If travelling to Canada and Europe, which visa should I apply for first?
I wish to travel to Canada, and stop over in Europe for 3 months on my way there. I'm Indian, so I require both a Schengen visa and a Canadian visa.
Logically it should be Schengen first and then Canada but would the Schengen guys ask for a valid Canadian visa for them to grant me a Schengen visa? I fly out of Brussels to Montreal. Can't find information about this online.
Best Answer
In normal circumstances the Schengen application does not care for your Canadian visa; because you are simply applying for a tourist visa to the Schengen area for three months.
However, I believe you plan on submitting an itinerary for your Schengen visa that shows you staying in Brussels for 3 months then departing to Canada; and this case you should already possess a valid visa for Canada before you apply.
In case you want to avoid this, you can submit an itinerary that shows you are returning to India, secure your Schengen visa, and then apply for your Canadian visa.
Then you can adjust your itinerary to fly to Canada from Brussels. Once the visa is issued it does not matter from where you depart to Canada.
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Do I need a visa to go to Europe from Canada?
Are there visa requirements for Canadian citizens travelling to Europe? Canadian citizens do not need a visa to enter Europe and stay for up to 90 days. There are no new visa requirements for Canadians, passport holders will continue to enjoy visa-free privileges.Do I need Schengen Visa if I have Canadian visa?
Entry/exit requirementsCanadians do not need a visa to travel to countries within the Schengen area for stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. If you leave the Schengen area and return within the same 180-day period, the previous stay will count against the permitted 90 days.Should my first trip be to the country which issued my Schengen Visa?
There is no general requirement that you must enter the Schengen Area through the country that issued your visa. Your main destination may be different than your first destination. To prevent complications, stick to your itinerary as best you can.Can I use my Canadian visa in Europe?
Canadians can travel to Europe visa-free and stay for up to 90 days for business or tourism. From May 2023, Canadians will need to register with ETIAS to enter the Schengen Area, Croatia, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania without a visa. Canadians must apply for a visa for Europe to stay more than 3 months.More answers regarding if travelling to Canada and Europe, which visa should I apply for first?
Answer 2
According to the Czech embassy in Delhi, a round trip booking must be submitted, meaning you have to present the ticket to Schengen and to Montreal.
Thus, they may well want to see the Canadian visa. As such, you should get the Canadian visa first
Answer 3
Applying for a visa to a Schengen area country in Europe or for a Canadian visa are two independent procedures, so you can choose to apply for the visas separately or simultaneously. However, since you mentioned that you want to spend three months in Europe before you travel to Canada, it might be logical and wise to first apply for and be granted the visa to a Schengen area country in Europe (such as Belgium or France) so that you will know for sure that this part of your journey is taken care of; then apply for the Canadian visa when you have more reliable details about your expected arrival and departure dates for Canada. If your trip to Canada is the priority destination, however, and the visit to Europe is merely a desirable advance stop-over, you might want to secure the Canadian visa first (noting that the processing time for citizens of India is about 18 days), then apply for the Schengen area visa (which may take less time to process).
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