Do Iranian citizens need a Schengen visa to visit Europe?

Yes. Iran is on the EU's list of nationalities that need a visa for the Schengen area, so every Iranian passport holder needs a short-stay (Type C) visa before travelling, whatever UK visa or settlement they hold. UK residence changes where you apply, not whether you need one.

Can an Iranian living in the UK apply for a Schengen visa in the UK?

Yes, if you legally reside in the UK on a Student, Skilled Worker, Graduate, Spouse or similar visa, or hold ILR or protection status. You prove residence with a valid BRP, an eVisa share code with the printed status page, or the visa vignette, and apply at the UK centre of your main destination. Someone visiting the UK applies where they live.

Why do Schengen visas take longer for Iranian applicants?

Iran is on the European Commission's prior-consultation list: at least one Schengen state requires other states' central authorities to consult it on applications from Iranian nationals before a visa is issued. The Visa Code gives the consulted authorities seven calendar days to reply, so a decision can run past the standard 15 days. Lodge early and keep bookings refundable.

How much is a Schengen visa for an Iranian passport from the UK?

The same as for every nationality: €90 for an adult, about £81 at the consulate's own rate, €45 for a child aged 6 to 11, free under 6, plus the centre's fee of £15 to about £45 depending on the country. Poland's embassy charges £79 in pounds. You also need insurance with at least €30,000 of cover. Our service fee, if we prepare and book it, is £99, and £69 for each extra traveller.

Can I use money sent from Iran as proof of funds?

Consulates want to see where your money comes from and that it is available to you. Bank statements from a UK account in your name, matching your income, are the clearest evidence. If money arrived from abroad, add the transfer records and an explanation; a large deposit you cannot evidence counts against you. Keep the funds story UK-based wherever you can.

Is an Iranian passport accepted by every Schengen country?

The EU's table of recognised travel documents shows the ordinary Iranian passport as recognised by every Schengen state. It must have been issued within the last 10 years and be valid for at least three months after you leave the Schengen area, with two blank pages.

Schengen Visa for Iranians in the UK (2026 Guide)

TL;DR

Iranian citizens need a Schengen visa for any short trip to Europe. If you legally live in the UK, you apply in the UK, not in Tehran, with your BRP or eVisa share code. Iran is on the EU's prior-consultation list, so decisions can take longer than the usual 15 days: lodge early. The fee is €90 (about £81) plus the centre's fee; we prepare and book it for £99. The fixed facts:

Schengen short-stay visa key facts, 2026
Schengen short-stay visa (Type C)	2026
Visa fee (adult)	€90
Visa fee (child 6 to 11)	€45
Visa fee (child under 6)	Free
Maximum stay	90 days in any rolling 180-day period
Standard processing	15 calendar days (up to 45 in some cases)
Travel insurance, minimum cover	€30,000
Passport	Issued within 10 years; valid 3+ months beyond your trip
Member states	29 countries

The fee and these rules are set EU-wide and are identical across all 29 member states. Source: European Commission. Verified 2026-06-24.

Do Iranian citizens need a Schengen visa?

Yes. Iran is on the EU's list of nationalities that need a visa to cross the Schengen external border (Annex I of Regulation 2018/1806), so every Iranian passport holder needs a short-stay (Type C) visa for tourism, a family visit, a conference or business, however long they have lived in the UK. A UK visa, ILR or refugee status never waives it. What UK residence does is decide where you apply.

If you live in Iran or elsewhere outside the UK, this page is not for you: you apply where you legally live, through the operator your destination uses there. A UK visit visa is not residence, and the UK consulates will direct a visitor back to their home consulate.

Proving you live in the UK

Consulates take an application from a non-EU national who legally resides in their district. You prove that with one of:

an eVisa share code from your UKVI account on gov.uk ("view and prove your immigration status"), with the printed status page and your date of birth. Generate it close to the appointment; codes expire. See the eVisa share code guide.
a valid BRP card, front and back, if you still hold one
the visa vignette in your passport, for a recent arrival

If you were granted protection in the UK and travel on a UK refugee travel document rather than an Iranian passport, the document itself is visa-required and the rules differ slightly; see Schengen visa with a UK refugee travel document.

Your UK permission should run well beyond the trip; many consulates look for at least three months after you return. We do not advise on UK immigration status. If yours is uncertain, speak to an IAA-registered adviser before you book anything.

Which consulate do Iranians in the UK apply to?

The main destination: the country where you will spend the most nights, or the country of first entry if the nights are equal. You cannot choose a country because its appointments look easier; applying to the wrong one is a refusal ground. Once issued, the visa covers the whole Schengen area.

Destination	Who takes the file	UK centres	Centre fee
Spain	BLS International	London, Manchester, Edinburgh	£15
France	TLScontact, after the France-Visas form	London, Manchester, Edinburgh	about £45 (estimate)
Italy	VFS Global	London, Manchester, Edinburgh	about £32 (estimate)
Germany	TLScontact, waiting list in London and Manchester since 1 June 2026	London and Manchester for England, Wales and Northern Ireland; Edinburgh for Scotland	about £35 (estimate)
Netherlands	VFS Global	London, Edinburgh	£18
Greece	GVC World	London, Manchester	£26, prepaid online
Portugal	VFS Global	London, Manchester, Edinburgh	£33

Every country's fee and operator is in the cost index. Guides: France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Netherlands.

Why Iranian applications can take longer: prior consultation

Under Article 22 of the Visa Code, a Schengen state may require that other states' central authorities consult it before a visa is issued to nationals of certain countries. The European Commission publishes the list, and Iran is on it, which means at least one member state asks to be consulted on every Iranian application lodged anywhere in the Schengen system. The consulted authorities have seven calendar days to reply. In practice:

the 15-day standard period is more likely to stretch, and the Visa Code allows up to 45 days
the consulate may ask for extra documents during the examination
lodging early matters more than for most nationalities: you can apply up to six months before travel, and at least four weeks ahead is sensible

None of this is a refusal ground. It is a timing fact to plan around.

What documents do Iranian nationals need?

The standard Schengen document set, with the points that matter for Iranian applicants:

Document	What to check
Passport	Issued within 10 years, valid at least 3 months after you leave Schengen, two blank pages. The EU's table of recognised travel documents lists the ordinary Iranian passport as recognised by every Schengen state. Bring old passports with previous Schengen, UK or US visas
UK residence	eVisa share code and status printout, BRP or vignette
Bank statements	The last 3 months of a UK account in your name, every page, with a balance that fits your income and the trip
Source of funds	Payslips, a scholarship or sponsor letter, or transfer records for money that arrived from abroad. A large deposit without a paper trail is the commonest funds problem
Employer or university letter	Job title, start date, salary and approved leave with a return date; or enrolment, course dates and term dates for students and researchers
Iranian documents	A shenasnameh, marriage certificate or property deed used as evidence needs a certified English translation
Trip	Flight reservation, accommodation for every night, insurance certificate, a short cover letter; an invitation letter and the host's documents for a family visit

Funds and ties: what persuades the consulate

Consulates refuse when they doubt the applicant will leave Schengen and return to the UK, or when the money story is unclear. For Iranian applicants the money story deserves particular care, because funds held or earned in Iran are hard to show on paper and hard to use in Europe. Keep it UK-based: a UK salary or stipend arriving every month, a stable balance, and a cover letter that matches every figure.

For ties, the same evidence works for everyone: an employer letter with approved leave and a return date, a university letter, a tenancy or mortgage, family in the UK, and UK permission that runs comfortably past the trip. See why Schengen visas are refused and the proof of funds guide.

Fees from the UK for an Iranian passport

The consulate fee is set EU-wide and is the same for every nationality: €90 for an adult (about £81 at the consulate's own rate), €45 for a child aged 6 to 11, free under 6. Poland's embassy charges £79 and £40 in pounds and has no centre fee. The visa centre adds its own fee, from £15 for Spain to about £45 for France, and you need travel insurance with at least €30,000 of cover, from about £12. Applying yourself costs about £91 to £138 per adult, paid at the centre on the day; a refusal generally does not refund the consulate fee.

If we prepare and book it, our service fee is £99 for the first applicant and £69 for each extra person on the same trip, up to five per order. Official fees are paid per person at the centre and never through us.

Refusal rates at the UK consulates

The Commission's figures are by consulate, not by nationality, so there is no rate for Iranian applicants as such. For files lodged in the UK in 2025: Spain refused 6.1% of 138,195, France 8.5% of 129,940, Italy 6.0% of 18,956, Germany 3.2% of 32,725, the Netherlands 1.0% of 25,711, Portugal 7.3% of 21,015 and Greece 24.6% of 36,089. See the UK refusal rates page. None of it predicts an individual file.

When to apply

Lodge up to 6 months before travel; at least 4 weeks ahead given prior consultation, and earlier for summer.
Standard processing is 15 calendar days from the appointment, up to 45. The clock starts when the file is accepted at the counter.
France's three UK centres allocate appointments from a queue (London and Manchester since 1 August 2026, Edinburgh since 11 September 2026); Germany runs a waiting list since 1 June 2026. See appointments.
Keep flights and hotels refundable until the visa is in the passport.

Want it prepared and booked for you?

Our Schengen visa service for the UK completes the forms, builds the document pack to the operator's checklist and books the appointment in your own name on the official system, for a £99 service fee, £69 for each extra traveller. Two written promises: prepared within 24 hours of your complete documents and details, or your service fee back; and your appointment booked within 3 working days of your complete file, subject to availability, or your service fee back. We do not promise a visa, we do not sell slots, and the €90 fee and the centre fee are paid by you at the centre. findmyvisa.co.uk is run by WayaNerd Ltd, company number 16269713, and a person answers on WhatsApp.

Country service pages: Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Greece, Portugal.

Doing it yourself? Use the checklist generator, then the bundler and compressor, and start from the Schengen visa from the UK hub.