Wednesday, 29 January 2014

Requirements For A Schengen Visa

With summer vacations just around the corner, most of us with the 'wrong' passport will need the dreaded Schengen visa to be able to visit 26 countries at present in the Schengen Zone.

Getting the elusive Schengen visa has turned out to be a right of passage for a lot of citizens who wish have a vacation in Europe. Even though meant to make travelling to Europe less difficult, it can become a major problem for some when submitting their documents to acquire the EU visa.

The Schengen visa permits you to travel to the following countries : Belgium , Austria ,  Czech Republic ,  Estonia , Denmark , Finland , France , Greece , Germany , Hungary ,  Italy , Iceland , Latvia , Liechtenstein , Lithuania , Malta , Luxembourg, Netherlands , Portugal , Norway Poland, Slovakia , Spain , Slovenia, Sweden as well as Switzerland . There are some questions in the minds of applicants such as where to get schengen visa, where to get passport at the time of planning to visit in the Schengen Zone.

The prerequisites for a Schengen visa are :

Anyone which would normally require a visa to enter Europe could apply for one
The intent behind the visit should be for leisure , tourism or maybe business
A maximum stay of ninety days can be granted , in any six month period
Schengen visa holders cannot perpetually live or work in Europe

There are also some queries which are remained unanswered by certain embassies such as how to invest, where to invest at the time of submitting an application for Schengen visa.

To acquire your visa in time for your vacation it is advised to submit an application for your Schengen visa at least six weeks prior to travel, certain nationalities require a lot more notice than this . Visa processing times deviate throughout the year so it's essential to plan ahead.

Submitting an application for the EU visa is quite a simple process, and which embassy you submit an application at is dependent upon which country you would be visiting. For example, in case you are only travelling to France well then you should apply at the French embassy in your home country. Just in case, however, you're travelling to multiple countries, you'll have to apply at the embassy of the country where you're shelling out the most number of nights. In case you're staying for an equal number of nights at numerous different destinations in the Schengen Zone well then you should apply for your Schengen visa at the embassy of very first country you'll visit.

The documents ( not comprehensive ) that you will need are : a completed as well as signed visa application form , 2 passport photographs , your passport and a photocopy of your own passport , proof of money , in addition to the visa application fee . Based on the country you're from, you might also need other supporting documents, thus be sure to read the application form very carefully.


Most embassies you have currently outsourced their visa application services to an organization called VFS Global. Unfortunately a lot of people have been refused their visa simply because they don't fully understand what aiding documents are required and its at times difficult to get information from VFS Global or perhaps from the embassy as they generally don't take calls from the general public.

There are numerous insurance companies that provide the medical coverage you require. Most of them do not need a medical exam, and when you buy it online, the coverage is applied immediately. Their website as well covers the Schengen visa insurance needs in greater detail to make the application as smooth as possible. Bear in mind to leave plenty of time when submitting an application for a Schengen visa, as it might take more than six weeks to process your application and return your visa .Since a rule of thumb, you should submit an application more than two months before your visit, and it might be wise to schedule an appointment with the recommended consulate in advance.