How do I apply for a Schengen Visa?Type of Visa.Tourist Visa is one of the most famous purposes for traveling to the Schengen Zone. People who are planning to visit any of the countries in this territory for sightseeing and experiencing their culture, architecture, foods etc, should select this purpose of traveling in their application form.The other available visa are, Transit Visa, Student Visa, Business Visa, Visa for Visiting Family or Friends, Visa for Culture and Sport activities, Visa for Official Visits, Study visa, Visa for Medical Reasons.Uniform Schengen Visa.This visa allows the traveller to visit any of the 26 Schengen state for, upto 90 days within 6 months of issue. The visa can be a single entry, double entry or multiple entries.Limited Territorial Validity Visas.This visa allows the traveller to visit a particular country & prevent the traveller from entering any other Schengen country during the visit.You can apply for a single entry or a multiple entry visa depending on your itinerary. If you plan to exit the Schengen Zone and return again you will need a multiple entry visa.Which Schengen country to apply at?If you are going to visit only one Schengen country, file your application at the embassy/consulate/visa center of that country.If you are going to visit more than two Schengen countries, file your application:At the embassy/consulate/ visa center of the country where you will be spending the maximum number of days,OrAt the embassy/consulate/ visa center of the country which will be your port of entry.When to apply?The earliest you can file a visa application is three months before you start your planned journey.The latest you can file a visa application is, at the most, 15 working days before you intend to travel.The recommended time to file a visa application is at least a month before your trip starts.There are some embassies which have a quicker visa processing time.Where will you submit the Visa Application Documents?You will have to file your Schengen visa application at one of the following places,The country's embassy.The country's consulatesA visa center to which the embassy of your destination country has outsourced visa submission. Eg. VFS Centre.The embassy/consulate of another Schengen state to which the embassy of your destination country has outsourced visa submission.How to Apply?The first thing applicants must do to start the visa application process is to schedule an appointment with the embassy/consulate/visa center. The appointment can be taken online on the VFS websites or by visiting the VFS centres in person.Generally the application is accepted at VFS, which is the nominated collection agency for Schengen visa.The centres are located at, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kochi, Jalandhar, Gurugram, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Goa, Hyderabad, Pondicherry, Pune & Trivandrum.Which Documents are to be submitted?You need to submit the following documents during the application process:Two passport size photographs of 32-36 mm height in a white background. 70-80% of the photograph must show the full frontal image of the applicantu2019s head. Photos must not contain red-eyes, reflections, and shadows.Passport (with at least 2 blank pages), 6 months validity and copies of old passports which has your travel history.Travel insurance of a minimum coverage value of u20ac30,000.Flight tickets, hotel bookings or proof of accommodation, daily meals, internal travel details, planned day to day itinerary.If you are self employed you will need your company's registration certificate, 3 years IT returns, 6 months Current Account Account Bank Statement.If you are salaried, you will need proof of employment, salary slips(certificate) for the past 6 months, leave request and travel consent form from the employer, and a copy of 3 years IT returns.6 months bank statement indicating your financial details, and details of Fixed Deposits if any.3 months international credit card statement if you are carrying it.Details of Forex card, Travellers Cheques, cash.Notarised sponsor letter from your parent/friend/relative along with their financial details of your trip is being sponsored by someone in your home country.If you are being sponsored by a someone in the Schengen country, you will need a sponsor letter from the person who is hosting you. The letter is to be addressed to the embassy mentioning details about your accommodation, relation and accepting the guarantee to host you along with details of their immigration/residence status, address & contact details. The absence of the sponsorship letter may disqualify you in the eyes of the embassy.Details of internal transportation within the Schengen Zone.A wealth certificate from a Chartered Accountant which shows all your assets in India will be an important document.A Cover letter stating the reason for visit, the intention of stay and duration of travel is to be attached to your documents. For a tourist visa the cover letter will act as the only way of communication with the embassy officer that is going to process your visa application. As personal interviews are rare.Extra Documents for,A student- no objection certificate from school/college, proof of enrolmentIf retired- a copy of pension documents for the past 6 monthsAll documents must be personally handed over to the concerned person at the Embassy/Consulate/VFS.After the documents are verified your biometrics(fingerprints) will be taken & tagged to your documentation. They act as records of identification during your travel.In rare cases you might be called for an interview, if you have applied for a tourist visa.Once your visa application is processed, the embassy will send your visa by post if your application has been accepted.Visa Fees.The fees for Schengen visa is u20ac 60, which is roughly Rs 4500. If you opt for the SMS service & the service where the passport will be couriered to you via DHL the cost will be about Rs 500.How to ensure your visa application for Schengen visa is accepted?Make sure you prcomplete information about yourself, your education, your place of employment, your financal details.Make your intention to visit the Schengen country clear in the application & the purpose to leave the Schengen country once your purpose is fulfilled.Prall the necessary documents including the sponsorship letter(if needed), either in original or copy, as required.Do not forge signatures or prwrongful informationGet the right travel insurance well-in-advance, make sure your passport is in good condition with atleast 6 months validity when your trip starts.How much funds are needed?Calculate the normal travel airfare, hotel accommodation, internal travel, daily meals, internal travel & some money as contingency amount.Each Schengen Country has set a minimum amount that is needed for a traveller to sustain himself/herself in that country.How do you calculate the means of subsistence for Schengen visa?Means of Subsistence = Cost per day (set by the Schengen member state) x Number of days of stay.For Belgium it is u20ac45 per day for travellers staying with a private individual & u20ac95 per day for travellers staying at a hotel.For France it is u20ac65 per day if staying at a hotel, u20ac32.50 per day if holding proof of accommodation.For Spain it is u20ac 583.74 minimum amount (for stays of up to 10 days) & u20ac64.86 per day in excess of 10 days.For Slovakia it is u20ac56 per day (u20ac30 for accommodation, u20ac4 for breakfast, u20ac7.5 for lunch, u20ac7.5 for dinner, u20ac7 for spending) or a certified invitation letter from a sponsor who is bearing the costs.For Malta it is u20ac 48 per day. For Netherlands it u20ac 34 per day.For Austria & Luxembourg it is decided on case to case, basis.Open this link to get the details of all the Schengen Country's daily cash requirements, (Means of Subsistence - How much money do you need for a Schengen Visa).To be on the safer side you should have at least Rs 2,00,000/ in your savings account for this 14 days trip. This would cover the cost & convince the visa officer that the finances will be enough for your sustainment.Good luck. (If you have any query message me).Reference : Schengen Visa Application Process - How to Apply for a Visa to Europe
