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Countries/Easiest Schengen visa

Which Schengen visa is easiest to get?

There is no officially "easy" Schengen country — every consulate applies the same EU Visa Code, and you must apply to your main destination (or, for equal stays, your first point of entry). In practice, what differs is how quickly you can get an appointment, how the appointment system works, and how much the application centre charges on top of the €90 consular fee. The table below ranks EU Schengen members by the typical short-stay decision time recorded in our country pages.

Fastest typical decisions

🇭🇷Croatia

Decision time varies

🇪🇪Estonia

~10 days typical decision

🇫🇷France

~10 days typical decision

🇵🇱Poland

~12 days typical decision

🇮🇹Italy

~14 days typical decision

All EU Schengen countries compared (short-stay / tourist)

EU Schengen countries ranked by typical short-stay visa decision time, with consular fee and appointment system.
CountryTypical decisionConsular feeAppointment system
🇭🇷 Croatia—€0Walk-in
🇪🇪 Estonia~10 days€90Online booking
🇫🇷 France~10 days€90Online booking
🇵🇱 Poland~12 days€90Online booking
🇮🇹 Italy~14 days€90Online booking
🇦🇹 Austria~15 days€90Outsourced center
🇧🇪 Belgium~15 days€90Outsourced center
🇧🇬 Bulgaria~15 days€90Online booking
🇨🇿 Czechia~15 days€90Outsourced center
🇩🇰 Denmark~15 days€90Outsourced center
🇫🇮 Finland~15 days€90Online booking
🇩🇪 Germany~15 days€90Online booking
🇬🇷 Greece~15 days€90Outsourced center
🇭🇺 Hungary~15 days€90Outsourced center
🇱🇻 Latvia~15 days€90Online booking
🇱🇹 Lithuania~15 days€90Online booking
🇱🇺 Luxembourg~15 days€90Online booking
🇲🇹 Malta~15 days€90Outsourced center
🇳🇱 Netherlands~15 days€90Online booking
🇵🇹 Portugal~15 days€90Outsourced center
🇷🇴 Romania~15 days€90Online booking
🇸🇰 Slovakia~15 days€90Online booking
🇸🇮 Slovenia~15 days€90Online booking
🇪🇸 Spain~15 days€90Premium options
🇸🇪 Sweden~15 days€90Outsourced center

Decision times are typical ranges, not guarantees, and exclude the wait for an appointment slot. Application centres (VFS, BLS, TLScontact) add their own service fee in GBP.

What actually makes an application easier

Apply to the right country. Choosing a country you are not mainly visiting is the most common reason for refusal, however short its queue looks.

Appointment system matters more than decision time. Countries using outsourced centres usually release slots continuously, while queue-release systems open batches at fixed times.

Check fee exemptions. Family members of EU, EEA or Swiss citizens are exempt under Directive 2004/38/EC, and children pay reduced or no fee.

Once you have picked a country, build a tailored document list on the checklist page.

EU Visa Compass

An independent, editor-curated directory of Schengen visa processes across the European Union.

How we source data

Every field is verified against official consulate and outsourced-center websites (VFS Global, BLS, TLScontact, Capago, e-Konsulat). Automated change detection flags updates for editor review.

AI-generated content

Articles, summaries and checklists on this site are generated or assisted by artificial intelligence and then reviewed by a human editor before publication. Always verify critical details with official consular sources.

Important notice

Not affiliated with the European Union or any national government. Always confirm details with the official consulate before travelling. Requirements can change without notice.

Advertising disclosure

Some links on this site are affiliate links (for example travel insurance or eSIMs). If you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never influences which options we list or what we say about them.

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