Essential Documents To Submit With A Schengen Visa Application

When applying for the schengen visa, some essential documents are attached to the application. You must gather all these documents early before applying for the visa application. Each schengen country has some additional documents requirement for staying there, you can check these online on the embassy websites.

This article includes a list of essential documents needed to obtain a Schengen Visa and specific requirements for each visa type. Additionally, there is a brief description of each requirement and its specifications.

General Documents Requirement For A Schengen Visa Application

There are following list of all general documents which are considered necessary for any Schengen visa application:

• Fill out and sign the visa application form completely.
• Attach two recently taken photos that meet the visa photo requirements. The pictures must have been taken within the last three months.
• Provide a valid passport no more than 10 years old and will remain valid for almost 3 months beyond your departure date from the Schengen area. If you have older passports with visas, please include them as well.
• A round-trip itinerary or reservation, usually a dummy ticket for Schengen visa, that includes your entry and exit dates and flight numbers for the Schengen area. You can receive assistance obtaining a dummy ticket for visa application and hotel reservations, as well as free consultation via email from the service providers.
• You must have a valid travel insurance certificate of 30,000 euros to meet any medical emergencies in the schengen zone. You can easily purchase this insurance policy online from Europ Assistance.
• To obtain a Schengen visa, you must provide proof of accommodation which may be a hotel booking or Airbnb booking, or any of your friends or relatives’ place.
• Invitation letter from a host who will be accommodating you at their residence.
• To obtain a Schengen visa, you must provide proof that you have enough financial funds to support yourself during your stay. This can be demonstrated through one of the following:
• A bank account statement up to 3 months old shows you have sufficient funds for the trip.
• A sponsorship letter from someone else who will financially support your trip, accompanied by a bank statement from the sponsor that is no more than 3 months old.
• Your bank account statement and a sponsorship letter.
• To obtain a visa, it is necessary to provide evidence of payment for the corresponding fees. The fee for adults is €80, while for children between 6 and 12 years old, it is €45.
• The NOC (No Objection Certificate) is a letter written by your employer on behalf of your company, indicating that you will return to work after your Schengen vacation. In addition, the letter confirms that you have the financial means to afford the trip.

Also Read: Do I Need A Schengen Visa To Travel To The U.K

Additional Documents Required For Schengen Visa

• Depending on working status, you will have to provide some extra documents as follows:
• To confirm your status as a student, you will need to provide documentation as proof. Acceptable documents may include your student ID card, a copy of your university enrollment, a signed and stamped student index, along with a current transcript of records. You will also have to show proof that you have enough money to pay for your entire stay in the target country. You can do this by showing a job contract or a bank statement from your parents or host, if needed.
• For proof of employment, you can provide either an original letter signed by your employer or a recent payslip. In addition to a bank statement, you must provide your employment contract and a vacation confirmation from your employer.
• To demonstrate that you are self-employed, you can submit a letter from a solicitor, accountant, or Companies House confirming your status.
• If you are retired, you must provide pension statements covering the last six months as evidence.

Schengen Visa Requirements for Children Under 18

• The legal guardian/s must sign the visa application form twice.
• An unabridged birth certificate must be provided.
• If the minor is travelling alone, certified parental consent from both parents must be submitted.
• If the minor is going to travel with one parent only, the other parent must provide notarized/certified consent.
• If the minor is travelling with a single parent who holds sole paternal authority, relevant court documents such as a death certificate, divorce agreement, or custody agreement must be presented.

Documents Required For The Purpose Of Joining A Spouse Residing In Europe

The additional necessary documents to get a Schengen visa to join a Spouse residing in the EU are:

• Submission of two application forms instead of one.
• Provision of the original certified copy of the marriage certificate.
• Submission of a copy of the spouse’s passport in case he/she is an EU citizen. If your spouse is not an EU citizen, but resides in a Schengen country, a copy of his/her residency permit must also be submitted.

Procedure:

• Applicants must submit their visa applications in person. If the applicant is under 18 years old, their legal representative must apply on their behalf.
• You must submit your visa application at the Visa Application Centre operated by BLS International. An appointment is mandatory for this process.
• The visa application must be submitted 6 months to 15 days before the scheduled travel date. Seafarers can submit their visa applications up to 9 months before the travel date.
• The applicant’s facial image and fingerprints will be collected during the visa application process.
• However, if the quality of the fingerprints needs to be improved, the Consular Office may request the applicant to return for a retake.
• The Consular Office may require the applicant to submit any missing documents or provide additional information to decide on the visa application. Additionally, the applicant may be requested to attend a personal interview.
• The decision on the visa application must be made within 15 calendar days of the submission date. Hence, all the visa supporting documents like proof of accommodation, international health insurance, flight itinerary for visa application etc. should be ready before submitting your application. However, this period may extend to 45 calendar days if an interview or additional documents are required.

Bottom line

Please note that embassies and consulates require a prior appointment for accepting visa applications, and they typically do not provide updates on pending cases via email or phone.
It’s important to keep in mind that each embassy or consulate may request additional documents during your appointment or at a later time, and they also have the authority to call the applicant for a follow-up interview.