Gaining entry
Member States of the Schengen area have elaborated uniform rules as to the type of visas which may be issued for a short-term stay, not exceeding three months, on the territory of one, several or all of those States.

The Schengen member states offer visa-free travel to holders of certain passports that allows 90-day travel for tourist purposes.

The uniform visa enables aliens that are subject to the visa requirement to present themselves at the external border of the Member State which issued the visa or that of another Member State and request transit or stay, depending on the type of visa. The uniform visa is granted in the form of a sticker affixed by a Member State onto a passport, travel document or another valid document which entitles the holder to cross the border.

In other words, mere possession of a uniform visa does not confer automatic right of entry. It will only be granted if the other transit or entry conditions laid down by the Schengen Agreement have been met, notably the means of subsistence that aliens must have at their disposal, as well as the purpose and the conditions of the stay.

To obtain a Schengen visa the traveller must take the following steps:

He or she must first identify the Schengen country of his or her main destination. This element will determine the State responsible for deciding on the Schengen visa application and therefore the embassy or the consulate where he or she will have lodged the application. If his or her intention is to visit several Schengen countries during the trip, he or she will have to file a visa application at the embassy of the country where he or she will make his first entry in Schengen area. If the Schengen State of the main destination or first entry does not have a diplomatic mission or consular post in his or her country, he or she will have to contact the embassy or the consulate of another Schengen country, normally located in his country, which represents, for the purpose of issuing Schengen visas, the country of his or her principal destination or first entry.
He or she must then present the Schengen visa application to the responsible embassy or consulate. A harmonised form is to be submitted, together with a valid passport and, if necessary, the documents supporting the purpose and conditions of the stay in the Schengen area (aim of the visit, duration of the stay, lodging). He or she will also have to prove means of subsistence, i.e. the funds that he or she has to cover: on the one hand, the expenses of the stay taking into account its duration and the place where he or she will reside and, on the other hand, the return to his or her home country. Certain embassies or consulates sometimes call the applicant to appear in person in order to explain verbally the reasons for the visa application.
The traveller must finally have a travel insurance which covers, for a minimum of € 30 000, any expenses in connection with repatriation for sanitary reasons or with emergency medical treatment occurred during his stay. The proof of the travel insurance must in principle be provided at the end of the procedure, i.e. when a positive decision has already been made as for the granting of the Schengen visa.
Requirements for family members of an EU citizen differ from those indicated above. In general there is no requirement to provide information about employment, or prove means of subsistence. In addition, no fee is required for the visa to be issued.
For citizens of countries not party to the Schengen Agreement, restrictions exist that govern the length of one's stay within the Schengen area. The general rule stipulates a maximum 90-day stay within a 180-day period beginning from the first day of entry. Provided a multiple-entry visa has been granted, one may leave and return a number of times within the 180-day period but the combined stay within the region must total no more than 90 days.