If you plan to transit through or visit several of 15 popular European countries on the same trip for up to 90 days for personal or business purposes, you must now obtain a personal Schengen visa. Though this may sound like an extra hurdle, the Schengen visa has actually made traveling between its 15 European member countries much easier and less bureaucratic than before. The Schengen visa basically allows the visa holder to travel to any (or all) member countries using just one single visa, thus avoiding the hassle and expense of obtaining individual visas for each country. This is particularly beneficial for persons who wish to visit several European countries during the same trip.
Travelers obtain the visa from the Consulate of the country of their main destination. If your main destination cannot be determined, the country you first enter is responsible for granting your visa. One thing many travelers may not know about the Schengen visa application process, however, is that you must provide proof of health insurance to obtain it. As a result, a market for Schengen visa insurance has been born. The insurance (a sound idea even if it were not required) is designed to pay expenses that might arise in connection with repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical attention, and/or emergency hospital treatment. Since June of 2004, travelers who are subject to the visa requirement to stay or transit in one or several Schengen countries must demonstrate, in support of their visa application, that they are in possession of adequate and valid travel insurance. In other words, without travel insurance, the visa will not be issued. The short-stay visa (category C), as noted above, is the most common Schengen visa, issued for purposes of tourism, business, family or private visit or to get married. The transit visa (category B) is issued to entitle travelers who are going from one outside State to another outside State to pass through the territories of the Schengen states. Category A, the airport transit visa, does not require travel insurance. Though all Schengen countries are in Europe, travelers would do well not to confuse Shengen countries with European Union (EU) countries. Schengen and EU demarcate two different agreements between European countries. | 
