A foreigner wishing to obtain a Schengen visa must apply at the representation of the responsible state. The "responsible state" is a state whose territory is the only or main object of the visit, and is the state responsible for making the decision on a visa application.

If a foreigner intends to visit several states so that it will not be possible to determine which of the states is the main destination of travel, the responsible state will be considered to be the one where the traveller plans to spend the most time. But if the visit consists of equal amounts of time in different states, the essential criterion for determining the responsible state will be the initial visit.

If the above criteria are not applicable for determining the state of final destination, the responsible state will be considered to be the traveller's first point of entry after inspection of documents on the external border prior to entry into the Schengen area.