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Visa Sticker Reference

How to Read Your Schengen Visa Sticker

Your visa sticker contains critical information about your travel permissions. Learn what every field means and what to check before you travel.

10 Key Fields
To understand
3 Entry Types
MULT, 01, 02
8 Errors
To check for

Visa Sticker Fields Explained

VALID FOR

The territory where the visa is valid. 'ÉTATS SCHENGEN' or 'SCHENGEN STATES' means all 29 Schengen countries. A specific country name means the visa is only valid there (LTV visa).

Example: ÉTATS SCHENGEN / SCHENGEN STATES
FROM ... UNTIL

The validity period — the window during which you can enter and stay. You cannot enter before the 'FROM' date or remain after the 'UNTIL' date.

Example: FROM 15.03.2026 UNTIL 14.06.2026
TYPE OF VISA

The visa category: A (airport transit), C (short-stay, most common), or D (national long-stay). Type C is the standard Schengen tourist/business visa.

Example: C
NUMBER OF ENTRIES

How many times you can enter the Schengen Area. MULT = unlimited entries. 01 = single entry (once you leave, visa is void). 02 = double entry.

Example: MULT / 01 / 02
DURATION OF STAY ... DAYS

The maximum total number of days you may remain in the Schengen Area. This is NOT the same as the validity period — you can only stay this many days within the validity window.

Example: 30 DAYS / 90 DAYS
ISSUED IN

The city where the visa was issued, typically the embassy or consulate location.

Example: LONDON
ON (DATE)

The date the visa was issued.

Example: ON 01.03.2026
NUMBER OF PASSPORT

Your passport number as recorded by the consulate. Check this matches your actual passport number exactly.

Example: 123456789
SURNAME, NAME

Your name as it appears on your passport. Verify spelling matches your passport exactly.

Example: SMITH, JOHN WILLIAM
REMARKS

Additional notes or restrictions. May include purpose of travel, employer name, or other conditions. Sometimes left blank.

Example: TOURISM / BUSINESS / VISITE FAMILIALE

Entry Type Codes

MULT

Multiple Entry

Unlimited entries during the validity period, subject to the 90/180-day rule.

01

Single Entry

One entry only. Once you leave the Schengen Area, the visa is no longer valid — even if days remain.

02

Double Entry

Two entries permitted. After your second exit from the Schengen Area, the visa expires.

Common Abbreviations

ÉTATS SCHENGEN All Schengen States (French)
SCHENGEN STATES All Schengen States (English)
C Type C — Short-stay visa (up to 90 days)
A Type A — Airport transit visa
D Type D — National long-stay visa
MULT Multiple entries permitted
VISITE FAMILIALE Family visit (French)
AFFAIRES Business (French)
TOURISME Tourism (French)

Check for These Errors Immediately

When you receive your passport with the visa sticker, check these details immediately. If you find any errors, contact the issuing consulate before travelling.

✓Name spelling doesn't match your passport exactly
✓Passport number is incorrect
✓Validity dates don't cover your entire planned travel period
✓Duration of stay is shorter than your planned trip
✓Wrong visa type (e.g., A instead of C)
✓Territory restriction when you need access to all Schengen states
✓Entry type is 'single' when you planned to leave and re-enter
✓Issue date is after your planned travel date

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do if I find an error on my visa sticker?
Contact the issuing consulate or embassy immediately. Do not travel with an incorrect visa sticker, as border control may deny entry. The consulate will need to cancel the incorrect visa and issue a corrected one, which may require submitting your passport again.
What does 'MULT' mean on my Schengen visa?
MULT stands for 'multiple entries'. It means you can enter and exit the Schengen Area as many times as you wish during the visa's validity period, as long as you respect the 90/180-day rule on total days spent.
My visa says '90 DAYS' but the validity is 6 months — can I stay 6 months?
No. The validity period is the window during which you can travel. The 'duration of stay' (90 days) is the maximum number of days you can actually be in the Schengen Area within that window. These are two different limits.
Can I travel to any Schengen country with my visa?
If your visa says 'ÉTATS SCHENGEN' or 'SCHENGEN STATES' in the 'VALID FOR' field, yes — you can travel throughout all 29 Schengen countries. If a specific country is listed, you have an LTV (Limited Territorial Validity) visa and can only visit those listed countries.
What does the machine-readable zone (MRZ) at the bottom mean?
The two lines of characters at the bottom of the visa sticker are the Machine Readable Zone. This contains encoded versions of your name, passport number, nationality, visa number, and dates. Border control systems scan this automatically. You don't need to understand it, but ensure nothing obscures it.
Is my visa sticker the same as a passport stamp?
No. The visa sticker is pre-applied before travel and grants you permission to travel to the Schengen Area. The passport stamp is applied at the border upon actual entry and exit. You need both: a valid visa sticker AND an entry stamp.

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