Visiting the UK and Europe is on the bucket list of many. However, you can visit both places with a single visa. You cannot use a Visitor Visa UK to enter the Schengen countries, as the United Kingdom is not a part of the Schengen zone and vice versa. You need to meet the separate visa requirements to secure individual visas. 

Understanding the Visa Types 

A UK Visitor Visa is required if you plan to visit the United Kingdom, while a Schengen Visa is required for traveling across multiple countries in the Schengen Area of the European Union. A UK Visitor Visa is not valid for entry into Schengen countries and vice versa, it is because they are separate systems of visas and the UK is not a part of the Schengen zone. 

Purpose: 

With a UK visitor visa, one can move within only the UK while a Schengen Visa allows travel across the Schengen Area countries (the majority of the countries within Europe). 

The Application Process: 

One needs to apply for a UK Visitor Visa as well as a Schengen Visa if they want to cover both European countries and the UK in a single trip. Applicants need to apply for the visa most likely based on which country they are planning to spend most of their time be it Schengen countries or the UK. 

What is a Schengen Visa? 

The Schengen visa enables people to freely move within the Schengen Area, which is made up of 27 European countries with no internal border control. This is a short-stay visa designed for visits for business, tourism, family visits, or attending events for 90 days in a 180-day duration. 

Application requirements for a Schengen visa include the corresponding application form to be submitted to the embassy or consulate of the destination country or the one where they will stay the longest if the trip includes several destinations. They commonly include the application form, itinerary of travel, a valid passport, proof of accommodation, insurance coverage for travel as well as proof of financial means. 

If you are a country national who has not yet come to a visa-liberalization agreement with European or Schengen member states, a visa will be needed before traveling to Europe via the UK. 

The Schengen visa is an excellent option for travel enthusiasts who want to explore multiple countries in Europe in a single visit, as it frees the traveler from obtaining separate visas for each country visited, as long as he maintains the authorized stay duration to avoid being punished or facing travel restrictions in the future. 

What is the UK Visitor Visa?

If you want to visit the UK for tourism or leisure purposes, a UK visitor visa would be ideal. You need to meet certain UK visitor visa requirements such as proving your intention to return to your home country, meeting financial adequacy, and others. This visa also allows you to pass through the United Kingdom to another country. 

Make sure to apply a month in advance as the UK Visit Visa processing times can extend up to 3 weeks or even more depending upon your circumstances. 

Is the UK Visitor Visa a Better Option?

When applying for a visitor visa to the UK, you may select "keep your passport service". After completing biometrics and providing your visa application at the UK visa center, the authorities will return your passport to you. You can keep the passport until the UK embassy arrives at a decision and notifies you, at an additional charge. So it could help if you wanted to apply for a visa with another country. If you have time on your hands, finalize the entire process to get a UK visa. But if you have a few days or weeks in hand, hold on to your passport and apply for a Schengen visa for a country like Sweden which has faster appointments, with only a few days in between. 

UK Visitor Visas are Available Easily
 

Another benefit of applying for a UK visa early is that it usually has better chances of getting an appointment within a day or two as against Schengen visa appointments. Travel appointments decline as summer travel dwindles, but there remain exceptions like Greece, which takes up to seven to eight weeks to process visas after one secures an appointment. 

UK Visas usually have a Faster Processing Rate.

About three weeks is the stated period of processing for a UK visa as per the official website. If you intend to secure a Schengen visa earlier, you can even choose to accelerate the application for your UK visa using a priority service. The costs for priority and super-priority applications are 230 pounds and 990 pounds respectively. Priority visas are completed in 5-7 working days while super-priority visas are completed within 1-2 working days. 

UK Visas does not require one to have an Itinerary. 

Before the decision on your UK visitor visa application, there is no requirement for you to book or pay for a travel ticket in anticipation of a UK visa. As a result, you can finish this before applying for a Schengen visa, if you plan to travel through the UK, so you have to turn in your itinerary (ticket and hotel reservations) along with the UK visa. If you are hard-pressed on time, we recommend using your UK visitor visa application as proof for your Schengen visa application. 

Conclusion

Hiring immigration lawyers in the UK should be your first step. They will guide you on how to apply for the visas and meet the requirements of both the UK visas and the Schengen visa. Make sure you apply well in advance as the Schengen visa may take time to process.