Schengen visa for a child under 14 years old: is it necessary and how to get it?

Photo: https://pixabay.com/photos/brexit-eu-europe-united-kingdom-4011711/ What could be better than traveling abroad with the whole family? Show your child how huge this world is and how beautiful it is. Surprise him with a new culture and a different outlook on life. But to travel to European countries, a visa for a child is required, which has its own registration rules. In order not to return home from an airport in a foreign country, you need to know the procedure for obtaining a permit to enter the country for a minor.

Procedure for obtaining a Schengen visa for a child

In 2021, applying for Schengen for a child is the responsibility of every parent. But if you are not sure that your child’s age should have a documentary permit, then check this information with the Consulate of the country you want to visit.

The procedure for obtaining a visa for a person under the age of majority is the same and differs only slightly depending on the age of your child.

Child under 6 years old

If your child is under 6 years old, then you can get a visa for him in 2 ways:

Apply for a foreign passport. According to Russian legislation, every citizen has the right to purchase a foreign passport from the first days of life. In this case, permission to enter the country is indicated in his personal document.
Put a visa stamp in the foreign passport of your parents or parent. In this case, the child can travel only with the relative in whose passport he is registered. If the child visits Schengen without a parent, but with a trusted person, then he will have to issue a foreign passport for the little citizen.

An application for permission to stay in a foreign state for a child under 6 years of age is written by a parent, and the child’s presence is not required.

If, when receiving a visa for a person under 18 years of age, the parents decided to include it in their passport, then the document must have an additional 2 blank pages for the child. This applies to each child, therefore, if you have several children, then each requires 2 blank sheets in the passport.

Child from 6 to 18 years old

Up to the age of 12 years, a child can be included in the parents’ passport and travel only with them or accompanied by a third authorized person. Noticeable changes in the registration procedure begin only at the age of 12:

To fill out the application, a child who has reached 12 years of age must appear together with a parent/authorized representative at the visa center.
After reaching 14 years of age, a minor must have his own personal passport. It is no longer possible to enter it into the parent’s document.
After 14 years of age, a child acquires the right to travel on his own, but only if his parents can prove their ability to provide him financially.

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A Schengen visa for children under 12 years of age is obtained in exactly the same way as for children. You just need to remember that after 14 years your child acquires new rights and responsibilities.

Documents for registration

If you are preparing a child for a trip, then you also need to collect a package of documents for him. A visa for minors is issued in all Schengen countries upon collection of papers. The specific list depends on the selected country and it is better to check this information at the Consulate. But the general package of documents looks like this:

a completed application for permission by the parent or the child personally;
foreign passport of a minor (if available, children under 6 years old are included in the adult’s documents);
a copy and original of the birth certificate (regardless of the person’s age);
for the father - a military ID;
a copy of the passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation (children over 14 years old);
copies of passports of parents or authorized representatives;
minor's insurance policy;
consent of one or two parents for the child to travel abroad (if he is traveling alone, accompanied or with only 1 parent);
photographs (check their parameters at the country’s Consulate);
a certificate from school for a Schengen visa or from kindergarten;
confirmation of the financial security of the parents or a letter of sponsorship;
document on adoption or establishment of guardianship (if available);
a document confirming the fact of relationship between the parent and the child if they have different surnames (certificate of change of surname, certificate of divorce, marriage);
a power of attorney certified by a notary for a third party with whom the child is traveling abroad;
certificate from the parents’ place of work (position, salary, name of the employer’s organization).

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If a child is being raised by one parent, then this fact must be confirmed with documents:

death certificate;
court decision on deprivation of parental rights;
certificate from the place of imprisonment;
court decision on adoption or guardianship;
other evidence that will show that the parent is raising the dependent alone.

Third parties who travel with a minor to Schengen countries may include teachers, coaches, relatives (grandparents, aunts, older brothers and sisters, etc.).

Despite their relationship, whether distant or not, it is his parents, mom and dad, who represent the interests of the child. Therefore, for other persons, a power of attorney is issued by the parents.

The only exceptions are those cases when these relatives raise children themselves due to deprivation of parental rights of biological parents, their death, etc. In such cases, a power of attorney is not required; it is only necessary to confirm the fact of guardianship of the child with the help of documents.

Does a child need Schengen if the parents have a visa?

This is what a Schengen visa for a child looks like.
A frequently asked question is whether a child needs to apply for a Schengen visa if the parents already have one. In this case, permission must be issued.

If mom or dad has an old-style paper passport, the baby can travel using it, but provided that there are blank pages to put the necessary notes.

Children over 14 years of age must make their own passport, which will be used to obtain a visa.

Processing times and cost of visa

Before starting the visa process, you need to know that it takes time. And, despite the fact that the deadline for its registration rarely lasts longer than 2 weeks, it is worth starting earlier.

For example, on New Year's Day, due to the abundance of people wishing to spend this holiday in Europe, the number of necessary registrations increases. Therefore, it is advisable to start the procedure a month, or even two months in advance, so as not to overstay your tickets.

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On normal days and during off-season travel, a visa can take from 5 to 14 working days to be issued. Please note that visa centers and consulates are closed on weekends, state and national holidays.

The cost of production depends on the age of the minor. For example:

Schengen visa for a child under 2 years old is free in all countries;
in Germany, Sweden, Poland, Austria and other countries, obtaining a visa for a child up to 6 full years is free (it is better to check this information at the Consulate of the country);
after reaching 6 years, you must pay a fee of 35 euros (2450 rubles as of July 2021);
some countries (Italy, France, Denmark, the Netherlands) charge adults for a child of any age if the latter has a personal foreign passport;
in Finland, Belgium, Hungary and Switzerland they do not charge additional fees to parents if their child is under 14 years old and is included in the passport of one of the adults with whom they are going to travel.

On average, if your child has already reached 6 years of age, then a visa for him will cost almost the same as for an adult. But the established cost must be found out at the Consulate of a foreign state, since the conditions for issuing the document may vary from country to country.

Step-by-step instructions for filling out the form

As an example, discussed below, we took an application for a Schengen visa to Finland, since the Finnish Schengen visa is the most popular in Russia, and besides, Finland is the most loyal to Russian tourists.

The children's questionnaire indicates:

Sample of filling out an application form for a Schengen visa for a child - Sheet 1

Point 1. Last name, carefully copied from the birth certificate or foreign passport (written in capital Latin letters).
Point 2. If there was a change of surname, the one that was at birth is entered here in Latin capital letters.
Point 3. Baby's name.
Point 4. Date of birth in order: day, month, year. Dots are placed between the numbers.
Point 5. Place of birth, city only.
Item 6. Country in which the applicant was born.
Clause 7. Citizenship at the time of filling out documents.
Point 8. The gender of the baby is marked with a cross.
Paragraph 9. Marital status is indicated. For children o.
Clause 10. Personal data of parents: full name, citizenship and address, if it differs from the data of the young traveler.
Clause 11. Not completed.
Clause 12. Type of document with which the child travels.
Clause 13. Series and number of the international passport.
Clause 14. Date of issue of the travel document.
Clause 15. Expiration date of the foreign passport (if any).
Clause 16. Information about the authority that issued the foreign passport.
Clause 17. The address is indicated, with the name as it is without translation into English, in Latin letters. As well as a phone number and email (you can indicate the contacts of one of the parents).
Clause 18. The presence of dual citizenship is specified. In most cases Fr.
Clause 19. For children, “Unemployed” is indicated.
Item 20. The address of the place of study is filled in.
Point 21. The purpose of the trip is indicated.

Sample of filling out an application form for a Schengen visa for a child - Sheet 2

Paragraph 22. All countries of the European Union where the trip will take place and even those that will simply intersect are rewritten.
Paragraph 23. The first Schengen country to which the traveler arrives is indicated.
Point 24. Write down the number of times you crossed borders, and also indicate the desired visa. It can be: single, double and multiple.
Clause 25. The exact number of days of the entire trip.
Item 26. It is necessary to indicate the last issued Schengen visas (if any).
Item 27. Fingerprint information is entered.
Item 28. This item must be completed if a transit visa is required.
Clause 29. Date of entry into Schengen territory.
Clause 30. Departure date.
Point 31. Address where the young traveler will stay.
Clause 32. Not completed.
Clause 33. Indicate who is sponsoring the trip.

Sample of filling out an application form for a Schengen visa for a child - Sheet 3

Item 34. To be completed if there is a family member who is an EU citizen.
Clause 35. Degree of relationship with an EU citizen.
Item 36. City and date where the documents were filled out.
Clause 37. Signature is placed (a minor does not have the right to sign independently; this is done by a parent or guardian).

Permission for a Schengen visa for a child can be obtained provided that all documents are completed correctly and on time. It takes from 5 to 14 business days to review papers and permits.

Validity of a Schengen visa for a minor

Since children under 14 years of age are prohibited from traveling to Schengen countries on their own, their visa must 100% match the document of the person accompanying him (parent, authorized representative).

If the child is going on a trip on his own, then it all depends on the type of visa:

short-term (for one or two trips). It is the easiest to make and is valid from the moment of arrival in a foreign country and ends with arrival at home;
multiple permission is available only with mutual power of attorney for each parent by the other parent (mom for dad, dad for mom). It is more difficult to obtain, but its validity period is a certain period of time: from several months to years.

Features of obtaining a permit

Obtaining a Schengen visa for a child will not be difficult if the parent knows some features that must be followed when entering the Schengen zone:

Child accompanied by parents

In those powers that are members of the commonwealth, minor children under the age of 14 are required to travel only when accompanied by their parents or persons in their stead.
If the child is not listed in the father or mother’s passport, then in this case he must have his own foreign passport or travel certificate.
If a child is in another country as part of a children's team, group, with a guardian or one of the parents, then it is necessary to obtain permission from the other parent or both to take the child outside his home state. In this document you need to indicate the countries that the baby is going to visit, as well as the exact dates of his stay in them.
If multiple permissions are issued for a child, then it is necessary to prepare two powers of attorney, executed by the parents for each other. In some countries, a Schengen visa will not be issued without this point. Among these states are Italy and France.

Options for accompanying a child while traveling

As mentioned above, children can be sent to a foreign country with different people. Depending on the support option, only the package of documents during assembly will change.

With both parents

If a minor travels to the Schengen area with both parents, then you will need:

personal passport of the little traveler (if available);
a parent’s foreign document in which the child is registered (possible only in an old-style passport).

No powers of attorney are required for adult family members; you just need to collect a basic set of documents along with your parents’ passports for travel.

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Single parent

If for some reason children travel to Europe with only one parent, then the second one, who is not traveling, must sign an agreement for the minor to travel with the other parent. This is reflected in the package of documents as follows:

a photocopy of the Russian passport of a relative who remains in Russia;
a certified power of attorney from one parent to the other, that is, permission for the child to leave the country;
If the child has registered another parent in the passport, then you need to write down the person with whom he is traveling in the document or issue a personal foreign passport.

Independent trip

When traveling independently, a person under 18 years of age, but provided that he has reached 14 years of age, must make an effort when applying for a visa and collect a full package of documents :

photocopies of both Russian passports of the parents;
personal foreign document of a teenager;
proof of the financial security of the child by the parents;
prove the purpose of the trip (most often, minor children go abroad alone to study, you need to prove this fact, since the Consulate can tell you about the purpose of the visit to the country and why the child is traveling alone);
power of attorney of both parents, that is, their mutual permission for their child to leave the country alone.

Traveling accompanied by a third party

If a minor traveler will not be accompanied by his parents on a trip, then the legality of this action must be indicated:

power of attorney from both parents (if both are present) to a third party that he can accompany their child;
photocopy of the authorized representative's passport;
photocopies of parents' passports;
personal foreign passport of a minor.

Such measures have been taken to eliminate cases of illegal abduction of children abroad by any relatives or strangers.

Registration process

If the child has not yet reached the age of 12, then submission of documents to the embassy or visa center can occur without his participation. This is due to the fact that children under 12 years of age are exempt from mandatory fingerprinting.

If the trip is planned as part of the whole family, with both parents, then some embassies do not require notarization of permission from the father or mother for the child to travel for a visa. Both spouses only need to appear for an interview, having prepared permission for the consul in simple written form.

Submitting documents under a power of attorney to obtain a Schengen visa for a child requires notarization. In addition, a power of attorney to obtain a visa for a minor must be issued from both parents.

Filling out the form

Download a sample application form for a child (.PDF)

Typically, most parents who are planning a foreign trip for the first time with their minor son or daughter have a vague idea of how to fill out an application for a Schengen visa for a child. A sample application form for a Schengen visa for minors, available on our website, will help with this problem. With its help, you can quickly fill out all sections of the application form for subsequent submission to the embassy or visa center.

An important detail of the procedure that you should definitely pay attention to is the question of who signs the visa application for the child. Typically, this document is filled out by one of the parents, even if the teenager is already a high school student and can answer the questionnaire himself.

In the form filled out on behalf of a child who has not yet turned 14 years old, there is no column for the signature of the minor himself. This is explained by the fact that until the age of 14, the interests of the child are represented by his parents. However, in the application form for a teenager over 14 years old who has a general passport, it is required to put not only the signature of one of the parents, but also the signature of the minor himself.

Where to submit documents

Documents for a visa for minors are submitted to a visa office accredited at the embassy. Visa center services are paid and are not included in the cost of the visa itself.

If the state to which you are planning a trip does not have its own visa center in Moscow, or the citizen wishes to obtain a visa in the region of the country where he lives, the application and the accompanying package of documents are submitted directly to the consular department of the embassy or to the regional consulate.

Biometric passport

Some countries require their visitors to obtain biometric passports. This is a document that identifies the person and stores the owner’s biometric data: fingerprints, retina. This passport simultaneously protects its owner, but at the same time, in the event of an offense, it gives out all the data about him. But if you are not going to violate the law of a foreign country, then the document will only help you.

This document is issued at the age of 12 and is valid for 10 years from the date of issue. If a child cannot receive biometric paper, then an old-style document is issued for him, which is valid for 5 years.

If your baby has already reached the established age, then the following documents will be required to produce such a passport:

a copy of the passport of a minor citizen of the Russian Federation;
a copy of the birth certificate;
a copy of the passport of the parent or legal representative of the child;
a copy of the minor’s foreign document;
receipt of payment of state duty;
a completed application for the issuance of a biometric passport in two copies (the sample will be in an organization that specializes in this service). Different applications are written for an adult and a minor.

To obtain this document, you should contact the territorial center of the migration service. They will help you collect documents and tell you how best to carry out the procedure for obtaining a passport.