Get an approved Schengen tourist visa by following the general Schengen visa application procedure. Travellers no longer need to worry about what documents to collate and what steps to take because this article aims to guide first-time or renewing Schengen visa applicants. You actually do not need to pay for a travel liaison because applying for a Schengen visa is as easy as 1, 2, 3.
Before you even apply for a visa, make sure that your current passport is valid for at least six months prior to your targeted date of travel. The Schengen area strictly imposes the 6-month passport validity rule to tourists who wish to travel to any of the Schengen territory. For example, if you are entering the Schengen territory on May 25, 2017 and leaving on June 1, 2017, your passport should not expire before or on November 30, 2017. To avoid such hassle, do check your passport’s expiry date and immediately renew it if need be.
General Schengen Visa Application Procedure – Important Steps to Take:
Step 1: Check your passport:
As mentioned above, you should need to check your passport’s expiration. Look at the date of expiration and count back to six months. If your travel itinerary is in between the six months prior to your passport’s expiration, then you need to renew it prior to travelling. You may apply for a Schengen visa with your current passport but make sure to get a new one before entering the Schengen area. Holding a valid passport is one of the most important general Schengen visa application procedures.
Step 2: Fill-out the Visa Application Form:
The next step to take once you have checked your passport and once you have determined your travel itinerary, is to fill-out the Schengen visa application form. If you click on the link and read the form, the spaces to be filled out are about your identity, occupation, Schengen area travel background, financial capability, and invitation (if any). Fill out the form by typing your information using your computer and then printing it out. Handwritten forms are also accepted but a computer generated one is more presentable and readable. Fill-out the form as honestly and as correctly as possible. Remember, the information you put here will be entered in the Schengen member embassy’s data bank so if you put an incorrect information, you may have a difficult time undoing it.
Step 3: Collate the necessary documents:
After filling-out the form, you now need to produce the necessary documents that are required by the Schengen member embassy. Here is a general list of what all of the member embassies need to process your visa application:
- A couple of recent passport photos with white background
- Travel Insurance – It is best to get it from Visitor’s Coverage, a more affordable and reliable insurance company.
- Proof of Travel – flight booking, hotel booking, and travel itinerary. You may get a Flight Booking, Hotel Booking, and Travel Itinerary just to get a Schengen Visa without having to pay for the ticket, reservation, or tour packages.
- Personal Coverage Letter
- No Objection Letter – This may come in handy when applying for a Schengen Visa.
- Bank documents
Step 4: Know which Schengen Member Embassy to apply from:
Now that you have secured a valid passport, filled-out the visa application form, and have collated all the necessary documents, you now need to submit these to the correct Schengen member embassy. Do not just submit these documents to any random Schengen embassy because you might get disapproved due to a technical error. Here are some tips to know which embassy apply from:
If you plan to visit only one country within the Schengen area, then you must apply for a visa in that particular country you are visiting.
If you plan to visit several countries in the Schengen area, then you must apply for a visa from the Schengen member embassy where you plan to stay the longest.
If you plan to visit several countries in the Schengen area but have not finalized your travel itinerary but have finalized your flight booking, then you must apply for a visa from the embassy of your planned point of entry.
Step 5: Set an Appointment:
Now that you have all the requirements and know which embassy to apply from, you now need to contact the embassy’s visa processing unit to set an appointment. Most probably, you can set an appointment online but if not, then you need to contact the embassy through phone or email.
Another thing, make sure to set an appointment not greater than 3 months prior to your target departure. These Schengen member embassies refuse to accept visa applications with travel dates that are not 3 months from the submitted date. You might be wasting your time if you set an appointment on May 1, 2017 but your intended travel date is December 1, 2017.
Step 6: Personal Appearance and Interview:
The next general Schengen visa application procedure is to personally appear before the consulate to actually submit your documents. Remember, you cannot send a proxy to your scheduled appointment because the consul may need to interview you while checking your documents. When you go to your scheduled appointment make sure you are ready for an interview.
Another reason why you cannot send a proxy to submit your documents is the biometrics process. All Schengen embassies do implement the biometrics process where all visa applicants will be asked to submit their thumbprints that will automatically go to the Schengen embassy’s data bank. This way, if you will apply for another Schengen visa in the future, you may no longer be required to appear in person.
Step 7: Pay the fee:
After your personal appearance you will need to pay for the Schengen visa processing fee. The amount may vary from embassy to embassy and from country to country but the average amount of the visa fee for adults is €65. You may pay using your local currency but bring cash to be sure.
General Schengen Visa Application Procedure – Start Now!
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Secure an approved tourist visa by following the general Schengen visa application procedure now!
