Three separate clocks
“How long does a Schengen visa take” mixes up three things that run independently:
- The window in which you may lodge the application, set by the Visa Code.
- The decision period once it is lodged, also set by law.
- The wait to get an appointment, which no law fixes and which is, in practice, the longest and least predictable part.
This guide is about the timing. The full process, with documents, fee and biometrics, is in the guide to applying for a Schengen tourist visa.
The window to apply
Article 9 of Regulation (EC) 810/2009 (the Visa Code) provides that an application is lodged:
- no more than 6 months before the intended trip (9 months for seafarers in the exercise of their duties);
- no later than 15 calendar days before that date.
A consulate may accept an application lodged less than 15 days ahead in justified cases of urgency, but that is not the norm and should not be relied on.
The decision period
Article 23 sets the decision at 15 calendar days from the lodging of an admissible application (that is, complete and with the fee paid).
That period may be extended up to a maximum of 45 calendar days in individual cases needing closer scrutiny. The most common trigger is prior consultation of other Schengen states’ authorities (Article 22): some countries ask to be consulted before a visa is issued to nationals of certain countries, and that consultation can take several working days on its own.
In practice, many straightforward files are decided in under 15 days, but planning as if it were 45 is the safe move, especially in high season.
What tends to lengthen the decision
- Your nationality is subject to prior consultation. Some Schengen states require to be consulted before a visa is issued to nationals of certain countries (Article 22 of the Visa Code). It is an internal step between administrations, outside your control.
- Incomplete documentation, or documents that raise doubts. If the consulate asks for an extra document, the period runs from when you provide it, not from the original appointment.
- High season. Summer and Christmas concentrate applications; the statutory period does not change, but the room for the unexpected shrinks.
- A personal interview. If the consulate calls you in for an interview, that is one of the cases that allow the extension to 45 days.
The real bottleneck: the appointment
This is where most of the time goes. Article 9 says that, where an appointment is required, it must “as a rule” be given within two weeks of the request. The reality in several corridors is different: in periods of high demand, the first available slot at an external provider’s centre (BLS International, VFS Global, TLScontact) can be weeks or months away, and that wait does not count as your advance planning against the 6-month limit.
Practical consequences:
- Book the appointment as soon as the 6-month window opens. Don’t wait until the trip is fully arranged; the flight and accommodation booking can be provisional or refundable.
- If the centre has a released-slot alert system, turn it on: slots free up when other applicants cancel.
- Don’t pay third parties who “sell” appointments. Appointment reselling is expressly targeted by consulates and by the providers themselves; a purchased slot can be cancelled and leave you worse off than at the start.
- If you are travelling for a genuine, documentable emergency (serious illness of a relative, a funeral, a medical reason), contact the consulate directly: there is a route for urgent appointments outside the ordinary calendar.
What if the decision comes late
If you lodged in time and the decision does not arrive before your travel date, you cannot travel: the visa has to be granted and physically in the passport before you board. So the only defence is the margin. If the delay is the consulate’s fault and causes you harm, it is on the record, but it does not let you enter without the visa.
How to avoid repeating this every year
If you meet the conditions, the number of entries and the validity of the visa are not discretionary: Article 24 of the Visa Code obliges the consulate to apply a ladder. With a history of visas used correctly in the previous two years, a one-year multiple-entry visa is due; then two years; then up to five. Up to five years can also be granted directly to someone who shows a need to travel frequently. We cover this in the guide to applying for the visa.
Frequently asked questions
How far ahead should I start? Count back from your travel date: 45 days for the decision + the appointment wait in your city (which can be weeks or months) + a few days of cushion. In most corridors that means starting to move at least 2 to 3 months out, and as soon as the 6-month window opens if you travel in summer or at Christmas.
Can I speed up the decision by paying more? Not within the standard procedure. Some consulates offer external-provider premium services (VIP lounge, courier), but that does not shorten the legal decision period. Urgent appointments for a serious reason are handled with the consulate, at no extra “urgency” charge.
I booked an appointment and it’s after my trip. What do I do? Check daily for a slot to free up sooner, look at other centres of the same country if there are any, and if the reason is urgent and documentable, write to the consulate explaining the situation. Moving the trip date is usually more realistic than forcing the process.
Does the 15-day period run from when I book the appointment or when I hand in the papers? From when you lodge the complete application at the appointment (an “admissible” application). The time between booking and attending does not count towards that period.
Guide verified 10/09/2026. Sources: Regulation (EC) 810/2009 (EU Visa Code), Articles 9 (lodging and appointment), 22 (prior consultation), 23 (decision: 15 calendar days, extendable to 45) and 24 (multiple-entry visas); Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, EU and Cooperation, consular information on the Schengen short-stay visa. Statutory periods may be revised: confirm them on the consulate’s website when you apply.