Today we are taking a fascinating trip to one of the literally prettiest European countries that are usually missed out by travelers, to Liechtenstein. As you can expect from the title, the main focus of our article will be the National visa of Liechtenstein. We will explain not only the meaning behind it but as well as who might need it prior to their trip and how one can even obtain it.
However, before we go into the visa process that you are required to undergo before your trip, I think it would be amazing to get to know this micro country better. Liechtenstein is a tiny nation in Central Europe located on the Rhine's banks. The country has borders with Switzerland on the west and south, and on the east and north, it is bordered by Austria. With an area of slightly over 160 square kilometers and a population of 38,744, it is Europe's fourth-smallest nation. Interestingly enough, the Swiss franc is the official currency; however, euros are also accepted. Vaduz is the capital city of Liechtenstein, while Schaan is its biggest municipality and to be completely honest, and there is no chance that you might miss visiting the capital of this very beautiful yet small country. Over the last decades, the country has slowly become a famous tourist destination due to its beautiful mountain scenery and tourist attractions like show-stopping exhibitions, a large variety of activities, and historic buildings.
After being sure that there is absolutely no way that Liechtenstein could be left out on your trip to Europe, we can focus on one of the most challenging tasks that need to be solved before your trip. Yes, you are right, we are talking about getting a visa! The first question that needs to be answered is: Is Liechtenstein a Schengen country? Wait a second, what does “Schengen” even mean? To put it in the simplest way, the Schengen Area is a collection of 26 European nations that have agreed to remove all passport and other forms of border control at their shared borders. For foreign travel, the region mainly acts as a single jurisdiction with a uniform visa regime. However, is Liechtenstein a Schengen country? Yes, Liechtenstein is not a member of the European Union, but it is a member of the Schengen Area, which means that a Liechtenstein Schengen Visa is required for visits of less than 90 days. Though, it worth mentioning that not all travelers are asked to show a visa upon the arrival. This leaves us with one very important question of “Do I need a visa for Liechtenstein?”. We can easily separate all the nationalities into two groups, the ones that need to show a visa upon arrival and the ones that have a visa-free entrance availability. However, to completely answer the question: Do I need a visa for Liechtenstein? How to apply for Liechtenstein visa? I advise you to check the list of different passport holders that are not expected to obtain a visa.
The category of visa you should apply for is determined by the reason and purpose of your travel. Liechtenstein has three types of visas: Schengen Visa which is also known as short-stay visa, airport transit visa, and national visa, which is made for long term stay in the country. You need to apply for a Liechtenstein Schengen visa to make your short visit because Liechtenstein is a Schengen country. Liechtenstein Schengen visa permits you to travel to any of the Schengen member nations. Furthermore, there would be no limitations on the number of times you can enter or visit a Schengen member state. So, unless your home country has a visa exemption agreement with Liechtenstein and you intend to visit Liechtenstein for a short period of time, such as a business trip, vacation, family reunion, you must first apply for a Liechtenstein Schengen visa. For example, the most common reason why tourists apply for this type of visa is tourism. The Liechtenstein Tourist Visa allows you to stay in Liechtenstein and engage in tourist activities for a maximum of 90 days in any 180 days.
However, if you wish to study or work permanently in Liechtenstein for more than 90 days, to be more exact any degree study, you can apply for a Liechtenstein national visa. Bear that in your mind that you will need to have formal offers or letters of acceptance from official educational and commercial organizations for application.
Even though your home country belongs to the list of visa-exempt countries for Lichtenstein, if you want to stay in the country for more than 90 days, you must first apply for a long-stay visa in your own home country. The national visa simply allows you to enter Liechtenstein with the intention of applying for a residence permit. Or to put it in another way, it allows you to enter Liechtenstein as a possible resident and stay while completing your residence application. Within three months of landing in Liechtenstein, you must convert your visa into a resident permit. One of the main types of Liechtenstein national visa is the Liechtenstein work permit visa, but besides liechtenstein national visa application can be divided into two more branches as the one for the family reunion purposes and visa for students that we will be talking about in details below.
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Despite its very small area Liechtenstein is also gradually becoming one of the preferred educational destinations among youth, thanks to its brilliant and effective education system that has a lot in common with neighbouring country, Switzerland. A completed Liechtenstein national visa application form in English or German, that needs to be signed and dated by the applicant is asked from every Liechtenstein national visa applicant. Travel passport that is valid for at least six months after your arrival date in Liechtenstein is another important factor, too. And last but not least, do not forget the fact that you also must obtain a one-year health insurance policy from a Liechtenstein-licensed insurance firm. Worth mentioning that travel insurance is not accepted. Apart from additional documents that you might be required to possess, specific Liechtenstein visa requirements related to your purpose of the visit are one of the most important parts of your application process too. For example, if you want to obtain a national visa for educational purposes, you will be asked to provide an admission letter from a Liechtenstein-based educational institution that is required to be accredited or showcase a supporting document proving your language skills. These are the names of just a couple of Liechtenstein visa requirements for a national visa, and to get to know the full list, I advise you to visit our website, where you also can ask for help from “pickvisa.com” professionals during your visa procedures that might be a little overwhelming taking into consideration all the pre-trip stress and planning. With “Pickvisa.com,” no more questions like “how to apply for a Liechtenstein visa?”.
No matter whether you are travelling for education or Liechtenstein work permit visa you need to apply for a Liechtenstein national visa at one of the Liechtenstein national visa centres or consulates in your country of residency, the responsible institution might differ, though. If none exist in your city or even country, you must apply to the embassy or Liechtenstein national visa centres that are closest to your location, and they usually are located in one of the neighboring countries to your homeland. The particular type of visa typically takes between 10 and 60 calendar days to be completed. But the time period might vary slightly, and it is dependent on the country from which you are applying for a visa. The cost of a Liechtenstein national visa is between 50 and 100 euros which might change just like the processing time depending solely on your nationality and country of residence.
And the third type of visa is designed for transit purposes. If you have a connecting flight or train into and out of Liechtenstein and also the flight or train is more than a few hours or days apart, or you are travelling to another European state and stopping in Liechtenstein, you will additionally be required to get a transit visa. And also, you are encouraged to check with your travel agency or airline to be sure if your flight is scheduled to depart from a different airport or not. If you want to enter the Schengen region for any reason during your layover, you may need to apply for a transit visa too. How to apply for a Liechtenstein visa for transit? You will apply for a Liechtenstein visa at one of the Liechtenstein visa application centers or embassies in your country of residence that accept visa applications. If you are struggling with finding the right institution for applying, remember that Liechtenstein national visa center could also be authorized by German and Swiss embassies in most countries all around the world. Now you have all information about how to apply for Liechtenstein visa.