Schengen Visa (the EU visa)

The Schengen visa was adopted to simplify and coordinate cross-country travel amongst the EU member countries.  With a Schengen visa, travelers are allowed to enter one country and travel freely throughout the Schengen visa area.  Internal border controls are negligible; air, road and train travel within Europe is now handled as domestic travel, similar to inter-state travel within the USA.
One must apply for the Schengen visas at the EU country of main destination.  Though one visa is granted, the requirements vary depending on which country the visa is applied through.
The Schengen visa area currently incorporates most members of the European Union.  In December 21, 2007, nine Central and Eastern European countries which entered the EU in 2004, joined the Schengen area.  As a result, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia were added to the previous 15 members: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Greece, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.  Switzerland joined in December 2008.  All of these countries, except Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland, are European Union members. Iceland, Norway and Switzerland are EEA members (European Economic Area).