Schengen visa processing time
Standard 15 calendar days, extendable to 45. Some countries are systematically slower. Plan accordingly.
What the law says
Article 23 of the EU Visa Code (Regulation (EC) 810/2009): the consulate has 15 calendar days from submission to decide. This can be extended to up to 45 days for individual cases requiring further examination, particularly when consultation with other Schengen states is required.
When to apply
- At the earliest: 6 months before the trip (9 months for seafarers).
- At the latest: 15 calendar days before departure.
- Sweet spot: 4–8 weeks before departure.
Average processing times by country (May 2026)
Based on consulate communications and recent applicant feedback:
| Speed | Countries | Typical days |
|---|---|---|
| Fast | 🇪🇪 Estonia, 🇱🇻 Latvia, 🇱🇹 Lithuania, 🇩🇰 Denmark, 🇫🇮 Finland | 5–10 |
| Average | 🇫🇷 France, 🇩🇪 Germany, 🇧🇪 Belgium, 🇱🇺 Luxembourg, 🇨🇿 Czechia, 🇸🇰 Slovakia, 🇸🇮 Slovenia, 🇵🇱 Poland, 🇭🇺 Hungary, 🇦🇹 Austria, 🇵🇹 Portugal | 10–15 |
| Slow | 🇪🇸 Spain, 🇮🇹 Italy, 🇬🇷 Greece, 🇨🇭 Switzerland, 🇸🇪 Sweden, 🇲🇹 Malta, 🇭🇷 Croatia, 🇧🇬 Bulgaria, 🇷🇴 Romania | 15–20 |
| Very slow | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 20–30+ |
What slows things down
- High-season demand: June–September for tourism; November–December for family visits and Christmas.
- Schengen consultation: when one of the consulted states requests additional checks (Article 22 of the Visa Code).
- Missing or unclear documents — submission is "stopped" until provided.
- EES rollout effects — settled by May 2026 but local capacity issues remain in some posts.
How to track your application
Most service centres provide an online tracker linked to your reference number. SMS notifications are usually a paid add-on. Major consulates (France, Germany, Italy) also expose status APIs to authorised partners.