Advantages of securing a Schengen visa in Nigeria

Ever wondered what the advantages of securing a Schengen visa in Nigeria are? This post highlights the benefits of securing a Schengen visa. As a Nigerian applicant, you can enjoy these benefits as long as you are eligible.

Before delving into the advantages of securing a Schengen visa in Nigeria, let us remind you what a Schengen visa is all about. As you may know, the Schengen visa is a permit for holders to travel to any of the states that belong to Schengen countries.

This visa allows you to stay within Schengen for up to 90 days or beyond. Your trip could be for official visits, holidays, or medical reasons. It could also be for business purposes as well. Now that you know what a Schengen visa is, it is ideal for you to know the Schengen visa countries.

 

Schengen visa countries to take advantage of to secure Schengen visa in Nigeria         

Schengen visa is a common visa for Europe and concerns most of the European countries. A total of 26 countries make up the Schengen visa countries. These countries are listed below alphabetically:

• Austria
• Belgium
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Italy
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Netherlands
• Poland
• Portugal
• Spain
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Sweden
• Iceland
• Liechtenstein
• Norway
• Switzerland

Source;

Note that any of the visas to the countries above is termed a Schengen visa. For example, a tourist visa to Norway is called a Norwegian Schengen tourist visa. To France, it is called a French Schengen tourist visa. And so on.

You can enjoy many benefits of securing a Schengen visa in Nigeria. Discover these advantages below to encourage you to secure a Schengen visa.

 

Top three advantages of securing a Schengen visa in Nigeria

#1 – Travel freely within Schengen:

This is one of the advantages of securing a Schengen visa. When you obtain the visa, you are eligible to travel freely within the Schengen Area.

For example, a France Schengen tourist visa grants you access to Norway, Germany, Finland, and the rest of the Schengen countries. This makes a Schengen visa desirable to many travelers.

#2 – Enjoy unrestricted movement:

Another advantage of securing a Schengen visa is that you can enjoy unrestricted movement in Europe. Every country puts border checks in place for travelers but it is slightly different in the case of Schengen member countries.

The exact point here is, European travelers will not have any reason to endure border checks at internal Schengen borders. For example, traveling from France to Germany will not involve any border checks.

In other words, there are no border controls within the Schengen Zone. That is why it pays to have a Schengen visa, especially when traveling for business and you do not have time to waste.

#3 – Access multiple European countries for a multi-destination trip:

Nigerians usually face many challenges when traveling for multiple destination trips. Besides the possibility of having one of your visa requests rejected, a common challenge is waste of time.

It takes an average of one month to process an application from one embassy. Imagine how long it would take to process two or more visas.

In the case of a Schengen visa, you can plan and experience amazing multi-destination trips with ease. This is an important advantage of securing a Schengen visa in Nigeria.

A Schengen visa is recommended to travelers visiting Europe for tourism. You may travel with your family to celebrate anniversaries in Europe.

You may visit Paris, Berlin, Vienna, and other tourist destinations in Europe without applying for separate visas.

This can only be possible when you have a Schengen visa. No wonder Schengen visa is the most common visa people visiting Europe apply for. Also, that is why it is regarded as one of the advantages of securing a Schengen visa.

A study revealed that in 2019, over 15 million people took the advantage of their Schengen visas to travel across Europe. Why wait to obtain yours and enjoy the same benefits?

 

Other concerns about securing a Schengen visa in Nigeria

• New Schengen visa rule from 2020 in Nigeria

There are new Schengen visa rules beginning 2020 which came into action on the very first weekend of February 2020. The aim of these new Schengen visa rules is to reinforce the visa policies because of immigration and security concerns.

These new rules include the extension of the period of application submission from the usual three months to six months. Also are extended visas for members with positive visa history, the introduction of electronic visa forms, and reviewing of visa fees every three years.

 

• Minimum bank balance for Schengen visa

When processing a Schengen visa, keep in mind that there is a minimum bank balance for a Schengen visa. It is recommended for single applicants to have a minimum balance of €3000 (NGN 1,372,110) over the last 6 months.

However, if you do not have up to that in your account, there is an alternative. You can tender a family member or your guardian’s bank statement instead. The bank statement must come with a letter stating that they are sponsoring your trip.

 

• Schengen visa fee

There is a need to talk about the Schengen visa fee. Schengen visa fee varies among individuals. In other words, the Schengen visa fee for adults is different from children. Other factors such as the particular country and purpose can also influence the Schengen visa fee.

So, the adult fee for a Schengen visa is €80 (90$) (NGN 36,587). For children of age 6-12, the fee is €40 (45$) (NGN18,293), and the fee is free for children of age 5 or less.

 

• Schengen visa requirements

There are some requirements you have to meet before you can obtain a Schengen visa. These requirements are part of your visa application process. Also, they are what to be accessed before approving your visa. These requirements are as follows:

• A complete and signed visa application form.
• Two recent passport photographs, not more than 3 months according to the visa photo requirements.
• A valid passport. It must be valid for the next three months beyond the date you plan to exit the Schengen area.
• Round trip reservation or itinerary. This should include the dates and flight numbers of your entry and exit from the Schengen Area.
• Travel insurance policy. This document is used as evidence that you have travel health insurance for the whole Schengen territory.
• Proof of accommodation. This document will show where you have planned to stay throughout your stay in the Schengen area. Note that, it can be a hotel/hostel booking, a rental agreement, or a letter of invitation from another person that will accommodate you.
• Proof of financial means. This document is evidence that you are buoyant financially to support yourself throughout your stay in the Schengen Area. It can be your bank account statement or a letter of sponsorship.
• Receipt/evidence of postpaid visa fee. €80 (90$) (NGN 36,587) for adults and €40 (45$) (NGN 18,293) for children from 6 to 12 years old.

 

• How do I know if my Schengen visa is approved?

Do you have any concerns about how to know if your Schengen visa is approved? You can be sure of your visa approval by monitoring your email or SMS inbox. Also, you can monitor your application on the website of the outsourced visa application center.

 

• Schengen visa rules first port of entry

It is better to learn about your first port of entry. Your first port of entry when visiting Schengen is the country that issued your visa. For example, with a France Schengen tourist visa, you may visit France, Spain, and Italy. But you must first arrive in France before going to the other destinations.

 

Conclusion on the advantages of securing a Schengen Visa in Nigeria

Schengen visa gives you the freedom to visit multiple places in Europe without visa headaches. You can also travel without experiencing routine border checks. Apply for the visa to enjoy these benefits

Remember that it is necessary to apply for a Schengen visa the right way to ensure you get the visa. Flyibat provides comprehensive services that guide your application from start to finish. Contact us today to take advantage of securing a Schengen visa in Nigeria. For more information and professional advice, please click here