10 answers you need to know about Schengen Tourist Visa (in 2018) Part 1

Transcription

1 10 answers you need to know about Schengen Tourist Visa (in 2018) Part 1 Everyday, I see thousands of queries on Schengen Travel visas from various countries, especially countries that don t have access to Visa free travel to most of the Schengen countries unlike Developed ones like the US, Australia or Canada. I searched on google myself, and couldn t come up with a single blog that has all the information combined(not even the official website). Hence, in this article I will tell you all the 10 answers you need to know about Schengen Tourist Visa(in 2018). It s a one stop solution to the Visa procedure and requirements for the top visited tourist destinations(most of which are Schengen countries) in the world. Before going to the 10 FAQs, let s see some of the facts and figures about tourist destinations in Europe and how they stand in the world. Please note that if you are from the UAE, this article is a must read.

2 According to the tourist ranking report of the world economic forum, the top 30 competitive countries in terms of Travel in the year 2017 in decreasing order are below: Data Source: World Economic Forum This article will focus only on the Schengen countries from the above list. For the list of other countries, check the part 2 version. Before we get into the country wise Visa list, it s worthwhile to mention that most countries in Europe come under the category of Schengen Tourist Visa.

3 Indian nationals and the Schengen fascination The official Schengen Website says this Indians are among the world citizens the interest of whom to visit Europe increases every year, respectively the Schengen states. According to the latest data published, while in 2014 Indians were positioned the seventh, in 2016 the fifth, in 2017 Indian nationals are the fourth group with most Schengen visa applications submitted at the Schengen consulates within India. Read more here Visa free countries for the UAE

4 For Emiratis, following countries have Visa-free entry to Schengen area for 90 days of any 180-day period: Austria Belgium Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Italy Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Monaco Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland

5 Most European countries have flabbergasting panoramas, splendid people, mouth-watering food, incredible wine and beer, wild partying. Take a look at some of the pictures below. Amalfi Coast, Naples(Italy)

6 Rome

7 Follow the steps as below to initiate your Schengen Visa today: 1. Download the application form from the internet and fill it completely and sincerely. You can electronically fill in the form for a Schengen Visa and print it out. 2. Two photos must be attached; the photo should be of passport format a recent whole-face capture with a light background. 3. Your passport and copies of your previous visas valid for at least 3 months beyond return date are required. Your passport must have at least two blank pages. 4. Travel Visa Insurance confirmation of minimum 30,000 coverage within the entire Schengen area. 5. A cover letter stating the purpose of visit and itinerary. I just mentioned that it was my dream from my childhood to visit the dream places one day viz Syracusa, Palermo, Agrigento, Naples, Rome, Venice, Florence. 6. Flight itinerary reservation with dates and flight numbers specifying entry and exit from the specified state/states. Go for a return ticket. In my case I booked from Bangalore(India) to Rome via Kuwait Airways (got an amazing deal :D) 7. Proof of accommodation for the whole duration of the intended stay. This doesn t have to be a 3 star hotel booking. 8. Proof of civil status: This is ensured in your passport(valid at least for the next 3 months). 9. Proof of sufficient financial means for the period of stay. To give you some perspective, a 15 day trip to Schengen countries would require you to show a bank balance of ~2000$ or INR or similar credit card balance. This is a day wise expenditure calculation and an assumption of the worst case.

8 Now here are the FAQs to know about Schengen Tourist Visa, that I have compiled that are mostly asked in various platforms (including my favourite Quora). The answers are compiled mainly from the official website of Schengen: 1. Why is the Schengen Visa being highlighted so much? Most of the top ranking destinations like France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Sweden and so on come under Schengen Countries. This means that you can travel to any number of countries under the Schengen Visa provided you follow the above protocol with a single Visa (at multiple entries). 2. Where do I submit the application? You have to submit your application for a Schengen Visa to the consulate or embassy of the country where you will be entering first or residing the most of the days in the trip. 3. What is the duration of the Schengen Tourist Visa? Tourist visa is commonly valid for stays no more than 90 days. If you plan to travel a lot and not only in one Schengen country, it s recommendable to fill in the multiple entry gap in the application form. This way you will be able to enter and leave Schengen Zone as you please for the amount of time allowed on your visa issued. If you desire to stay longer than the allowed period of time, you will have to apply again in your embassy to prolong your visa.

9 4. How long does it take to receive the visa? The official website says 2 weeks prior to the planned trip. But I strongly suggest you to have a proper buffer time of at least 1 month and avoid last moment panic. The Embassy Consulate will then reply in 10 working days. Now, there is a catch you need to know about Schengen Tourist Visa. You need to be perfect with your documentation. In case you miss even 1 item in the list of mentioned requirements, your visa may get rejected. 5. Where do I apply for the Schengen visa? In cases where you will be traveling to only one Schengen country, apply at the appropriate embassy/consulate of your country. I had applied via VFS(their checks are thorough and chances of Visa rejection for applications via VFS is next to zero). Note that VFS charges a minimal fee, and is totally worth paying for. 6. What if I want to visit multiple countries? Note, this is the best suggestion from the Schengen Website to know about Schengen Tourist Visa and I highly recommend you to go for this. If the applicant is planning to visit two or more Schengen countries, it is highly recommended to be applying for the visa in the embassy/consulate of the country you will be residing in for most of the traveling days, referred to as the main destination. Let s say your main destination is Prague(Czech Republic) because you have booked your return tickets from here, and plan to spend most of your time here. This will be your main destination and you apply via the Prague embassy.

10 7. What is the fee for Schengen Tourist Visa? The fee (in Euro) is Airport transit visa Short stay Schengen visa, less than 90 days Long stay visa, more than 90 days I m panicking now! The embassy is asking for further documents. Does this happen normally? Yes. This is normal practice. You need to know about Schengen Tourist Visa that apart from all the mandatory documents when applying for a Schengen visa, depending on the type of visa you are seeking there are several additional documents that can be required by the embassy/consulate. Remember, it s the one sort of Visa that allows you cross country travel, so do whatever it takes to obtain your Schengen. 9. Can I apply for a Schengen visa in a country where I am not a resident? Yes. If you must apply for a Schengen visa, in a country where you are not a resident, the justification why you are applying from that country will suffice. 10. What do I do if I urge to extend the Schengen visa? In case of any trustworthy reasons, personal, occupational, medical or otherwise, the applicant has to turn to the corresponding institutions in the Schengen country of residence and apply for an extension of the Schengen visa.

11 Information from the official website of Schengen Visa The Schengen Countries: 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

12 The Essential Features of the Schengen Area There are numerous advantages of a Schengen Visa that I figured out during my second trip of Europe recently (after the further liberalization and clear categorization of E Visa l On 1 April 2017 the scheme was renamed e-visa with three subcategories: e-tourist Visa, e-business Visa and e-medical Visa). I have listed down some of my observations below that you need to know about Schengen Tourist Visa: 1. Irrespective of your citizenship, if you have a Schengen Tourist Visa stamp (any category) in your passport, borders within Schengen countries are just for formality. 2. I travelled from Catania (Sicily, Italy) to Budapest in an evening flight and then to Bratislava and Prague via train. I just had to know about Schengen Tourist Visa before getting it. There was almost zero check of our Visa and passport in the borders. It s that simple to cross borders! 3. Having said that, there s something you need to know about Schengen Tourist Visa, the police enjoys the authority to carry out checks at internal borders and in border areas, in specific circumstances, but this is not considered a border check. The police can require information from people at internal borders about the stay in Schengen Area and additional associated questions. 4. If you are travelling to multiple countries, opt for a multiple entry Schengen Visa (because I always suggest to book a return ticket as it saves a lot of cost which implies you will enter and exit one particular city multiple times).

13 You don t travel to Europe many times in your life(especially if you haven t been there for the first time yet). But when you have planned for it, make sure you: 1. Have the VISA related documents ready 2. Explore multiple countries(italy & Czech Republic are highly recommended!) 3. Utilise most of the public commutation(trains, Buses, Trams, Metro trains) as European countries have the best Public commutation system in the world Stay tuned for the upcoming part 2 version of this article that will discuss on the non-schengen countries VISA requirements. Bon voyage!