Schengen Visas for Travel in Europe

Student visa holders may also need to apply for a separate visa to travel for tourism or business in the European Union. The Schengen area comprises 26 EU countries and it may be necessary to apply for a Schengen visa. This visa allows travel of a maximum of 90 days within a 6 month period. 

The first time you apply for a Schengen visa, you will only be granted a “single entry” visa. If you are able to obey the rules of this Schengen visa, in subsequent Schengen visa applications you may be able to apply for a “multiple entry” visa. However, you would still need to demonstrate a clear and genuine need for this multiple entry visa in your application (e.g. you have a detailed plan of different trips or conferences within the Schengen area that are booked over a longer period). 

You should only plan to travel to Europe during weekends or vacation periods unless you need to travel for fieldwork or to attend a conference. 

You will require a Confirmation of Attendance letter from the Student Services Centre which confirms that you are registered on your course and in some cases, the letter will need to be addressed to the Embassy of the Country you will be visiting. Please submit this enquiry form to request your confirmation of attendance letter for your Schengen visa and state which country you will be visiting.

We do not advise on Schengen visas so please use the information on the UKCISA website and on the VisaGuide website to help you prepare your application.