Visitor's visa

• You should apply well in advance and as a rule no later than 15 days before you plan to travel. Due to the courier sending of documents in some countries, we recommend that you apply at least 4 weeks prior to your planned departure.
• You may submit your application up to six months before your planned departure, or up to nine months for seafarers.
• We recommend that you do not buy your ticket until a visa has been granted.
• You must register your application online before you can hand in the required documentation.
• When you hand in your application, you will be asked to provide fingerprints, unless your fingerprints have been collected within the last 59 months.

In order to apply for a visa from Sri Lanka you must either be a citizen of Sri Lanka or legally reside here.

A visa is generally granted for a single entry into the Schengen-area. If you have a special need, you can be issued a visa that is valid for multiple entries during a period for up to five years. The need for multiple entries has to be documented.

If you want someone to act on your behalf in connection with your application, you must authorise this person to do so. Please visit the UDI website for more information and the relevant form.

Before you can hand in your passport and other documentation, you must register your application online and pay the fee. If this is the first time you are registering an application in the portal, you will need to create a user account first.

Once you have completed the application form online and paid the fee, you will receive confirmation by email with a copy of your application form (schengen.pdf), application summary and payment receipt attached. You need to print the application form (schengen.pdf) and submit it together with the other required documentation

Application fee

The visa fee is EUR 80. Children under six years do not pay a fee. Children from the age of six years and below the age of 12 years shall pay a visa fee of EUR 40. Please visit the UDI website for information about other groups exempted from the visa fee.

Please note that you pay the fee when registering the application in the portal. Applicants exempted from the visa fee requirement will have the fee refunded.

If you are a applying for a visa as a family member to an EU/EEA citizen you are not required to pay the application fee.

Service fees and courier fee the Visa Application Centre

In Sri Lanka, applications are received by the external service provider VFS Global, which charges a service fee of 17 Euros, approximately Rs. 3400. The fee is paid in cash.

Please note that an additional courier fee of EUR 5.50 will also be added.

Optional additional services provided at the Visa Application Centre

Certain additional services offered by VFS are not included in the service fee. Please note that these services are optional. For more information please visit the VFS Global website.

You must bring with you:

• a printout of the application form (schengen.pdf) received by email;
• the checklist and the documents listed.
• Your passport (must be valid for at least three months after your planned departure from the Schengen area)
• Photograph (must comply with international standards)
• Your travel health insurance policy
  • You should be covered for at least EUR 30 000, including expenses in connection with repatriation for medical reasons, treatment in medical emergencies and/or emergency hospital treatment, and death
  • Your insurance should be valid in all Schengen countries
  • It should cover the whole of your planned stay in the Schengen area
  • It should as a rule be purchased in your home country. If this is not possible it may be purchased in another country.

The application process will start once all the required documents have been submitted.

Applications must be submitted here: Joint Schengen Visa Application Centre (VAC) at Browns Capital Building, 3rd Floor, No. 19, Dudley Senanayake Mawatha, Colombo 08.

You need to book an appointment. You can make the appointment here: Book an appointment | vfsglobal

The processing time for applications is normally up to 15 calendar days after the embassy or consulate has received the application. In some cases, applications are sent to the Directorate of Immigration (UDI), and the processing time in these cases may be up to 45 calendar days.

In Sri Lanka, you will in most cases get the result of your application within 15 working days after the Embassy of Norway in New Delhi has received the application. If we have to ask you for additional documents or information, it will take more time to process your application. 

You will be notified by telephone or SMS when your application has been processed.

The result can be picked up at the Visa Application Centre where the application was submitted.

If you have been granted a visa, a sticker will be placed in your passport. When you collect your passport it is important that you check that the spelling of your name, passport number, duration of stay and number of entries to the Schengen area is correct on the visa sticker.  

Appealing a decision: 
If your application was rejected by the Embassy in New Delhi, the appeal must be submitted to the Embassy by e-mail or letter/courier as stated in the rejection letter.

If your application was rejected by the Directorate of Immigration (UDI), the appeal must be sent to the Directorate of Immigration by uploading the documents on their website.

You can find more information about the appeal process and processing times on the UDI website. 

See section 9 of the Directorate of Immigration's circular on Norwegian Visa Practice: (https://www.udiregelverk.no/en/documents/udi-memos-on-practices-and-procedures/pn-2010-021/)

(In Norwegian only for the reference's information)

When you cross the border into the Schengen area, you will have to present:

• your passport with the visa sticker
• proof that you have enough money to support yourself during your stay (e.g. cash or a credit card). If you have a guarantee form, you should also bring a copy of this with you.
• documentation showing the purpose of your visit, such as an invitation, hotel reservation, etc.
• a return or round trip ticket if you are visiting the Schengen area for tourist purposes or private reasons

You may be asked to provide fingerprints by the border control officer, in which case these will be compared with the fingerprints provided when you applied for your visa.
As long as your visa is valid, you can travel around freely in the Schengen area, or in the specific Schengen countries covered by the visa. If you leave the Schengen area, for example to visit the UK or Svalbard, you will need a multiple entry visa.

Please be advised that if you do not travel directly from Sri Lanka to the Schengen area, you might need a transit visa to the country you are transiting in.