How to Read a Schengen Visa Sticker. There are several important pieces of information on the Schengen visa sticker in three languages: English, French, and German. For a better understanding of the meaning of the labels attached to a Schengen visa, please read the following article.

Countries the Visa Holder is permitted to Enter

Visa stickers always list the countries in which their holders are permitted to travel.

The phrases “VALID FOR”, “VALABLE PUR” and “GULTIG FUR” appear before the name of the territory you are permitted to enter with your visa.

It means that the visa holder can enter all Schengen states once inside the territory. If next to those words are written «ETATS SCHENGEN» or «SCHENGEN STATES», then the visa is valid in all Schengen states.

The letters A, B, CH, CZE, D, DK, E, EST, F, FIN, GR, H, I, IS, LI, L, LT, LVA, M, N, NL, P, PL, S, SK, SVN are acronyms for the Schengen countries where the visa is valid, and they stand for:

• A – Austria
• B – Belgium
• CH – Switzerland
• CZE – Czech Republic
• D – Germany
• DK – Denmark
• E – Spain
• EST – Estonia
• F – France
• FIN – Finland
• GR – Greece
• H – Hungary
• I – Italy
• IS – Iceland
• L – Luxembourg
• LT – Lithuania
• LVA – Latvia
• M – Malta
• N – Norway
• NL – Netherlands
• P – Portugal
• PL – Poland
• S – Sweden
• SK – Slovakia
• SVN – Slovenia

This means that only Latvia, Malta, Norway, Netherlands, Portugal, and Poland are permitted to enter if only the acronyms of their names are listed, e.g. LVA, M, N, NL, P, PL.

Accordingly, if the visa says “ETATS SCHENGEN (-country acronym)” – then the visa is valid for all Schengen countries, except for that country, i.e. for Sweden if it says “ETATS SCHENGEN (-S)” – the visa is valid for all Schengen countries. The country code after the minus sign will determine whether you can enter.

The visa holder is not permitted to move to the other Schengen countries if he or she does not have another visa with the label “name of country”.

Schengen Visa Sticker Validity

Next to the labels  «FROM», «DU» and «VOM» is the first day you are permitted to enter the Schengen Area, whereas next to the labels “UNTIL”, “AU”, and “BIS” is the last day on which you must leave Schengen or the countries in which you are permitted to stay.

Number of Entries

The labels “NUMBER OF ENTRIES”, “NOMBRE D’ETNREES” and “ANZAHL DER EINREISEN” indicate how many times a person is allowed to enter Schengen.

• As long as the holder does not exceed their permitted stay, the holder may enter the Schengen Area more than once.
• This label allows the holder to enter the Schengen Area only once.
• The label «2» allows the holder to enter the Schengen Area twice.

Duration of stay

The words “DURATION OF STAY”, “DUREE DE SEJOUR” and “DAUER DES AUFENTHALTS” and “DAYS”, “JOURS” and “TAGE” indicate how long a person is permitted to remain in the Schengen Zone within the validity of their Schengen visa.

A fine may be imposed if you stay longer than the number of days specified in your visa, and any future Schengen visa applications will be reviewed further and may be denied. The processing time for future visa applications may also be extended to 30-60 days. If you stay too long, you could be banned for 2-5 years.

Visa Type

“TYPE OF VISA”, “TYPE DE VISA” and “VISA TYP” refer to the type of visa you have obtained, such as:

• A – Airport visa, which does not allow the holder to enter the “international airport zone”.
• This label stands for a visa type C, or a short-stay visa that allows the holder to stay in the Schengen Area for no more than three months.
• D stands for long-term visa type D, which permits the holder to stay longer than three months.

Details about the Visa Issuer & Date of Issuance

• “ISSUED IN”, “DILIVRE A” and “SUGGESTELLT IN” are located next to the name of the city where the embassy or consulate is located.
• “ON”, “LE” and “AM” – are the dates on which visas are issued.

Details about the Visa Holder

• “NUMBER OF PASSPORT”, “NUMERO DE PASSEPORT” and “NUMBER DES PASSES” – is the passport number of the visa holder.
• The labels “SURNAME, NAME”, “NOM, PRENOM”, and “NAME, VORNAME” indicate the visa holder’s name and surname.
• A visa holder’s purpose behind traveling to the Schengen region is indicated by the labels “REMARKS”, “REMARQUES” and “BEMERKUNGEN”.

Conclusion 

A schengen visa sticker is crucial for travelers. This comprehensive guide deciphers the information present, including permitted countries, entry restrictions, validity dates, number of entries, duration of stay, visa type, and details about the issuer and holder. Staying within the specified limits is essential to avoid penalties and future visa complications.