland), CZ (Czech Republic), DE (Germany), DK (Denmark), ES (Spain), EE (Estonia), FR (France), FI (Finland), GR (Greece), HU (Hungary), IT (Italy), IS (Iceland), LU (Luxembourg), LT (Lithuania), LV (Latvia), MT (Malta), NO (Norway), NL (Netherlands), PT (Portugal), PL (Poland), SE (Sweden), SK (Slovakia), SI (Slovenia);
- or « ETATS SCHENGEN » followed in brackets by a MINUS sign and the codes of the Member States for which the visa is NOT valid; e.g. « ETATS SCHENGEN (- DE, SE) ».
- Initials of destination countries if a territorial restriction applies:
- If the sticker is marked «FRANCE + 1 TRANSIT SCHENGEN», the visa entitles you to transit once through a Schengen state to travel to France;
- If the mark is « FRANCE », the visa entitles you only to enter French territory.
- If the mark is « FRANCE SAUF CTOM », the visa entitles you to enter France and the DROM territories.
- If the mark is « DEPARTEMENT D’OUTRE MER (FRANCE) », the visa entitles you only to enter the département(s) specified in the « REMARQUES / REMARKS » section.
- If the sticker is marked « ETATS SCHENGEN », this visa entitles you to enter the Schengen Area:
- ❷ « DU / FROM » : Date from which you are allowed to enter the Schengen Area.
- ❸ « AU / UNTIL » : Date by which you must leave the Schengen Area.
- These two dates specify the period for which your visa may be used (and not the length of stay allowed).
- ❹ « TYPE DE VISA / TYPE OF VISA » :
- Either « A »: airport transit visa (this visa does not allow you to leave the « international » or « duty free » zone of the airport)
- Or « C » : short-stay visa (stay of less than 90 days)
- Or « D » long-stay visa (stay in France of more than 3 months)
- ❺ « NOMBRE D’ENTREES / NUMBER OF ENTRIES » :
- either « MULT », meaning that you may enter the Schengen Area as many times as you wish;
- or « 1 », meaning that you may enter the Schengen Area once only;
- or « 2 », meaning that you may enter the Schengen Area twice.
- ❻ « DUREE DU SEJOUR / DURATION OF STAY » : This is the number of days for which you may stay in the Schengen Area (within the dates of use of your visa) If the consulate has issued you a « visa de circulation » (valid for use one year or more), the number marked will be « 90 jours », and you are entitled to stay a maximum of 90 days in each period of 6 months.
- ❼ « DELIVRE A / ISSUED IN » : Place of issuance of the visa.
- ❽ « LE / ON » : Date of issuance of the visa.
- ❾ « NUMERO DE PASSEPORT / NUMBER OF PASSPORT » : The number of your passport.
- ❿ « NOM, PRENOM / SURNAME, NAME » : Surname and first name of the visa holder.
- ⓫ « REMARQUES / REMARKS » : Various marks may be stamped here: type of visa, category of holder, reason for journey, etc.