Visa processing time

Applicants are advised to plan their travel and visa application well in advance and start the visa application as early as possible.

A Schengen Visa can be applied for up to three months before the start of the intended trip. Applications shall be processed within 15 calendar days of the date of lodging of an admissible application. In individual cases, notably when further scrutiny is needed, this period may be extended up to 30 calendar days. When additional documentation is needed, the period may be extended up to 60 calendar days. Waiting an appointment and processing times for Schengen Visas will also be considerably longer in the summer months due to a much higher demand for visas.

Processing times for long term visas are generally about three months, whereas family reunion visa which involve a document check of Sri Lankan documents usually take approximately six months, in some cases even longer.