Visa types
Schengen visa types
Tourist, business, family visit, transit and multiple-entry — what each is for, what evidence it needs, and which to apply under.
Latest content update 2026-08-30 5 guides prepared · check each page’s review status
Short-stay categories
The three purposes that cover most applications filed from the UAE.
Transit and multiple-entry
The two that are misunderstood most often, and cost the most when misused.
Which visa type applies to your trip
| Type | Use it for | What decides it | Where it goes wrong |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist Type C — short stay | Leisure travel, sightseeing, a holiday with no business or family purpose. | Confirmed itinerary and accommodation, return travel, means of subsistence, and evidence of ties that make return credible. | A file that proves the trip but not the return. The itinerary is rarely what is doubted; intention to leave is. |
| Business Type C — short stay | Meetings, negotiations, conferences, trade fairs, training — work-related travel that is not taking up employment. | An invitation from the host company, a letter from your UAE employer covering the purpose and the costs, and evidence of the business relationship. | Applying as a tourist because the paperwork looks simpler. The purpose stated must match the evidence, and a mismatch is a ground in itself. |
| Family or friend visit Type C — short stay | Visiting relatives or friends who live in a Schengen state. | A formal invitation or sponsorship undertaking from the host, proof of their legal status and address, and proof of the relationship. | Relying on the host’s sponsorship alone. Most consulates still want to see the applicant’s own means and own ties. |
| Airport transit Type A — airport transit | Passing through the international zone of a Schengen airport without entering the territory. | Onward ticket, and the visa or entry right for the final destination. | Assuming transit needs no visa. Some nationalities require an airport transit visa for the international zone itself — and this is one of the places where the passport matters more than anything else in the file. |
| Multiple-entry (MEV) Type C — cascade | Repeat travel on one visa, issued with longer validity to applicants with a documented history of lawful use. | A record of previous Schengen visas used correctly and within their limits, plus a demonstrable reason to travel repeatedly. | Treating a long validity as a long stay. A five-year MEV still only permits 90 days in any 180 — the arithmetic does not change. |
Nothing matches that filter.
This is a filter, not a set of pages. Combinations of destination, visa type and passport are answered in tables like this one rather than by generating a URL for every permutation — see how this site is built.
Common questions
What if my trip is both business and leisure?
Apply under the primary purpose and document it honestly, then include the rest of the itinerary as supporting detail. The failure mode is not having a mixed trip — it is a stated purpose the evidence does not support, which is a refusal ground in its own right.
Should I apply for a multiple-entry visa the first time?
You can ask, and there is no penalty for asking, but longer validity is generally granted on a record of previous visas used correctly. A first-time applicant should expect a visa matched to the trip and should plan around that rather than around the one they hoped for.
Does a long-validity visa mean I can stay longer?
No, and this is the most expensive misunderstanding on the site. Validity is the window in which you may travel; the stay limit is separate and is counted as 90 days in any rolling 180. The calculator shows the difference on your own dates.