Applying for a Schengen Tourist Visa

Applying for a Schengen Tourist Visa

A Schengen Visa is the document issued by the appropriate authorities to the interested party for visiting/travelling to and within the Schengen Area. The Schengen Area consists of 22 European Union member states and four non-members who are members of EFTA: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Following countries are a part of the Schengen agreement: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Liechtenstein.

When travelling from India to any of the Schengen countries, one needs to obtain a Schengen Visa. Once the Visa is obtained, one can travel to any of the Schengen countries hassle free. 

I had planned my Europe trip in the month of Oct-Nov 2017. I was visiting Amsterdam, Paris, Rome, Hamburg, Copenhagen and Brussels. Now, which country's embassy do you apply for the Visa?

Well, first criteria is port of entry and exit. If port of entry and exit aren't the same, next, it can be just port of entry or country where you intend to stay for maximum days. In my case, I choose Amsterdam to be the port of entry and exit and I was staying here for 5 days. Hence the choice was obvious. Once you know your travel dates, it is always recommended to apply for the Visa a month in prior. If it is a first time Europe travel, then this is strongly recommended. For me it was a first ever Europe trip, hence I started collecting required documents a month prior to my travel date.

Some of the common causes for rejection could be:

• False travel documents
• Failing to justify purpose of visit
• Failing to present an employment and professional qualification that matches with the presented financial situation
• Incapacity to provide documents that support the purpose of travel and stay in the Schengen Area
• Missing to apply for a visa period in conformity with the presented travel itinerary and holiday right or revenue situation
• The inability to offer unchanging declarations about the purpose of travel and stay
• Damaged or Invalid Passport
• Applying at the wrong Embassy of the Schengen Area (not being able to determine the main destination of your visit in the Schegen Area)
• Not being able to prove having a booked accommodation for each destination and each night to spend in the Schengen Area
• Not being able to provide booked flight ticket for each applicant (when a group of travelers)
• Not being able to provide travel tickets for each destination to be toured in the Schengen Area.
• Failing to offer financial statements not older than one month from the application date
• Lacking to enjoy a current account statement (presenting credit card statements in its place)
• Missing to possess enough funds in financial statements presented
• Failing to offer a certificate endorsed by official authorities, i.e. Ministry Interior
• Failing to offer a certificate in non English language translated by the authorized translator
• Lacking to prove a civil certificate (offering a religious document instead)
• Not being able to offer a certificate showing both parents of the child
• Not being able to offer certificate that matches with the names of the parties presented on the submitted passports
• Failing to provide a travel insurance cover in the anticipated amount
• Lacking to provide a travel insurance that does not cover the return of the candidate in home country
• The inability to provide a travel insurance whose policy is valid all over the Schengen Area
• The incapacity to show a travel insurance that covers the entire days of the trip in the Schengen Area
• Not being able to present an evidence of a hotel reservation
• Lacking to provide the invitation from the host (proof of sponsorship)

Some of the key documents required for tourist Schengen visa are:

• Original passport, must not be older than 10 years and valid for at least three months
• longer than the intended stay. The passport should have at least two blank pages to affix the visa
• A copy of the holder page of your passport
• Passports with observations regarding the front data page will not be accepted.
• One applications form with all fields filled in and signed by the applicant. The e-mail
• identity and mobile phone number should be clearly readable.
• Two recent photographs in the size of 36-40mm width with white background. The face
• should cover 70-80% of the photo area.
• Visa fee and service fee amount.
• Flight reservation of return or round ticket. If the applicant is travelling to several Schengen States, proof of intra-Schengen flight reservation, train itinerary or car rental.
• Proof of lodging
• Hotel reservations, rental of holiday home or campus residence reservation. If the applicant intends to stay with a family member or a friend, proof of sponsorship and/or private accommodation from the host. Individual Schengen States may require applicant to present proof of sponsorship and/or private accommodation by completing a form drawn up by the Schengen State’s competent authority (hereinafter 'national form'). If applicant is travelling to several Schengen States, proof of lodging in each of them.
• Original private bank statement showing movements in the last three months, duly stamped and signed by the bank;
• Indian income tax return acknowledgement for the last two assessment years
• If the applicant is employed, payslips for the last three months; employment contract; employers statement on approval for holidays.
• If the applicant is a company owner or self-employed: certificate of registration of the company
• If the applicant is sponsored: proof of sponsorship and/or private accommodation by completing a national form of the Schengen State concerned (see the website of the Member State of destination)
• If the applicant is retired: pension statements for the last three months; proof of regular income generated by ownership of property or business.
• marriage certificate, if applicant is married and cannot provide evidence of marital status in the passport; copy of ration card, if applicable
• Copy of overseas medical insurance policy, including medical emergency evacuation cover (equivalent to 30.000 Euros) corresponding with the (desired) period of stay.

Another important item is the cover letter to the embassy stating the intent of travel, travel plan, list of supporting documents.

Here is a sample covering letter that I applied for Netherlands embassy:

Medical Insurance is also a mandatory document. I found HDFC Ergo to be the best and very simple to get it done. 

Ensure enough funds in the bank account before getting the statement. For a 2 weeks trip, the minimum safe amount for a single person would be anywhere between 1.5 to 2 lacs. 

After setting out all the required documents, I booked an appointment with VFS Global, Bangalore Centre. I really feel going through a travel agent is a mere waste of money and time. VFS Global staff's are extremely helpful and they do a thorough checking before they file your application. At this stage if there are any legitimate documents missing, they will decline to file your application. Once the application is filed, you can trace the status online. Generally, if all the documents are in place, it takes 8-10 working days maximum. If you are a frequent traveller, then it hardly takes 4-5 working days. All I wish to say is to begin the Visa process as early as possible. There is nothing worse than Visa getting rejected close to the travel dates. Happy travel!!!