The Schengen Area includes 29 European countries. The Schengen Agreement enables Schengen visa holders to visit these countries (and certain other non-Schengen countries in Europe) with a joint visa.
The rest of the non-Schengen countries in Europe have their special visa policy.
List of Non-Schengen EU Countries
These EU countries are not part of the Schengen Agreement:
- Cyprus
- Ireland
The following countries are part of Schengen but are not a part of the EU:
- Iceland
- Switzerland
- Norway
- Liechtenstein
Other Non-Schengen Countries in Europe
The countries below are not part of either Schengen or the EU:
- Albania
- Montenegro
- Andorra
- North Macedonia
- Belarus
- Russia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Kosovo
- Ukraine
- Moldova
- Vatican City
- Monaco
What Non-Schengen Countries Can You Visit With a Schengen Visa?
The Schengen visa is one of few visas that allows you to visit more than one country. So, in addition to the 29 Schengen Member States, you can also visit the following countries with a valid Schengen visa:
- Albania
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Belarus
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Colombia
- Cyprus
- Georgia
- Gibraltar
- Kosovo
- Mexico
- Montenegro
- North Macedonia
- Romania
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Serbia
- Turkey
Please know that you are still required to have a valid passport even if you do not need a visa. The passport must have a validity of at least three to six months.
Can You Visit the UK With a Schengen Visa?
Unfortunately, you can not visit the United Kingdom with a Schengen Visa. The UK was never part of the Schengen Agreement, and has its own visa and immigration policy.
How to Get a Visa for European Countries Not in Schengen?
Some European countries are not in the Schengen area; each of these countries has a different visa policy. However, to apply for a visa, any European country must follow these steps:
- Contact the nearest embassy/consulate of the specific country you are planning on going to.
- Gather all the documents that the embassy of that country requires.
- Fill out their application form.
- Wait for a response.
How Does the Schengen Visa Agreement Work?
The Schengen Agreement was created on 14 June 1985 by the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. Since then, the Schengen Agreement has been considered one of the biggest events in the European integration process. It includes 29 beautiful countries.
Here are some important key points that the Schengen Agreement acquired:
- The Schengen Agreement was created to remove the borders of 29 countries that have agreed to the Schengen. In addition, this agreement provides peace between these countries and sets extra rules for each country.
- Holders of a Schengen visa are allowed to cross the borders of a Schengen country without a visa. All they need is a valid passport and a valid ID card.
- Holders of a short-stay C visa issued by a Schengen country are free to travel to any other country without a visa. Holders of a transit A visa are allowed to enter the international transit area at airports but not the Schengen area.
- Foreign nationals who are issued a Schengen visa can enter and visit other Schengen countries for 90 days within 180 days without a visa.