What is a Student Schengen Visa?

A student Schengen visa is a type of Schengen visa that is required for students planning to move to any Schengen country for the purpose of study. UAE citizens don’t require a Schengen student visa (or a general Schengen visa) if the duration of their stay is of less than 90 days. However, even if you reside in the UAE, you would still require a student Schengen visa if you are a national of a country that doesn’t have a visa-free entry arrangement with Schengen nations.

To understand student Schengen visas in-depth, let’s have a look at the key details regarding this such as what is a Student Schengen visa, the documents you need for it, the requirement for Schengen visa travel insurance, and more.

Requirements to Apply for Student Schengen Visa

Individuals are compulsorily required to submit a few documents when applying for a student Schengen visa like the following –

• Visa Application Form: The Schengen student visa application form must be filled out correctly, printed, and signed by the applicant
• Photographs: You must carry two identical photographs and make sure they are not older than three months
• Valid Passport: Your passport must be valid for at least three months beyond the dates of your trip and must be less than 10 years old. Moreover, a valid copy of your passport’s biometric data would also be required.
• Old Passports: If you have old passports, you must also carry them for submission to the relevant authorities. Keep in mind that you cannot staple them.
• Residential Address Proof: Carry any valid document that shows your residential address
• Travel Itinerary: This type of document must include your flight ticket details from the UAE to the Schengen country and return
• Accommodation Proof: It could be any document that mentions where you will stay during your trip to the Schengen area. This could be related to bookings for hotels, hostels, rental houses or apartments, or even the residence of a host (a letter of invitation would be required here). In the case of a rental apartment, make sure to have the agreement paper with you. Similarly, if staying in a hostel or dormitory, keep the documents relevant to the booking with you.
• Travel health insurance Policy: You would be also required to present your travel insurance documents. This travel insurance plan would need to adhere to the Schengen-specific requirements, which we will cover later in the article.
• Academic Qualification Documents: Keep your previous academic qualification documents handy such as academic records or any exit documents from the previous institution
• Acceptance Letter from an EU Educational Institute: An official signed letter from the college or university where you got admission will have to be presented. Note that it must include your course name, duration of studies, and other such details
• Financial Support Documents: You must also have documents that show you as financially capable of supporting yourself during your study period in the Schengen country. These documents can include those related to scholarships or sponsorship as well as bank account statements for the previous three months.
• Proof of successful payment of the visa fee

Students may also need to submit a few additional documents during their visa process as per their profile -

For Minors

• Birth certificate
• Identity document with parents’ signature (one document for each guardian)
• A declaration of travel consent by both parents
• A court judgment mentioning which parent is authorised for the minor’s responsibility (if required)
• A declaration of consent from the minor’s school for their absence (if required) 

For Employed Individuals

• Contract of employment
• Leave permission from the current employer

For Self-Employed Individuals

• Previous six months’ company bank statement
• Copy of the business licence

For Students

• A No Objection Letter from University
• University enrolment document

How to Apply for a Student Schengen Visa?

In this section, we will go through the complete process of applying for a student Schengen visa in the UAE -

1. The first step here is to check out whether you need a student Schengen visa. As mentioned earlier, you would be exempted from this requirement if you are a UAE national and travelling to the Schengen region for up to 90 days. You should also check the eligibility criteria to know if you qualify for a Student Schengen visa.
2. Explore the available options for application. You may be able to apply for the visa from the embassy or a consulate of the nation you plan to visit, or one of the designated visa centres of the same.
3. Obtain the student Schengen visa application from any of the aforementioned sources and submit it to the concerned authorities. Carefully fill it out with the correct details, as your application can be rejected or sent back for rectification due to incorrect information.
4. Collect all the essential documents as per your profile (as mentioned in the earlier sections) and keep them organised 
5. Schedule an appointment from where you applied for your Students Schengen visa
6. Complete the interview, submit all the specified documents on the allotted date, and pay the student visa fee

After completing all these steps, you will have to wait for a response from the respective authority regarding the approval or rejection of your visa application.

Do I Need Travel Insurance for Student Schengen Visa?

All individuals requiring a student Schengen visa, whether due to the length of their stay or their nationality, will need a valid Schengen travel insurance plan to be allowed entry into the region. This travel insurance must necessarily have a medical cover of at least EUR 30,000 and must be valid in each Schengen country.

Buying travel insurance for a student Schengen visa, however, is essential even beyond the legal requirements, as it covers you against all uncertainties arising during your travel.

The following is the list of coverages provided by most Schengen travel insurance plans -

• Emergency Medical Expenses: A travel insurance policy can cover all the costs arising from a medical emergency, such as those related to hospital-related bills, treatment, transportation arrangement for your treatment, and more
• Loss of Personal Possessions: No matter how small, the possibility of theft or loss of a traveller’s personal belongings like bags, passports, luggage, or visas is always present. With travel insurance, however, you can conveniently such a situation as it can provide you coverage here. With this, you can make arrangements for the replacements.
• COVID-19 Coverage: Most travel insurance plans now provide COVID-19 coverage to cover the costs incurred by the insured individual testing positive for the disease. This can include cover for RT-PCR tests, quarantine, medical treatment, and more.
• Personal Liability Cover: If your actions cause any (unintentional) injuries or damages during your travel to the Schengen region, your insurance policy can support you financially concerning third-party compensation, legal fees, and more
• Trip Cancellation or Trip Curtailment: If an unexpected event results in the cancellation or curtailment of your trip, you can get reimbursed for all the non-refundable amount for your flight and hotel bookings with a travel insurance policy. The same is the case if your flights get delayed or cancelled, as your travel insurance plan can also provide you coverage in such instances.
• Personal Accident Cover: In case the policyholder meets with an accident during the trip, their travel insurance plan can cover all the costs related to the medical expenses and loss arising from the injuries. 

When buying a Schengen visa for students, keep in mind that you can choose either of the travel insurance types as per your requirements -

• Single-Trip Travel Insurance: If your study requirement can be fulfilled within one trip, you can opt for this type of travel insurance. This Schengen travel insurance, which can cover your entire stay in the region up to the specified number of days, expires once you return to the UAE or its validity gets exhausted. 
• Annual Multi-Trip Travel Insurance: If you need to travel multiple times to the Schengen region for study, you can opt for annual multi-trip travel insurance. Unlike the single-trip option, an annual multi-trip travel insurance plan can cover all your trips made to the region in a year.

Processing Time for the Student Schengen Visa

The usual processing time of a Student Schengen visa is of 15 days. However, in certain cases, the visa processing can extend up to 1 or 2 months, depending on your profile, the number of applications received by the visa authorities at a time, and more.  

When Should You Apply for a Student Schengen Visa?

As seen in the previous section, it can take anywhere from 15 days to 1-2 months for the processing of your visa application. Experts, however, recommend that the best time to apply for a Student Schengen visa is one month (4 weeks) before your travel date. This gives you the flexibility to submit your visa application without any rush and allows the rectification of errors in the application or documentation, if any.

The earliest date to submit your Student Schengen visa application is three months prior to your travel to a Schengen area. On the other hand, if you are late, you can still apply 15 days before the trip starts. 

What is the Fee for Student Schengen Visa?

Adults travelling to a Schengen country with a student Schengen visa are required to submit a fee of 80 Euros for their visa process. 

How Long is Your Student Schengen Visa Valid?

A student Schengen visa has a validity of three months (90 days) within a period of six months (180 days). However, these are simply the upper limits – the validity of your visa can also be less as per your profile and requirements. This is why it is advisable to check the visa sticker information to confirm the validity period of your Student Schengen visa.

Schengen Student Visa Extension

Schengen Student visa extension is possible in certain cases such as the following:

• Crucial personal reasons
• Humanitarian reasons
• Late entry

Key Takeaways

If you have received your acceptance letter from a college located in a Schengen area, it is recommended to start your student Schengen visa application process as early as possible to avoid any last-minute hassle. If you keep all the documents ready, fill out the application form correctly, and apply on time, you will generally not face any difficulties in applying for your student Schengen visa.

Besides the visa, you would also have to keep the Schengen travel insurance requirement in mind. To ensure that your trip is covered at affordable rates and with the best plans, you can visit policybazaar.ae and find the best products from the top insurance providers in the UAE. You can then make a selection after comparing all the options as per their premiums, benefits, inclusions, and more. Moreover, if you need any assistance regarding the same, you can get in touch with our customer representative team or insurance experts at any time.

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