Most people put off the Schengen visa because it sounds like the hardest part of the trip: the document list is long, the appointment slots vanish, and one wrong paper can cost you the holiday. It took us two days, without an agent. Here's exactly how.
A Schengen visa from India comes down to two things: applying through the right country, and getting your documents exactly right. This guide covers both, using our own application through the Norwegian Embassy as the example throughout.
Here's the exact process we followed, the documents that matter, and the mistakes to avoid.
📋 Correct as of 2026. Always confirm on the official embassy page before you apply, as fees and rules change.
A Schengen visa lets you travel across the Schengen area on one visa, but you apply through a single country's embassy. Per the EU's own visa rules, that country is decided as follows:
For us, Norway was the country with the maximum length of stay, so we applied through the Norwegian Embassy.
VFS Global handles Schengen applications in India, Norway included. The route is the same for every country:
Applying through a different Schengen country? Search "[country name] VFS Global" for the same starting point.
Every step, from registration to passport collection, runs through VFS Global.
Every Schengen application starts with registering and paying the visa fee on the relevant country's official immigration portal. For Norway, this is the UDI Application Portal, reached via the VFS Global Norway page. Register, fill the visitor-visa form, and pay the fee, about ₹9,900. You will receive the application form (schengen.pdf), a summary and the receipt by email.
Download and print the embassy's Tourist Visa Document Checklist (PDF). This is your master list. Arrange every document it names, in the order it lists them, before you book an appointment.
The exact list is on the embassy checklist. The core set is:
Print everything at home, including the application form and receipt. Centre printing costs far more.
Book an appointment at your nearest VFS Global centre, hand in your documents, and give biometrics (photo and fingerprints). Pay the ₹2,200 VFS service fee at the counter.
Track your status on the VFS Global website using your reference number. Collect your passport in person, or receive it by courier if you purchased that service. Before leaving, check the sticker: validity dates, entries, and duration of stay.
You will need to show travel and stay bookings, but you should not lock in anything non-refundable before you're approved. The embassy itself recommends not buying your ticket until the visa is granted.
We applied through Norway because Tromsø was our main stop. If Rovaniemi or the rest of Finnish Lapland is where you will spend most of your nights, you apply to Finland instead. The process is the same shape, only the portal and the fee page change.
Insurance is a rejection trigger, not a formality. Cheap policies get refused for small print, so check these four things before you pay:
For what to actually pack once you land, see our winter packing guide. For which bookings make sense to show, see our guided-tour guide.
Need help with your travel plans? Once your visa is confirmed, we help Indian travellers build the whole trip, flights, stays, tours and routing, so it all fits together.
Plan your trip with usYes. We applied on our own, through the Norwegian Embassy, with no agent. You start on VFS Global website, fill the application form and pay on that country's own official portal, then return to VFS Global centre to submit documents and complete biometrics in person.
If one country is your only stop, apply there. If your trip covers more than one country, apply to your main destination, based on length of stay or purpose of visit. If no main destination stands out, apply to whichever country you enter first. For us, Norway was the country with the maximum length of stay, so we applied through the Norwegian Embassy.
Usually around 15 days after the embassy receives it, and up to 45 in some cases, plus courier days. Our Norway application came back in 2 days, but plan for 15 or more. Correct as of 2026.
EUR 90 for adults, plus a VFS service fee of about EUR 20 per applicant. Children aged 6 to 11 pay EUR 45, and under 6 is free. Correct as of 2026, confirm before applying.
No. The embassy recommends not buying your ticket until the visa is granted. Use a refundable flight ticket or a temporary dummy flight reservation as proof of travel instead.
The embassy accepts applications up to six months before travel and asks for at least four weeks' notice. We would suggest allowing at least two months, since processing occasionally takes the full 45 days.