The Schengen region allows more than 400 million people to travel in all EU countries. It allows people to travel freely between member countries. However, they do not need to go through borders.
Furthermore, the Schengen visa is beneficial for overseas and tourists to:
- Explore any country in Schengen
- Temporary stay in Schengen region
- Opportunities of education
- Advance medical treatments
- Employment opportunities
- Travel in any country of Schengen on a single visa
The state of Schengen issues the Schengen visa. However, it is valid in any Schengen state. But you must have all valid documents before applying for a visa.
What Is The purpose Of A Schengen Visa?
Visa of the Schengen region allows individuals to stay there for 90 to 180 days. Moreover, it offers diverse learning and earning opportunities in 27 Schengen member countries.
Furthermore, it allows people globally to join Schengen as many times but stay here for 180 days.
What Are The Basic Requirements For A Schengen Visa?
The visa application process can be confusing for the person who is applying for the first time. If you are going to apply for a Schengen visa, this handy guide will help you.
We aim to provide you with proper guidelines about visa requirements and the application process.
The basic visa requirements are simple as in the visa for other countries. You must have
- A valid passport
- Visa application form
- Passport size pictures
- A valid travel insurance policy
- A cover letter
- Proof of stay in Schengen zone
- Evidence of flight reservation
- Proof of financial means
However, there are some other documents required depending on the nature of the visa, such as…
If you are a student you need to provide:
- Your academic documents
- Proof of paid fee
- Permission letter from the institute
Moreover, if you are an employee and want to join Schengen for work purposes. Then you need to provide:
- Employment letter of current job
- Salary slip
Besides, if you want to visit your relatives, who are citizens of a Schengen country. Then you will need to provide:
- Proof of your civil status
- Birth certificates of children (in case of children)
Now, we will discuss the above basic visa requirements for application processing.
A Valid Passport
The Schengen visa is the short stay visa. Moreover, it takes the form of a sticker affixed to the travel document. The individual who wants to apply for a Schengen visa must have a valid passport.
Besides, the passport must meet the following criteria outlined by the Schengen embassy.
- Must have two blank pages for visa affix
- Issued in the past 10 years
- Updated in last three months
- Have validity of more than three months beyond your return
What Countries Are Schengen Passport Control?
A person who belongs to any country in the world can travel to any Schengen country without going through border checks. However, national authorities can conduct police checks at the borders between these countries.
Visa Application Form
The individual must fill out a visa application form completely. The application form can also be filled out online on the website of the embassy. However, you can also fill out the form at the embassy. But in both cases, you have to attach documents with the application form.
Structure Of Application Form
The embassy categorized the application form into the following parts.
- Personal information of the applicant, which includes:
- Full name of person
- Age of applicant
- Civil status
- Date and place of birth
- Nationality
- Contact details and address
- Describe the purpose of travel, which is about:
- Travel documents type and number
- Date of issues and expiry of travel documents
- Duration of stay
- Biometric verification of documents
- Dates and Signature:
- Arrival and departure dates
- Signature of applicant
- Information of Host, include:
- The name and location of the host
- Contact details
- Reason of inviting
- Familiar relationship
- Any financial support
Passport Size Pictures
The applicant must have two passport-size photos. However, pictures must be clicked recently in high resolution. The standard size of photos must be 35mmX45mm.
Moreover, make sure there is no spot on the pictures and your face cuts are visible. Because a minor mistake can create major issues during visa application processing.
A Valid Travel Insurance Policy
The applicant must have valid health insurance before applying for a Schengen visa. However, you can buy the insurance policy online. The maximum travel insurance policy for the Schengen region is 30, 000 euros.
The travel insurance policy is meant to cover emergency expenses in Schengen. Moreover, it also covers health expenses such as:
- Expenses of surgeries and diagnosis
- ICU expenses
- Hospitalization of the applicant
A Cover Letter
It is the letter that describes the structure of your trip. However, it should be written in simple sentences and not more than two pages. Moreover, start your cover letter with your basic introduction.
The letter includes the dates of arrival and departure and the places you intend to visit. Furthermore, any other plan during your stay in the Schengen region is also mentioned.
Proof Of Stay In Schengen Zone
It is the evidence about hotel booking. Moreover, any other place of stay in Schengen. It includes the details about:
- The name and location of the hotel
- Contact details of hotel and reservation code
- The dates of arrival and departure
- Duration of stay
- Address of family member (in case you will stay at their place)
- Contact and family details of the host
Furthermore, if you have any other plans to visit member states of Schengen, then also mention them.
Evidence Of Flight Reservation
The proof of flight itinerary is a mandatory document of visa application. The application cannot proceed further without having evidence of a flight itinerary.
However, it includes the details about:
- You full name
- Name and reservation code of flight
- Dates of arrival and departure
- The price of a ticket
- Airport IATA codes
Furthermore, the details about any connecting flights are also included if applicable.
Significance Of Flight Reservation
It is difficult for individuals to buy a full flight ticket for visa application. Therefore, the embassy allowed them to attach the proof of flight itinerary for visa processing.
Moreover, numerous consulting agencies provide flight itineraries to applicants. For instance: https://schengenflightreservationvisa.com/.
Proof Of Financial Means
However, you need to show proof of financial resources. It ensures that you have enough financial resources to manage expenses in Schengen.
Moreover, it includes the proof of:
- A bank statement (not older than three months)
- Credit card details
- Employment details (in case of employment)
- The proof of sponsor
However, the amount of financial resources is not specified. You just need to show that you have enough savings in your bank account to stay in Schengen countries.
