Applying for a Schengen visa to visit any of the 26 countries in the Schengen Zone can be a hit and miss affair. It should be quite a straight forward process - you apply for an appointment at the embassy or visa application centre a few weeks before your travel date and once at the embassy or visa application centre you hand in your documents. After a few days you go back to retrieve your passport with the Schengen visa enclosed in your passport. Now you can visit Europe and spend your hard-earned cash and do your bit for the Euro.
In our experience it is far from straight forward. Here's why:
Finding out what documents are required is like trying to find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Most of the embassy websites don't have a full list of Schengen visa requirements and if they do there will be some ambiguity in what documents are needed. A common concern amongst applicants is whether the documents should be the original or copies of the original.
The majority of the embassies don't have a contact number for Schengen visa applicants to dial should they want any clarity on anything in relation to obtaining the European visa. Some embassies have a premium rate number while others outsource the visa application process to a third-party which are usually quite poor in offering advice on the visa application process.
There are also various questions like how much money is required in bank accounts, are internet bank statements adequate for proof of funds, is a Schengen visa required by spouses of EU nationals or is it a problem that my UK visa or work permit is in an old passport?
In our experience it is far from straight forward. Here's why:
Finding out what documents are required is like trying to find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Most of the embassy websites don't have a full list of Schengen visa requirements and if they do there will be some ambiguity in what documents are needed. A common concern amongst applicants is whether the documents should be the original or copies of the original.
The majority of the embassies don't have a contact number for Schengen visa applicants to dial should they want any clarity on anything in relation to obtaining the European visa. Some embassies have a premium rate number while others outsource the visa application process to a third-party which are usually quite poor in offering advice on the visa application process.
There are also various questions like how much money is required in bank accounts, are internet bank statements adequate for proof of funds, is a Schengen visa required by spouses of EU nationals or is it a problem that my UK visa or work permit is in an old passport?
Here is our advice to obtain your Schengen visa the first time you apply -
Apply for an appointment at the embassy or consulate at least 6 to 8 weeks in advance of your planned trip. It is advisable to check when the next date for the appointment is and plan your holiday around this date. You can usually check this on the embassy website or by calling the embassy direct.
Double-check that the address of the embassy is the correct place you should apply at for your visa. For example, if you live in the northern part of the UK, you may only apply at the Edinburgh embassy of certain countries. Also note that the address where you need to apply for your Schengen visa may not be the same as the embassy - often they have this in another building or at the outsourced company's offices.
Thoroughly research what documents you will need to bring with you. Bring in the originals and copies of all documents.
Make sure you download the correct and up to date version of the Schengen visa application form. It's always best to download this straight from the embassy website.
Make sure you have valid travel insurance for the duration and covering all the countries you intend to travel. Ensure that cover is at least 30,000 Euros.
Ensure that you have at least 4 recent photos according to the given dimension and specification.
A little advertised rule is that you are required to have at least £35 in your bank account for each day you intend to stay in the Schengen Zone. We recommend you have at least £50 per day to make sure you aren't denied a visa due to insufficient funds.
Once you have completed your application form in full and signed we recommend you double-check all your documents then arrive a few minutes early for your Schengen visa appointment time.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ryan_M_Smethurst
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