Schengen VISA Italy for Indian Citizens – Ultimate guide
Europe. A continent so big and beautiful – no wonder one gets stumped while deciding where to go, when to go, what to see, what to do and what not to do! Once you have got answers for all the above questions, the next immediate thing to think about is VISA. As we all know, VISA is an official permission granted by the government of any country for a foreigner who wishes to enter, stay or exit a country.
Of all the 50 countries in Europe, 26 countries have bound themselves to a Schengen Agreement. Summarizing the Schengen Agreement – it allows free movement of people, goods and capital between the Schengen countries thus abolishing the internal border controls, imparting a feeling of one big single country. This, in particular is a boon for tourists who can procure a multiple entry Schengen Visa and roam around freely among the Schengen countries without worrying about applying VISA for every country they would like to visit.
Though not a pain-in-the-a** like US VISA, Schengen VISA is a blessing in disguise, but there are some things to take care while applying a Schengen VISA to make sure your application doesn’t get rejected. I did extensive research while applying my Schengen VISA with the port of entry as Italy. I shall pour out my 2 bits of knowledge on Schengen VISA for Italy.
How to get Italy Visa from India?
If you want boring text-book like details of steps to apply for Schengen VISA Italy and a list of documents required, you can visit this website http://www.vfs-italy.co.in/
As a first timer for applying Schengen VISA Italy from India, this website, though detailed and precise, left me lurking for more details. I was confused and didn’t know where to start – whether to book accommodation and flights and then apply for VISA or the other way round (fear of – what if the VISA gets rejected?). Went to a couple of VISA Agents but ended up applying Schengen VISA on my own! That story is for another day 🙂
If you are planning a self-planned trip to Europe, then this post will make more sense to you. Because, you are doing your own homework, you decide where to go and what to do – so you gotta apply your own Schengen VISA. Trust me, it isn’t as difficult as it seems in the beginning. Once you go through the whole process, you will emerge out like a gold medalist in Olympics 😛
If you are going on a package trip to Europe, your tour operator will do all the work on your behalf and he/she will have enough experience of how things work. If you are not very old or you are fit enough to travel, then I have a strong feeling that you are going to bookmark this post for your future reference. Because, Europe is not meant to be done in 15 days – especially not in a package tour. You will realize this once you are back from your Europe tour and you will crave for more! I can guarantee you that you will do a self-planned Europe trip, the next time. That’s when this post will come in handy 🙂
This post is for complete Schengen VISA noobs. If you belong to the ‘Been there, Done that’ category, still, read along, you will find yourself somewhere in between the lines 😀
Italian Visa India Checklist
Itinerary:
Chalk out your itinerary first. This is the backbone of your vacation. Do a precise and practical planning of where to touch down and from where to take off.
- First list down all the places you’d like to see.
- Check how many days of leaves you have in hand.
- You cannot possibly finish Europe in 15 days. So, pick your favorite ones first and leave the rest for your next trip.
- Now, connect the dots and make a final itinerary.
Decide which country will be your port of Entry:
This is a big question that troubles everyone who applies for Schengen VISA. If your itinerary is restricted to one country, then you have a clear cut answer right in front of you. But, if your itinerary spans many countries, then you are left with a lot of questions and fanatically search online for your queries.
Fret not. Your search ends here. The answer is simple. Apply to the country in which you will stay for maximum number of days i.e. the main destination. In the absence of a main destination (e.g. same duration of stay in two or more countries) you should apply at the country of first entry because your passport will show the entry stamp of your first destination only.
So, if you have a layover in Paris before reaching your main destination, you should NOT be applying for Schengen France, though it is your first Schengen country.
My port of Entry was Italy as I was to stay in Italy for 7 days i.e maximum number of days in one country in my entire trip. So, further, I shall be quoting a lot of Schengen VISA Italy.
Must read
See where all we went in Italy: Italy Road trip Itinerary (opens in a new tab)
One fair warning: Though Schengen VISA entitles you a entry into any Schengen country, it doesn’t mean that it is your right. The host country might refuse entry if it finds there is something fishy. A lot of travel agents suggest applying Schengen for a country whose embassies are not very strict and issue VISA in short time. Though this might get you entry for the first time, but, you might be in a soup the next time you visit Europe. Every Schengen application has a column to quote your previous Schengen VISA details. If they found that you had violated rules in your earlier visit, then more chances are there that your Schengen VISA might be rejected.
Check VFS Website for Interview schedule:
When I searched for ‘Italian Embassy in India, Bangalore’ or Googled up ‘Italy Schengen VISA’, VFS website pops up first in the search. When I entered the website, I realized that there are three Italian Embassy/Consulate in India – Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata. My Einstein brain calculated in rocket speed that, I am from Bangalore, so Mumbai is the nearest place to apply my Schengen VISA for Italy. I couldn’t be more wrong!
Before confusing you, let me give you some background. You cannot submit your Schengen VISA application directly to Italian Consulate in India. VFS is an agent who caters to VISA requirement to most of the European countries. VFS has branches in almost all cities in India. So, I could apply my Schengen VISA for Italy, right here in Bangalore, but my VISA approval would come under ‘Consulate General of Italy in Mumbai’ jurisdiction.
VFS Italy Appointment
Now, before making hotel/apartment bookings for your Europe trip, check VFS Italy website for scheduling an appointment here. (for VFS Italy, Mumbai)
The available appointment date will usually be 10-15 days from today’s date, though it might differ. Go ahead and book a date and timeslot that suits you.
If you are short of time, and don’t have 15 days of time to wait for an appointment and did the mistake of doing all the bookings first, before having enough time to schedule an appointment, like I did. Then, visit your VFS center in your city and request them for an earlier appointment date. For which, I got a prompt response and got my appointment scheduled in 3 days had to opt for VFS Premium Lounge Services. More on VFS Premium Lounge Service here.
Also make sure you have insurance before you apply visa. Expats can check here for Expat Medical Plans.
Read about : Our European adventures (Opens in a new tab)
When to Apply for Tourist Visa for Italy from India?
You can apply for a visa minimum 15 days or maximum 3 months before your intended date of travel.
15 days here refers to 15 working days. So, DON’T go easy on that term.
Download the Schengen VISA Italy application here. Also attached is a sample application form which guides you how to fill the application.
Schengen-VISA-Italy-Application-Form
Do your bookings:
Now that you have secured your VISA appointment, start looking out for hotels/flights and do the other necessary bookings. I suggest doing your bookings once you have got your appointment because I had done a mistake of finishing all my hotel bookings first, assuming that, VFS guys will be waiting with a grand welcome ceremony to greet me to their office!!
My travel date was May 27 and I looked out for an appointment on Apr 28th and next available slot was on May 15th! Imagine my plight. Minor panic attacks!!
So, it’s always wise to secure an appointment first and then finish off your bookings. This way, you will have a target date before which you must and should finish off all your bookings. Some persuasion is always good. What say? 😉
I did all my bookings through Booking.com and found them very efficient.
Booking.com
Get your documents in place – Italy Visa Requirements:
Make a checklist of Italy Visa requirement documents and start procuring them one by one and log them securely at one place. I used the below checklist to sort out my documents.
Take a careful look at all the documents to be submitted. Some things which need a second thought:
- If Employed, Original Leave authorization from employer: Yes, they want your boss to know that you will be merrily sipping cocktail by the sea while he is banging is head into the computer. Also, no sneaking in one or two extra leaves by falling sick falsely! Save that excuse for your domestic trips!
- Copies of the sale deeds of immovable properties: To make sure you have some valuable property back here at home. A subtle way to ensure that we drag ourselves out of Schengen countries to return to our nest.
- Original bank statements for the last 6 months with adequate balance, well over your tour cost: This is to make sure that you are rich enough to manage yourself in a foreign country. They really don’t want you to get wealthy by working in Mc.Donalds or KFC by procuring a Schengen VISA. Ideally, 100 Euros per person, per day is the usual requirement – the more, the better!
- Travel Insurance for the whole period: Health insurance covering a minimum of €30,000 for emergency hospitalization and repatriation expenses, valid throughout the Schengen area. You really don’t want to risk it if something goes wrong while on a vacation abroad, right? Mr. Murphy will be on lookout for these simple gaffes! Also note that, the travel insurance has to be for minimum ten days from the date of travel.
- Photo Specifications: Clearly, no searching your document cabinet for your photos which you probably got clicked centuries ago! Go out to a decent photo studio, flaunt to the guy who clicks your photo that are going to Europe! Don’t be a miser to spend a couple of hundred bucks here; Remember, your Europe trip is going to cost you lakhs of rupees – entire trip at stake, for a couple of hundred bucks? Just not done!!
- Cover Letter: Now, this one is serious and really important. This is a letter which gives a gist of who you are, where are you going, when are going, with whom are you going and why you are applying Schengen VISA for that country. The officer who goes through your Schengen VISA application must be convinced that you are eligible for Schengen VISA and you have to do that through your cover letter.
Click here to know what to and what not to include in your Cover Letter – How not to Screw up your Schengen Visa Cover Letter (opens in a new tab)
- Multiple Entry: If your itinerary spans many countries, then you will need a ‘Multiple entry Schengen VISA’. So, while filling up your application form, ensure that you tick the Multiple Entry checkbox. Do NOT neglect this point!
- Pages in your passport: You are travelling to Europe, so country hopping is on cards and expect a lot of stamps on your passport. Make sure that you have at least 2 empty VISA pages in your passport.
- Italian Translator: While I was going through VFS website, I read this sentence and broke my head over it for a couple of days until I spoke to VFS customer care.
“Ensure you submit documents in Italian, if required. Documents which are not in Italian must be translated into Italian. Translation should be completed from certified translator.”
Don’t worry about this; there is NO need to translate your application to Italian!
- Passport pickup v/s Courier delivery: If you are really short of time and need your VISA asap, then you can choose to pick up your passport personally from VFS office. If you opt for this option, then you must mention this while you submit your application. But, in general, passport pickup is not required. The courier service is very prompt and I received my passport the immediate next day after I received the message that the courier has been dispatched. If in case, you choose to pick up your passport and you are not able to make it to VFS office, then you might send your immediate family member or anyone representing the whole group. They must carry these documents with them while collecting passport – Photocopy of Govt. ID card, Original ICR, Authorization Letter from applicant.
When in doubt, leave it empty:
While filling the application, if you are in doubt with any column, leave it empty. When you visit VFS office for submitting your Schengen VISA Application, ask the officer in charge and he/she should guide you to light! 😀
These were some of the points to take an extra care while applying Schengen VISA for Italy. As I mentioned earlier, VFS Italy website has exhaustive information about applying Schengen VISA for Italy, but, what I have attempted to document here is the fine details which either make or break your Schengen VISA application. So, what are you waiting for? Start today and get going! Happy European Adventures!
If you have any query, comment below and I would be happy to help! 🙂
Been there, done that? Or planning to apply Schengen VISA? Would love to hear from you! Scribble your thoughts in the comment section below! 🙂
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Very detailed and helpful post.
Thanks Sapna!:)
Hello there, nice to read your post, it’s very well written one.
I also need help regarding Italy visa issue. I have to attend a conference in Italy from 16 to 21 Sept 2018.
My office will be bearing the cost of travelling and lodings. Mine invitation letter mentions the purpose of visit as business and dates as cited above. This means I have to leave Italy on 22 September 2018, but I want to visit nearby places in Italy and wants to extend stay by 2 days and leave on 24 September 2018. I am worried as my letter only mentions dates from 16 to 21 September, will my visa be rejected??
You can mention the same in your cover letter and show bank balance to support your 2 days of travel. Being transparent is always recommended and appreciated.
Hi harvinder sinhh when you have applied for your visa?
After howmany days you got the visa?
I think we are going for the same conference but still i did not get mine?
Ashwini, thanks for the detailed information. I see you have said that 15 working days are required for the visa to get processed. We submitted our docs on 21st September and the tracking system on VFS says the docs were dispatched on 24th. We seem to have lost a day, thanks to VFS. Even today after 14 working days, not counting 21st September and 2nd October we see the same information that docs have been sent to Mumbai. My spouse has an official trip to the US starting 19th October and we had hoped that we will receive the passports by then. Unfortunately the chances seem slim as of today – 12th Oct. Have you ever come across people who may have actually driven down to the the consulate to speak to the right people and try and pick up passports themselves. VFS gives standard and frustrating responses that they cannot contact the consulate or expedite our case. Any advice is welcome.
Try calling the consulate directly and explain them the situation. They will obviously redirect saying to contact VFS. But let them know that its an emergency and explain them the scenario. This method worked for me. Hope it works for you too.
Thanks for this very informative post!
Thanks Reshma!
Applying for Schengan visa is always bit tricky as we cant miss out any information to be submitted! Thank you for sharing such an informative post! 🙂
Initially it was a stress going though the entire process. Hence the post to simplify Schengen VISA hassles 🙂 Thanks a lot! 🙂
Hi, went through your exhaustive post, quite in-depth for sure, I am going with my family(wife, and 2 children) to Europe in the month of June. But as one can understand if you don’t want your budget to shoot, you have to book tickets on time and plan your hotels to remain in your budget. I have already booked my flight tickets, hotel booking through airbnb and few train tickets also and hope to get the visa, I would be applying through Italy only for the visa, as I would be staying for 5 days here and 3 days each in France and Switzerland.
But still I am worried if I didn’t get the visa then what will happened, I would make a loss on many cancellations. I have traveled to more than 13 countries( mainly business trips) in past but am travelling with my family for the first time to Europe. I am having a valid US visa stamped which is good thru 2018. I can provide all the papers required. What do you think personally will my visa be a problem. I have also travelled to Europe also in 1995 on Schengen visa through Germany.
My main worry is to foolproof my chances of getting the visa stamped.My trip is for 10 days. Going in 3rd June and exiting on 13th June.
Thanks in advance.
Hello Manoj!
If you have your bookings in place, then there is no reason that your VISA getting rejected. If you want to be on a safer side apply 90 days prior your travel i.e if you are going in June, the apply in March end or April beginning. If something goes wrong (which it shouldn’t) then you will have enough time to reapply and correct the mistake you had done while applying the first time! 🙂
Show your accommodation for all 10 days. Show how you plan to travel intercity and inter-country. Keep a good bank balance – at least 100Euro per person per day and you should be good!
Have a happy holiday! 🙂
Hi Ashwini,
My wife and me are planning to visit Europe in May. We have not applied for marriage certificate yet. Is it mandatory to provide the certificate while applying for Schengen visa. How did you guys apply.
If you have any other document to prove that you are husband and wife, like passport, then it wont be needed. In the contrary, to if your passport needs to be updated with the maritial status, then a marriage certificate is needed. Isn’t it?
Also, check the checklist of the country you plan to visit and check if its mandatory
Hi,
Thank you very much for your advice, I am also keeping my fingers crossed and plan to apply in the March end, as my daughter’s exams also would be over by then.
Regards
Great! Let me know how it goes! 🙂
Hi,
I was finally able to get the Schengen visa but it took too much time, I applied on 27.3 and after 3 days I was asked to submit my professional status proof, which I promptly submitted the next day( I had submitted the proof with my file, but may be they could’ve missed the document.)
Further after 3 days I was asked to come for an interview with my wife, was able to get the appointment date after one week, it was a simple question and answer session which finished in 5 min. But one should be well prepared before hand for this like where he is going, mainly the applied country, which places of interest he would be visiting etc.
After the interview it took more than 15 days that I received my visa on 25.4.17
Now preparing to fly on my second trip to Europe
Thanks for the suggestions in your blog.
Regards
Thanks for coming back and sharing your Schengen Visa experience with us Manoj! This will definitely be helpful to our readers. Thank you 🙂
Hi,
Interesting and informative post. However I have some doubts about the ‘sufficient means of subsistence’ clause in the visa requirements.
I am travelling with my wife and little kid (age 5) in June ’17 to France (yes…only France). This is my/our first trip to Europe and second trip outside of India (first being Dubai last year). The total duration happens to be for 13 days (both travel days inclusive). And yes… I have booked the air tickets.
My questions are:
– Does the balance of sufficient amount has to be in ‘Savings/Salary Bank Account’…? Or can I show FD account balance as well (which as a matter of fact are maturing in April ’17)…?
– Any other balance such as Mutual Fund/Demat Shares is accepted as sufficient means….? Although I understand they aren’t liquid per se. However, it is only to show that I am financially not a risk once in France.
– I read somewhere that credit card limits or a loaded forex card can also act as proofs to means of subsistence. Would appreciate your views.
– Is the figure of Euro 100 a ballpark approximate…or an official amount? Will it be the same for kid aged 5…?
This is it for now. This clause of means of subsistence is giving me sleepless nights these days.
Would be grateful if you could share your views on this.
Thanks.
Mandar.
Dear Mandar,
Answering your question pointwise:
1. SB account balance should suffice. If you show other sources – it will be an added advantage. One suggestion would be to add some 3-4 lacs for a family 2 people in your SB account before submitting VISA and show that balance in your statement you submit to VISA application and once VISA is approved you can remove it from there. Suggesting this coz we had done the same though this is not mandatory.
2. Same as above
3. Definitely YES! Limits on your Credit card is very important as Credit cards are how people usually spend money abroad. However, my none of them in my sister’s family possessed a Credit card during the time we had submitted the VISA. So, they loaded their FOREX Card with cash and showed it in the VISA Application. We had bought 500Euros of Forex per person for the whole trip for 16 days.
4. 100 Euro per person per day is my estimate, not a mandate while 65Euro was a mandate (I vaguely remember reading it while applying my VISA). For the Kid, it should not be any issue as he is dependent on you and you have shown your balances. However, we had taken 250 Euros Forex for my then 3 yr old son and shown it while applying VISA.
Hope I have answered all your questions. Have a great trip! 🙂
Hi,
I noticed in the VFs guidelines for applying for an Italian Visa (Tourist) there is a reference to Foreign Exchange and a Table-no of days wise has been provided showing the Euros vis a vis INR required per person. I presume the “number of days” applies to duration of trip.
My first question is:
1. Is it mandatory to load Foreign Exchange prior to being granted a Visa?
Second question:
2. What is “Translation” to Italian mean? For example a “Sale Deed” in English as evidence of property ownership require to be translated?
Grateful for your considered opinion.
Thanks and regards,
Sanjib.
Hello Sanjib,
Answering your questions pointwise:
1. No
2. Do not worry about translation. It is NOT required. All documents must be in English.
Ashwini: Thanks so much for the advice.
Excellent…!! Thanks for an elaborate reply…!! Really appreciate 🙂
Thanks.
Mandar.
Glad I could answer your questions 🙂 Have a wonderful holiday!
Hi,
Just wanted to let you know that I got my visa. I applied on the 15th March afternoon directly to the VFS in Pune and I received my passports stamped with VISA on 18th March. Mere 2 days of turnaround time. I am truly amazed. Don’t think I have ever heard anybody getting the VISA that quick….so be it if its a Tourist Visa.
Btw, the VFS guy did not even bother looking at my Credit Card Statement. Stamped & signed bank statements and FD statements were enough for him.
Thanks for your help.
Yay! Happy to hear that! Happy and safe travels! Bring back loads of memories! 🙂
Hi,
Wounderful post, very helpful.
I have made the same mistake as you, in making all flight and hotel boking and then realizing the appointment date is less than 15 days from my intended departure date. I panicked but thanks to ur info will visit the VFS directly for an appointment.
I have a few doubts and hope u could clarify them
1. Do I need to show forex for the visa? or will my bank statement , itr and pay slips suffice. Some travel agency told me that I could buy forex only after we have a visa.
2. We are travelling as a family( 2 adults and 2 children) and was wondering if each application requires an individual covering letter.
3. For my children(aged 10 and 9 years) what are the necessary document to be attached with the application form?
Hope to hear from soon
Hey Catherine!
Thanks for your apprecation! Glad my post could be of your help!
Answering your question pointwise:
1. Forex is not mandatory but would help if in case you do not have a credit card balance to show. It also indicates that you have kept your money ready which you intend to spend there and forex is accepted widely in Europe too – ensuring that you can seamlessly spend money once in their territory without any hiccups! Also, there is no need to have VISA to get Forex. We bought it without having one! 🙂
2. Draft a single cover letter mentioning everyone’s name and the purpose. Make four copies of it and attach each one in everyone’s application.
3. For children, Leave letter approval from the School head will be sufficient!
Hope I’ve answered your questions well. Have a great holiday!
Thank you so much for clearing my doubts…
Thanks a ton for the extremely helpful article. I am in the process of putting my documents together for the tourist VISA. I and my husband are applying for it.
Could you please help me understand the following.
1. We will only be going to Italy, but would enter Vatican, of course. Should we apply for single entry, or multiple entry VISA?
2. I and my husband are applying. Are the documents to be attached with individual application form? Or can you provide combined financial documents? We would like to attach both our bank statements, for example, to show the sources of funds. What is the way to go about it?
Hi Jaya!
Glad you stopped by this post!
To answer your questions.
1. There is absolutely no need to show your passport and get it stamped in Vatican because there is no such rule like that. We had been to Vatican 2 days when we were in Rome and there are no boundaries or custom control between Italy and Vatican. You cross the road and Voila! You are in Vatican City! Just in case, leave the place empty and ask the VFS officer in the counter – he/she should be able to guide you well! To be on a safer side, in case of connecting flights, just mention as Multiple entry.
2. As you both are going together, you both can show combined source of income but clearly mention that in the cover letter you are submitting.
Hello, Thank you for writing a wonderful blog and helping fellow travelers with their queries. I wish to travel to Germany on a visit visa. I know you had been to France but I would also need a Schnegen visa for entry into Germany so I am posting this query here. I wish to visit my friend in Germany. I will use his house for accommodation so I don’t need to spend any money on hotel bookings. Now, if I plan a visit for 30 days, how much money do I need to have in my bank account? I called up VFS and they told me that the German citizen just needs to send you an invitation letter and his passport and accommodation details and I am not required to furnish any funding sources. Travel agents are saying that you should have your ITR, Bank statements etc. to be shown to the embassy. This is so confusing. My salary is not even taxable. I have never filed an ITR and I have around 1,50,000 INR in my account as of now. Although, my mother has some FDs in other banks. Can I show her FDs to support my application. Please help. Thanks. 🙂
Hello Jolly. I’m afraid, I can’t help you much on this as our salaries were taxable and we pre-booked our accommodation. It is better to listen to VFS guys and apply your Visa well before your travel date, so that you can reapply just in case of a rejection. Also try booking a refundable flight or a temporary flight ticket.
Hey Ashwini, thanks for the detailed information. First thing, the VFS website also states Form 16 as one of the requirements while submitting you VISA application. You haven’t mentioned that. Is it mandatory? Secondly, I get it that I need to give a Leave Authorization Letter from my company, but does that mean that I can stay in Italy for only the number of days mentioned in the letter? Or is it just for the VISA purpose, and once I get the VISA, I can come back on my own will. 😛
Hi Sahil,
I have mentioned that Form 16 is mandatory in the ‘Schengen Visa Checklist Document’ which is a downloadable document from the post. Just do Ctrl + F and search for ‘checklist’. And regarding your second question, the Visa will be provided for certain dates and you are bound to return by that date.
Also, I do not use a credit card, but plan to submit my salary slips and bank account statement. Is that sufficient?
Those should suffice. But, as mentioned in earlier comments – It is safer to have some amount in Forex though it is NOT mandatory. If you have a salary account, then getting a credit card shouldn’t be a problem 🙂
Hello, and thank you for the nice post!
Can I ask you a similar request? I need to employee a friend from Calcutta, but very urgently. I asked VFS today and they told me that to have everything signed it takes usually 1-2 weeks, but I have some doubts about it… can be done really so quickly?
Which is the normal “processing time” of the consulate in India for long-time working permit?
Hi Phy. I’m afraid I can’t answer your question as I had applied for a tourist VISA and not aware of Work Visa proceedings. Please follow what VFS people tell. They are the ones who know better.
Hi Phy. I’m afraid I won’t be able to answer your question as I had applied for a Tourist Visa and not aware of Work Visa proceedings. VFS guys know the best and its a good idea to trust them 🙂
Hi Ashwini,
Your post seems to be light at the end of the tunnel. I have never applied for a VISA before and getting one seems like a lot of detailed process which can easily put one Off ! However, I work in a reputed organization and can fund myself for a two-week trip to Italy (Naples, Rome, Parma, Bologna – do I require multiple entry Visa?) and will book homestays thru AirBnB. My worry is I am taking my brother along on this trip and he is a free-lancer. Will my salary statement suffice.. ? if not, then how much should the bank balance be to securely attain a Schengen Visa (Suggest if any other ways to go about it) . I have Not done any bookings as yet but plan to visit the country in July 2017 with Kolkata as the base. Please get me out of this misery!
Hi Kezang,
Please do temporary flight bookings (any travel agent should be able to do this for you) and book accommodation which have free cancellation and as for your brother, tell in the cover letter that you are sponsoring him and maintain enough bank balance. Read through previous comments to get a fair idea of how much bank balance you need to show.
While filling the application form fir my wife what should be filled in the beliw field
“Cost of travelling and living during the applicant’s stay is covered” if she is a homemaker
Write as ‘Yes’ and mention in the cover letter that you shall be sponsoring your wife and will cover her expenses. In any case of doubt – leave the space empty and ask the VFS officer and he should be able to guide you.
To show proof of substinence, I redeemed Rs 1 Lakh from my Mutual Fund and the amount will be reflected in the Savings/Salaried Account today. Me and my wife’s visa appt is scheduled on the 1st of June. Will that be a problem as I understand that the visa officer will verify whether I have the required funds in my account on the date of application of visa.
My prepaid flight tickets have already been booked.
Hi Manisha,
Kindly submit the updated Bank account statement while you visit the VFS office on your day of appointment. Make sure that the amount has been credited to your account, take a fresh print out and then submit the new bank statement.
Thanks for you prompt response.
I purposefully added the amount to increase the bank balance, Hopefully that shouldn’t be a problem as I generally maintain low balance in my Savings account and instead invest the same in MF’s/ULIPs. As a result got a bit apprensive
Np Manisha. Just go through some comments above, you shall get a fair idea of what else to be ready with 🙂
Thankyou for this incredibly detailed post!
I have a question though that I hope you can solve!
I will be volunteering in Croatia this summer but want to travel to italy, slovenia and hungary as and when I am able to during my 6 weeks there! If I apply for a Schengen Visa, will it be valid since my first port of entry is Croatia (In EU, but Not a Schengen country but allows schengen visa holders to stay for 90 days). Also, will I be able to apply for it in the first place as my entry and return flights are from Croatia?
Thanks 🙂
Oh Dear, yours is a complicated case. Here I’d suggest you two things – First and the legally correct – Apply Croatian Visa and once you get that, apply Schengen for Italy and mention clearly in the cover letter saying that you will be in Croatia and would like to travel to Italy in free days and book temporary accommodation in Italy from booking.com for all the weekends you are in Croatia thus asking for a multiple entry schengen – later you can cancel these bookings and then book the destination of your choice.
The second option is to apply schengen from Italy – show 2-3 days accomodation in Croatia on arrival and departure and the rest 4 weeks in Italy. Craft an itinerary like that and then once you get the Visa, you can cancel all your bookings and make the ones you wish.
P.S: Please talk to a VFS officer once as they will have more experience in handling these kinda cases.
Hey Ashwini!
Great post..I have a similar problem as urs! Have booked my flight tickets for 16th July 2017. Later I scheduled an appt for closest available date of 27th June 2017. It is neck n neck. My doubt (though silly) is that will it be 15 working days after the submission of the application forms at the visa centre from the date of appointment? In that case should I reconsider and cancel my flights?
Hello Jhara, my suggestion would be that you talk to VFS guys and ask them for a appointment at an earlier date. They might suggest you to come a day or two after and ask you to take the VFS Premium Lounge facilities. Just call them 🙂
Hi,
I applied for my visa with my husband and we submitted all the necessary documents. Everywhere we mentioned that my husband (partner in the business) is sponsoring. I am self employed and I showed my work details and mentioned everything clearly stating that my husband will bear the expenses. Should I have submitted my financials as well? The person at the VFS Italy counter, while submissions said not required but wanted to still confirm.
Thanks.
Exactly Namrata. When you have mentioned that your husband is sponsoring, then his financial documents would suffice 🙂
Hey Ashwini , it was great reading your post .
My wife , me ,my elder brother , his wife and a kid were deciding to apply for schenegan visa but then he is not confident enough now based on the following circumstances .
1. His govt salaried account has mere ~ 1.4L as he is usually saving all to his house wife’s ac number .
2. Since 1.4L is too low to sponsor his wife and the kid , he says moving money just before applying is a matter of suscipcion .
3. He also suggested me to get a sponsor through my father in law who is an ex CSIF and would travel with me and my wife. I am a freelancer earning handsome amout of salary every week .
Please let me know if this looks messy to
Apply a schenegan visa or there are any further checklists.
Hello Mr.Dutta,
Transfering money before applying the VISA is not a problem, as we too had done the same. What is imp is when you submit the bank details, you need to show a good balance – doesn’t matter when it was transferred.
Answering point 3. Yes, its a good option too. You also can show yourself as a sponsor if you have a good bank balance and have FORM 16 and are paying your taxes.
Hi Ashwini,
Very well written. I am accompanying my parents for the trip and all 3 of us have shown Rs. 1 lakh plus in our bank account. Also our tickets and hotel booking are done n paid. We would be staying in Italy (10) n Paris (5) for internal travel in Italy we would be managing it directly there however we have our tickets in place for travel from Paris to Rome. Also have all bank and tax returns in place for me n my father while my mother is home maker. My CC has avail credit limit of 1.5L. Hope that is sufficient or I still need to show any forex.
Thanks Gouri. That should suffice I guess 🙂
Hi,
I am traveling with my family of 8 people for the first time to europe. For all of my other family members it will be their first international trip. I submmited all the necessary documents to vfs. Now my father who is retired pensioner has been asked to attend the interview in person. However my mother who is being sponsored by my father has not been asked to attend interview. I looked at the pending documents and it just mentions to attend interview and does not ask anything else. Can you please suggest what would be the interview around. And what are the things that we need to prepare for the interview.
Hi Anthony,
My father and brother too had been called for an interview and we too did not have any pending documents. While all of us had already got the Visa approved only theirs was pending. Things to know in a Visa interview would be obvious i.e. Travel dates and countries to be visited. Rest, I think is good to answer what we know of.
When my father was in the interview room, he was asked why my mother isn’t travelling with us? When he told them of her demise and also mentioned that we are a family of 12 applying for visa and the rest 10 people have got their visa approved, they were content with his answer and told that my brother, who was to go next for the interview, need not attend the interview as they have already got the answer to their questions.
Hope I have answered your query. All the best!
Hi, I am planning to apply for Schengen Visa to Travel to Italy and Germany. I have booked flight tickets (Ahmedabad- Bologna, Frankfurt-Mumbai) and hotel accommodation in Italy. For Germany, I have an invitation letter from my relative. Do I have mention the address details of Germany in visa application form?
I guess your number of days of stay is more in Germany, so you are applying for Germany VISA. In that case, you need to mention your cousin’s address as a sponsor and then get a invitation letter from him/her stating that they are sponsoring your stay and travels in Germany.
Hope this has answered your question 🙂
Thanks a lot for your guidance. Very insightful blog, clearly explained the entire process. I have applied for schengen visa to the embassy of Italy as my port of entry is Bologna and maximum stay too is in Italy (9 out of 16 days in Italy and rest in Germany). I have submitted application on 2nd August and got my visa on 11th August (travel date is 16th Sep). One can easily do the entire process by self with the help of such blogs. A big thanks to Ashwini Neetan.
Another help/query,
I have got the schengen visa from 15th Sep to 10 Oct for the period of 20 days for the above mentioned travel. Now I am required to travel to Paris for an exhibition from 8th Sep to 12th Sep. Will it be alright to apply for 7 days tourist visa for visiting Paris. Can we obtain 2 schengen visas in such short durations? Kindly guide.
I think you can. But clearly mention in your cover letter that when you applied for the earlier Schengen for travel from 12th Sept, you had no idea that you are supposed to be there at the exhibition and hence applying for short term tourist visa again for the duration of 7 days. I think you need to apply from France and France has a history of approving visas in one day. All the best! Enjoy your travels! 🙂
HI! So this is our first time applying for a Shengen visa. We submitted all our documents and got our bitometrics done at VFS Bangalore. We are a family of 8 travelling. However, my uncle’s family has travelled to Europe before. But, our family was informed that we have to go to Delhi for the interview. Please let me know what we should carry with us for this interview
My father too was called for an interview while we all had got our Visas approved for the same trip, same itinerary and same dates. But his interview wasn’t in Delhi but a Skype interview from VFS Office Bangalore. We made him familiar with the itinerary, the countries we are going to and why we chose to apply to that embassy. He was asked those questions, additionally, he mentioned that his fellow travelers i.e. us, are granted Visa. They were convinced and he got his Visa too. So be clear with the itinerary is what I would suggest.
Hi Ashwini,
My husband and I are planning a 2 week trip to Italy in October alongwith our 7 yr old twins. Your site is has a wealth of information for us especially since we too plan to hire a car. I have done my bookings through Airbnb and currently working on getting the visa documents together. I am confused about the travel insurance. The VFS site mentions euros 30,000 per person so that comes to 1,20,000 euros cover for us right? When I go on to various insurance sites they only give sum insured as 50000$ or 1,00,000$. Now using the conversion rate between euro and dollar, obviously I require $ 1,40,000 cover isn’t it? Or am I getting it wrong?
Hey Trupti,
Don’t approach it that way. Calculate it per person and get a separate insurance document for each person with the required sum assured. You need insurance for each person individually. So, for each person, the sum assured should be around 30,000 Euro. In that case, 50000$ would be more than enough for each person.
Thanks so much Ashwini. I’ll get individual insurance done. My husband is an I.T. consultant. He doesn’t have a company registration certificate nor a separate professional fees bank accountatn. Now I have no idea what to do, since the documents list says that in case of self employed these two things are required. I have already written to them to seek clarification but no reply as yet. Do you have any idea?
Thanks Trupti
Does he freelance? In that case, IT Returns and a mention of that in the Cover letter as to why you aren’t able to provide those documents should be enough. Anyways, I’d suggest you to wait for the reply from VFS Italy. They are the best people to answer this 🙂
Hi Ashwini,
Yes he is a freelance consultant.Thanks for your reply. When I get my visa I’m gonna bug you next with questions about the trip 🙂
Trupti
Haha! You are always welcome! 🙂
Hi Ashwini,
I have my visa appointment day after today. As per the checklist we need to provide proof of internal travel within the Schengen territory. Now I am travelling only in Italy and plan to hire a car as you did. But I shall be doing that if the visa comes through. Did you prebook your car before applying for the visa and did you have to provide the car rental details? Or does it apply only to travel within different schengen countries?
Thanks
Trupti
Im extremely sorry for the late reply Trupti. I have been travelling and didn’t find time to get hold of my laptop. I guess you would have finished your Visa appointment for now. Anyways let me address your query so that other travellers can benefit from this question.
This is a very good question I must say. Unlike flight tickets, some car rentals have free cancelation and no prepayment like sixt.com. We must make use of those to show our car rental bookings and cancel that once visa comes through and book the cost effective ones which works out well for us.
Once again sorry for the delay
Hi Trupti,
I was concerned about the same thing, but the 50,000 dollar or 100,000 dollar on all bank websites are per person. So if you take the 50,000 dollar one, and mention 4 family members, they will charge you 4 times and give a 50k dollar insurance to each family member 🙂
All approved banks are aware of the schengen visa requirements 🙂
Hi,
I have a query. I applied for my Student Visa on 10th July. For accommodation, i booked a hotel in bologna which offers free cancellation but requires a little pre-payment. When asked by the hotel, i told them that i cannot pay right now since i am travelling. I was worried if they would cancel my booking as the visa is still in the process. what will i do then?
1: Does the visa officers check with the hotel?
2: If the booking gets cancelled and visa officers found it, what will happen? will they reject it or call me asking for reasons and to provide another accommodation?
Sorry Himanshu. I really don’t know on what parameters the visa officers consider while evaluating these things. To be on a safer side, its always good to hold the bookings until the visa is approved.
Hi,
I am traveling with my wife to Europe where my entry country is Italy. I’m a little worried that they will reject my visa due to lack of sufficient balance.
1. My current bank balance is 2.07 lac and my wife’s is 1.10 lac. I have provided three sale deeds in my name. Also my credit card limit is 3.75 lac (whose statement I will be providing as well).
2. I can show an increase in my bank balance by another 1.5 lacs and make my balance a total of 3.57 lacs, but my interview is on the 4th of august 2017, while today is 28th july 2017. So will this cause any problem in me getting the visa ? (this surge of money).
Kindly advice so that I can do the needful. Thank you.
Hi Ankit,
That would not be a problem. Just make sure that you take a print out of Bank statement after the money has been deposited.
Yes, I will do that. I hope I get my Visa. Thank you so much for the help.
Hi,
I have a doubt regarding the accommodation details to be mentioned in the visa form. I will be making bookings in multiple hotels via booking.com spread across multiple cities in Italy and other schengen countries as well. Since the space on the form is very limited, how should I go about mentioning them in the visa form? My point of entry is Netherlands. Should I mention the first hotel booking from Netherlands or the first one in Italy? Or is there some standard way of doing this? Since there are multiple, which address and phone number should I provide?
Thanks in advance!
Hey Hari,
Here, though the port of entry matters – you should really be concentrating on the fact that – where are you going to stay for maximum number of days? After determining that, provide print outs of all hotel stays and mention just one hotel in the address of sponsor column. Leave the place empty and ask the teller at VFS office about the same and they should be able to guide you well!
Hi, I have submitted the documents at vfs-Italy in Mumbai. But I later found out that three of the original documents are missing. What should I do ? will the ask me to submit them? I am trying for a tourist visa and one of the sponsorship document is missing. Please reply as soon as possible. Thank you.
Sorry for the late reply Jasil. I have been travelling and got sometime with my blog now. I think, if any documents are missing, then they will get back to you asking for the same – so, do not worry.
Hello,
I’m a student going to do my Masters Degree in Italy for two years.
Actually my Visa appointment date in VFS is on September 01, but my university starts on September 11. So, my question is,
1. Weather, can I approach VFS with the appointment letter of September 01 and request for earlier dates from August 20 to 25through the option called premium Longe for my Visa interview?
2. I have a bank balance certificate and statement for last five months with the total amount of 7,48,000 rs and I took this certificate on August 11. I just want to know how many days does this bank balance certificate is valied before my visa interview?
3. Am I supposed to not do any transaction ( even small online shopping) with the particular amount for which I took bank balance certificate till I receive my Visa?
4. My degree lasts for two years and I’m showing 7,48,000 rs as funds. Is that enough for getting a schengen Student Visa?
5. Should I have a confirmed flight ticket before I request VFS for a rescheduled date through premium longue or can I show a blocked flight ticket to them?
Thank you.
Yeshwanth Darma Dev
Sorry for the late answer Yeshwanth. I was travelling and did not have access to my blog. I know your Visa appointment date has crossed and you also have an approved visa now. But, I shall answer the question for the benefit of others, who might have the same question as yours.
1. You can definitely do so. They will accommodate if they have slots. We too did the same for our Italy trip.
2. Recent balance statement is what they have mentioned. So for an appointment for Sept 1, statement taken on at least later than Aug 20 will be good I guess.
3. You can.
4. Not sure, clarify with VFS as I had applied for Tourist Schengen, not student Visa.
5. Blocked flight ticket with clearly mentioning the date of travel will suffice.
Hi,
Awesome article, very informative!! I am in a bit of a state of panic as of now. I applied for a tourist schengen visa to Italy on 24-July and my travel date is 2-September. No updates from VFS except that my passport has been sent to the consulate. I have emailed the consulate requesting them to expedite the process, however no response from them either.
Do you suggest I personally go to the consulate? Or is there another way of speeding things up? Or should I sit tight and hope I get the visa just in time for my travel?
Any input from you would be very helpful!
Thanks in advance.
Regards,
Ann
Hey Ann, You applied on July 24 and today is Aug 19 – so almost 22 working days. I suggest that you call the Consulate around 10.30 to 11 AM and explain them your situation in a polite tone. This method has helped me prepone interview date for my father which was scheduled on the day before our travel. All the best. Hope all goes well.
Hi Ann
Did you receive your visa?
Even I have the same issue, I applied for my visa on 21st of July and status is under process.
I need to get visa to go to Italy as soon as possible. I’m from Kerala but the only available slots for appointment are in Kolkata. Will my application be accepted if I schedule an appointment for Kolkata Centre? I’m worried because the website says this: “For India , applications from the residents of the States of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Tripura, Sikkim and West Bengal; the Union Territory of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands are accepted.Please note that visa applications cannot be processed from applicants (including Indian nationals) not permanently residing in India.”
Please call the VFS Customer care and clarify it with them. I have no idea about this:)
Thank you for this wonderful blog. Really helped me alot. I will be traveling to Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium and Netherlands for travel. Total duration would be 16 days. Will be traveling solo.
Question 1 – are hostel accommodations considered by Visa Consulate?
Question 2- Also I would be doing various intercity travels either by bus or by train. So do I need to show those tickets as well while applying for visa? Because most of the tickets are non refundable. If visa gets rejected I would lose lot of money.
Question 3 – I do not use a credit card. I have a salary account where I can show a balance of approx 1.4 lacs plus I am planning to buy a forex card with 500 euro. Will it be sufficient for a 17 days trip
Question 4 – Also can I use my father’s credit card if I can produce a valid authorisation statement from my father granting me permission to use it?
Hi Dipro,
Answering your questions pointwise:
1. Yes, just provide them the copy of booking clearly showing the booking dates.
2. Not really. But I’m not sure. Please check that with VFS before taking a call on that. As of us, we hadn’t done intercity bookings as we had a rental car and showed the rental car booking. As a rule of thumb and good practice, please mention how you plan to travel to each city in the brief itinerary you put in the cover letter. Check this link for more details. http://hoppingmiles.com/schengen-visa-cover-letter-format-sample-common-mistakes/
3. Forex should be good enough. My sister didn’t have a credit card, so she showed her forex.
4. Not sure. Please clarify it with VFS on their customer care.
Hope this answers your doubts. All the best!
Such a nice and helpful article i am happy to reach you and after ready your article i share this on my social media accounts.
I am late for my appointment too, thanks i got the lounge option from your blog.
Glad my post helped you. All the best 🙂
Hi Ashwini,
I have a specific query on the Schengen Visa process. I am currently on deputation to Ukraine for 1 year on Temporary Residence Permit and I do not have a source of Income and bank statements in Ukraine. I wanted to apply for Schengen Visa in India where I have all the documents.
Do I need to fill the “18. Residence In Country other than Nationality” or I can leave it blank and just fill up “28. Entry Permit for the Final Country of Destination” ?
One more query is that can I show Ukraine as my destination country and have confirmed tickets to Ukraine instead of India.
Thanks in advance.
Hi Swapnadip,
I’m sorry but I really don’t know these details as I had applied from India. Please call VFS helpline. They are the best guys to answer your queries. All the best 🙂
Hi Ashwini,
Thank you for the reply. I am going through with the application. I would like to know that whether I need individual Covering Letters or one letter mentioning all the family members name will do.
Also the Insurance certificate should have names of all the countries I’m visiting or port of entry only.
Hi Swapnadip,
You can mention your family members name on the cover letter and they might have to sign it in the end. So one cover letter would do for the family.
And as for Insurance, as far as I know, insurance for Schengen Visa covers all Schengen countries. No need to mention the country name I think.
Hello,
This is actually very helpful and as goes by the title, the ULTIMATE guide.
I have a few quick questions:
1. I noticed that the Application form that you have attached here is in Italian (I mean the field questions).
On the website while filling the form we get an option of filling it in English, we can opt for that right?
Also just to confirm, we do not need to get any of our documents (including the application form) translated to Italian, right?
2. Can we avail the option of blocking the air tickets instead of actually booking the tickets. (This is to be safe in worst case scenario – if the visa gets rejected). What do you think?
Thanks in advance 🙂
Kinjal
Thanks Kinjal. Yes, there is no need to translate anything to Italian. I think I had mentioned about that in the post too. And yes, please fill the English form 🙂
And about blocking the tickets, I think that will work too. But call VFS helpline and confirm it once. I am not sure on this as I have always booked my tickets 🙂
Thank you Ashwini, also in your documents checklist under the “salaried employee” list of docs, i could manage to get all except the one that says “govt. bonds, NSC or ppf statement” … just wanted to double check if this can be left out as long as I have all the other documents in place?
Yes Kinjal. I think that should be fine.
Thank you this was very helpful
Hi Ashwini..
We (me nd my husband) are planning a trip to eastern europe this dec 2017. I heard it is compulsory to submit a cover letter for applying schengen visa.my husband would be sponsoring my trip.how should my cover letter be?
Hi Najiya,
A Cover Letter is mandatory for Schengen Visa application. Read more about how to write a cover letter here: http://hoppingmiles.com/schengen-visa-cover-letter-format-sample-common-mistakes/
HI Ashwini,
Me and my wife will be traveling to Italy in February 2018. My wife is quitting her job & her last date is Jan last week. She will not be working when we will be traveling to Italy. So, the leave certificate cannot be provided by the company. What is the alternate option? Will a resignation acceptance letter (stating her last working day) work?
P.S: I have my employment & leave certificate for the vacation.
Cheers!
Hi Adarsh,
In that case, show that your wife is dependent on you and show your bank account details only. Also, have enough money in your account to support both of you. I feel this is a feasible option because usually Visa officers in the embassy will be very busy skimming through various docs in a day and it might be easy for them to reject it upfront by saying ‘No leave document’. Another option is to mention the same reason clearly in the Covering Letter and attach the resignation acceptance letter as you have mentioned and hope that they will understand your case.
Again, this is my opinion. I suggest that you call VFS Helpline and put in your case there, they are the best people to answer your question.
Kindly provide me information about the ways to submit the pending documents and also the ways to confirm the submission of the pending documents.
If the consulate feels that the documentation is insufficient or some are pending, then they would intimate you via a call or through your application status in VFS website. Then you can visit the VFS office where you applied for visa and submit it there. If you have any queries, please call the VFS customer care.
Hello,
I am travelling to Europe for 12 days. My Max days of stay will be Italy. SO I m applying my visa to Italy consulate. My issue is
1) I m getting married on feb and travelling in March. My fiance has just quit her job and she stays in assam and she took appointment for Kolkata vfs. I am separately applying in vfs bangalore centre as I m working in banglore.
Will that be a issue for my wife as she don’t have job anymore but her bank balance is 3 to 4 lacs (all tickets and hotel booked)?
Secondly we have booked tickets together so mostly in flight tickets both of us name is there but in hotel booking only single name is there either hers or mine. Will that be a issue.
As she cldn’t come down to Banglr she is applying From Kolkata and m from bnglr.
Or shd we apply for visa together ??
Sorry. Not sure of this as my husband and I have always applied together. Can you call VFS and get this clarified please.
Hai, I’m 23 and freelance cameraman and I wish to travel to Italy next year . I have a lot of family members (not direct family ) in Italy ( Rome ,Milan , Savona ) . If someone sponsor me to come to Italy will it be easy to get visa ? Because of the fact that I don’t work in any particular company means will I get rejected for visa ? I’m really confused here.
If you are paying tax, then it doesn’t matter if you are freelancing. Show your tax payments, good bank balance and you are good to go. And invitation letter method also would work.
Your Visa Application Ref no. BANA/XXX has been dispatched through Courier from Visa Application Centre on 05/01/2018. What does it mean? Have the visa been processed?
Yes, it means that your VISA application has been processed. But it doesn’t necessarily mean that the VISA has been approved. You need to check it when your passport arrives home.
Hi Ashwini,
Me and my fiance have applied for the schengen visa. We will be going in end of feb for our honeymoon and this will be our first international visit. I have attached all the required documents like company NOC, Last two ITR, Bank statements and Payslips. Ive shown that ill be sponsoring my fiance. Ive shown statements for two of my accounts with amount of 1.6L and 80K respectively. We have done all the bookings for hotels and flights and submitted those papers as well.
My Concern is will the money sufficient to get the visa
The money should be sufficient I guess. Lets wait and watch. All the best 🙂
I am planning to travel to Italy this summer. However I have been told by my friends to apply for a Paris Visa instead. I want my first port of entry to be Milan ( IT) . I intend to be in Italy for 11 days and spend 2 days in Paris. I will be applying from Bangalore and I have heard a lot of stories aabout how difficult it is to get a ITALY Tourist visa- takes soo much time, they refuse without reason. I am kind of clueless. I will be travelling to London and then traveling to Milan. How do I go about it. I intend to apply for my UK visa in march 1st week . UK tourist visa ususlly takes 3 weeks ( at the max) and I intend to apply for Italy visa by april 4th. I want to fly to italy in june. Now another alternative is applying through Thomas cook. Confused please help
Yes Pallavi. Italian embassy has that reputation. We can’t help but go with whats there. Regarding applying a France Visa, it is not any difficult/easy – my friend was rejected France visa twice in a row. I wouldn’t recommend applying to a different country and traveling to another – though this is done by many people, I haven’t personally done it and wouldn’t like to evade rules. But its totally- upto you to decide it. Also please note that applying through tourist agencies doesn’t guarantee a visa. I recently had a reader whose visa was rejected even though she applied through a travel agent.
If you are traveling in June, I’d say book your flights by March and temporary accommodation in booking.com and apply in March 1st week. Write a solid and convincing Cover Letter and submit all the required documents. And I don’t think it’ll be difficult to get a visa.
Check this post to know how to craft a good cover letter: http://hoppingmiles.com/schengen-visa-cover-letter-format-sample-common-mistakes/
Also, I do not think it is required for you to travel to UK and then to Italy. It is simply a hassle to apply for another visa + instead of spending that money on another visa fee, you can as well use that to book a direct flight/ a different carrier. When we traveled, Air India had direct flights from Delhi to Milan/Rome for 36-38k. And by the time we booked, we got an option of Qatar for the same price, so we went with it. Do search for flights around March, I’m sure you will get good options.
Hey Pallavi, so what did you finally do? I am in a similar boat.. I am travelling only to Italy , but my friends are recommending to apply for a France visa, to avoid any heartburn . my travel is in the last week of March ( i know i am pretty late already!!! yikes!!) any ideas?
Thanks a ton for the detailed description but my experience with Italy is very very painful. I was to go on a business trip to Italy and my wife was to join me after a few weeks. My visa reached me two days before the travel and my wife (who had applied along with me) never got her visa back. We had to cancel all the tickets and incur a huge loss. Point is – if you want to visit Schengen countries and if unfortunately, Italy is part of the program – just tweak the program and apply in some other country. There is no mechanism to get a redressal. There is no refusal and the date to travel is past. I don’t mind a denied visa – after all, there are a million more countries to visit – but arrogance, no reply to tweets, mails – that is shameful. And for what? a tourist visa? Shame is all I can think of.
when I discussed my experience – it was echoed by so many others, Visa being delivered on the day of travel or later. Processing time as given in the website is 15 days and my wife’s application was with them six weeks back.
I echo your sentiments Cheema. Infact, I too had to go through that hassle and have been stressed about the same when my father’s Visa interview was scheduled 2 days before the date of travel, about which I have mentioned in the article too. These decisions are taken by folks in embassy and we cannot do anything but to be a silent spectator.
Hi Ashwini!
I’ve just quit my current job and am planning to take a break. My husband and I want to travel to Italy during this break. I have enough money to fund my trip in my salary account, however, I’m wondering about the employment letter/leave letter that I will not be able to provide since I have quit. My husband won’t have any issues since he is employed full time. What are my options to demonstrate to the visa officials that I intend to return to my home country?
As of now you are unemployed. So say that your husband is supporting expenses of both – You and him. Show them his bank details and make sure it has sufficient amount to support both of you. This way, you need not disclose your current work status nor show leave letter and bank details. Hope you understood what I’m trying to convey!
Hi kindly let me know whether booking done on booking.com is accepted by Italian embassy Mumbai.
I having done booking with free cancellations and no prepayments do they accept or do we need to show them fully paid accommodation as I am planning to do payment after I get visa.
Hey Ramya,
They accept such bookings. Infact, all our bookings were of free cancellations and no prepayments!
Understood Lovely article, and thank you for the response Ashwini !
Hi Ashwini,
I will be applying for Schengen Visa for the first time for visit to Italy and other neighbouring schengen countries along with my family and I would be applying at the VFS kolkata office being a resident of Tripura state. I have some doubts in my mind about a few things which are as follows :
1. To whom the covering letter should be addressed. Should it be addressed directly to the “Consulate General Of Italy” at the kolkata office address of the Consulate or should it be addressed to the address of the VFS Visa collection centre at Kolkata, where I would be submitting my Visa application.
2. My son will also accompany me in this trip and so I will need a NOC from the Principal of the school where my son studies. In this case to whom should the Principal address while issuing the NOC. Should he address directly to the “Consulate General Of Italy” at the Kolkata Office address of the Consulate, or to the VFS Kolkata Visa Collection office address.
3. Are dummy bookings done through “Booking.com” accepted for showing proof of accommodation for applying Schengen VISA.
4. Should I buy actual return air tickets now or present only flight itenerary as proof of to and fro journey for visa application. It would be cheaper to buy actual flight tickets in advance, rather than to wait for the Visa to be issued but then it has its own risk if my Visa application is rejected. Please advise.
I hope you will clear my doubts as pointed above. Thank you in advance.
Answering pointwise.
1. Consulate general of Italy
2. To whomsoever it may concern.
3. Yes
4. Yes. Actual tickets should be booked.
Hi
I am applying for Schengen Visa from Delhi and i went across a column no 31 which states your accomodation details. I will be staying at airbnb’s in rome and florence, hence wanted to know what should i mention in there? I dont want my application to be rejected based on just airbnb bookings and applications there. Please help and tell me how to fill it in the form to avoid the rejection.
Airbnb and booking.com bookings are accepted. Fill the name and address of the accommodation where you are staying on the first day.
Such a comprehensive description. I also had doubt about the amount of bank balanceNow this is solved.Thank you so much.
i have one more doubt , kindly try to solve it.
i am planning to go via dubai. flight schedule will be like this
dubai to turin (dubai -beirut – rome – turin)
turin to dubai (turin – rome – abu dhabi – dubai)
PNR will be same for connecting flights.My question is DO I NEED TRANSIT VISA IN DUBAI AS I AM TRAVELLING FROM ABU DHABI TO DUBAI IN RETURN JOURNEY.
note : i will be starting my journey from mumbai but those i will book separetely and hence different PNR
THANK YOU
Ashish,
Honestly, I don’t know about it as we have never transited through Dubai. We have done through Qatar and it doesn’t need a transit visa. For Dubai, please confirm it with Dubai embassy.
Thank you so much 🙂
Hi ! thank you for this post! although I have been applied to Schengen earlier, this is my first time thru the Italian one. I too was flummoxed when i read the sentence ‘all documents must be translated to Italian’.. having asked around, no one could quite explain that part, until i came across this post ! phew!! BIG HELP!! 😀
just another quick advise – can you tell me more about the insurance ? i haven’t done it before so if you have any recommendations or go-to websites it will be very helpful
thank you!
Hey Pooja,
Yea, translation to Italian left me aghast too!
I didn’t have to worry about the Insurance bit as my father is into insurance. We got it done through United India Insurance. Everything was done through call to his office personnel. If you’d like, write me to [email protected] and I shall connect them to you.
Hiiiiiii,
i ahve some more questions.Kindly try to answer them.
(1) Is marriage certificate compulsory for schengen visa (for Italy only). My wife is home maker . Can we submit notarized affidavit instead of certificate.
(2) Child’s birth certificate is in hindi. Does it make any difference ???????
Thank you
Please contact VFS customer care. They are the right people to answer this.
Hi Ashwini, Thank you so much for this post . It has been a life saver. need you help on two things if you could kindly advise
1. I am scheduled to travel in the last week of March . I am horribly late in submitting my application as it was a sudden plan, the only appointment available is May. Is there any way I can get an immediate appointment and get them to expedite the process (the call centre is closed today I think and the silly VFS italy Mumbai site isn’t working)
2. how does the payment work at the visa office? how do i know whats the fees and do they accept cards ?
thank you again!
1. Try VFS lounge services, they will have nearest appointment dates
2. Cash n card is accepted
Hi,
Where do I find the visa form?
Do I take the interview appointment before submitting the visa form?
I will be doing it from Delhi.
Thanks in advance
VISA form in in VFS website. Yes, appointment needs to be taken before submitting the Visa form
Hi,
I am planning a honeymoon trip in May (getting married in April). Although my wife-to-be is employed, her salary is not enough to maintain the prerequisite balance. Nor is she getting her leave approval (because of cunning manager and endless company processes). I wanted not to reveal them that she is employed because of these issues. I can give a covering letter stating that I will be sponsoring her expenses too. But the person who handles visa at Cox & Kings told that, in this case where she is presented as a housewife and dependent on me, she cannot apply for visa along with me from Mumbai (we are employed in Bangalore, so nearest is Mumbai) as she belongs to Jharkhand. What should I do to get the visa?
About you sponsoring the trip, it is fine. But regarding the place to apply visa, I too am not sure. Can you call VFS office and clarify ?
Hi Ashwini, thanks for sharing your experiences. It’s a really big help for all travellers. I was particularly relieved when I saw there is a premium service for late planners like me. My travel date is 27th April from Bangalore and I’m getting appointment on 9th April. So the questions are:
1. Should I go ahead and book this slot online right away (today being a Saturday) or call their helpline on Monday asking for the premium option?
2. Is their any online booking option for the premium service?
3. Is it mandatory to visit the VFS centre in person for the premium service? Do I need to have already booked a normal appointment online before I do so (which in my case would be 9th April)?
4. Will a visit to Mumbai be required for some biometric information that has been mentioned in some news link for travellers post 2015?
Thanks in advance for your reposnses.
1. Should I go ahead and book this slot online right away (today being a Saturday) or call their helpline on Monday asking for the premium option?
Go for Premium service.
2. Is their any online booking option for the premium service?
I don’t think so
3. Is it mandatory to visit the VFS centre in person for the premium service? Do I need to have already booked a normal appointment online before I do so (which in my case would be 9th April)?
Not sure. We went to office and were told to come on a certain date for Premium.
4. Will a visit to Mumbai be required for some biometric information that has been mentioned in some news link for travellers post 2015?
No. Bio metrics data will be taken in the VFS office only.
Thanks in advance for your reposnses.
Hi Guys, Thank you so much for a detailed post, that we havent found anywhere else. Just a quick question. My husband and i are traveling to Italy and only Italy for our honeymoon, we didnt do our research and have booked our itinerary before getting an appointment. We are leaving on 18th May, but the prolem is that my job requires me to travel a lot, and i have traveling to Nepal on 16th April until the 20th and then again to Philippines from 7th May until the 11th. Which means if i apply for visa in between, best case scenario i will have 10 working days in hand. Do you think that enough time? ALso i have 3 UK visas and 1 Schengen visa that i applied for the the last 5 years. Do you think thats enough.
Is your Schengen valid for the dates you travel? If yes then you don’t need to apply. But your husband should. And let him mention in the cover letter about the purpose of travel i.e. honeymoon. Also, mention you valid Schengen Visa number in his cover letter so that he can explain why his fiance isn’t applying for a Schengen visa, which is suspicious until and unless the reason behind it is known.
Say your answer is No, then please apply the Visa asap. Booking itinerary before appointment is fine, but goto the VFS website and try booking the immediate available appointment slot.
Hi Ashwini, thank you so so much for this post, really helped me alot.
I will be applying for tourist visa for my Italy trip in July for my first time.
I’m travelling with my cousins. We already booked the hostel via booking and rent the car, but all the hostel reservation and rental car confirmation both are under my cousin’s name. What should I do with them?
Thank you again!
Mention in cover letter that you are traveling with your cousin and hence bookings are in his name and provide a copy of the bookings
My daughter has travelled to Slovenia on Schengen visa when she was 4 yrs in 2016 and didnt need biometrics. Now we are travelling to Italy and she is 6 yrs old. Will she need to go for the inteview in person.
Yes, she needs to be present in person on Visa appointment day. My son was 3 when he traveled to Europe. I don’t remember correctly, but I think they took his Biometrics too. Can you call VFS and confirm once please. 🙂
Finally landed on your page where you answered very important question – what to do when no time left for your trip and appointment is a day before your trip in one’s city. I am going to take your advice and visit VFS global for premium services.
Thanks Shilpa. Hope it helped 🙂
Hi,
Is it possible to know how much tot visa cost would be including VFD service charge?
Thanks,
Shilpa
It was around 7k when we applied Italy Visa around 2 years ago
I am planning to visit 3 countries – Greece Spain & Turkey.
Do I need to book confirmed flight tickets for travel between these 3 countries.
The tickets are non refundable.
So that’s why I am not sure how to go about it.
Thanks
Not required
Hello Ashwini,
Excellent post!! I have been following your post for the VISA application for my honeymoon and it has been very helpful. There is one thing that I really need help with and I hope you can give me some advice:
I am self-employed and work with my dad. The business is in his name. So, as proof of employment, can I submit an employment letter from my father saying that I work in his company (may on the company letterhead)? Also, I do not have any pay slips to show my salary or income. Should he mention in the letter that he pays me X amount annually?
Thanks,
Navin
Its a quite tricky situation. Can you call VFS helpline and seek their advice?
I did call them. They are quite unsure of what is to be done in this scenario. They just told me that in case of self-employment, proof of business is required :-(.
Hi…
Actually i have booked my tickets to Italy for May 3, 2018 and i am travelling for my honeymoon.
But the issue is that i started applying for visa today. I could not get an appointment date in Mumbai as i reside in mumbai. Now i have booked an appointment in Pune for April 16, 2018. Since i have only 16 calendar days between my appointment in Pune and my travel date, will my application go through. I have all the requisite documents.
I have made flight and accomodation bookings in Italy and now risk losing them. I am worried. Can you please guide me on the chances i have of getting my application through ?
Have you tried visiting VFS Mumbai office and then asking them for Premium Lounge services??
Hi Harvir,
Did you get your appointment rescheduled to earlier date?
Or any changes..
My son and his would be wife (marriage in end April) have booked a 10 days tour package to Europe-Italy, Switzerland & France for their honeymoon.
Son’s visa have come but his would be wife is still struggling from pillar to post with Italian Embassy in Delhi. She has submitted all documents and also interviewed by Embassy. Now, Italy Embassy is asking for BANK GUARANTEE from her father to sponsor her tour to Europe. What is this Bank Guarantee? What is the format for Bank Guarantee? What is the amount and period for Bank Guarantee?
Please advise. Its urgent. We don’t have much of the time left.
Bank Guarantee is the Bank statement to show that you can support your trip well with the money you have in your account.
Hi Ashwini,
I and my fiance have applied for Italy tourist visa on 27th of March. We are travelling on May 2nd for our honeymoon. Both of us have all documents in place(IT returns, salary slips, company letter etc.). However my fiance received his stamped visa today and mine is still under processing. Is there something to worry?
Don’t worry. You will get it. I guess you must have got it by now!
Hi,
This is a wonderful post.
I got the panic attacks. Till yesterday I was booking all things and making plan. My travel date is 26th May. Now I have all my bookings done. Today visted VFS , created login and checked for appointment. Whoa!!! I am from hyderabad and its says no appointments available in hyderabad, mumbai, available date in Pune 25th May.
I checked few travel agents Thomas cook, etc they also seems not able to get appointment.
I could book appointment for Chennai on 4th May. Exact 15 working days.
1. Will it be fine to apply from chennai vfs center? Will there be any issue?
2. Will availing Premium services would get me earlier dates or dates in Hyderabad vfs center.
3. I have travel insurance booked for duration of my travel i.e 9 days 26th May to 3rd June. Do i need to maje changes and get another one fir more days as you mentioned.
I will be visiting hyd vfs center tomorrow and availing Premium services if they can allow.
Please visit VFS office, I think you wil have a way out
I have made sloght change in my itinary and added one day extra in swiss, so that my number of days in swiss are more than italy. I got appointment for swiss vfs center on 19th april.
I may have to bear loss of one day hotel booking same amount i could save by travelling to chennai.
Hi! I have a quick question – For the visa application papers, do we need to submit Driving Licence and Rental Car Insurance copies along with Car Rental booking? We are travelling within the schengen area by car. Thanks for your help!
Just show Car rental booking. No need to show driving license.
HI, Thank you for the helpful post. I live in Hyderabad and will be traveling to Italy in 4 months time for 7 Days. Flight and Hotel books also completed. I request you help with the below queries. I will be traveling with my Wife (Home Maker) and 2 year old child
1. Is it necessary for all applicants to submit form 16 ? Since my wife is a home maker, haven’t really filed for taxes.
2. Should the funds balance shown in all applicants bank account or since we are traveling as a family, only my bank statement would work?
3. What was you visa cost per person? Including the Visa Lounge service? Some agents like Akbar travels are quoting me INR 7000/- Is it better to just opt for the VFS lounge service?
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank you
1. Is it necessary for all applicants to submit form 16 ? Since my wife is a home maker, haven’t really filed for taxes.
No, mention in cover letter that she is a home maker and you are sponsoring her travel and then submit your docs.
2. Should the funds balance shown in all applicants bank account or since we are traveling as a family, only my bank statement would work?
Yes, just show yours and tell you are sponsoring the rest of the family.
3. What was you visa cost per person? Including the Visa Lounge service? Some agents like Akbar travels are quoting me INR 7000/- Is it better to just opt for the VFS lounge service?
I think the fees comes around the same figure.
Hello, We are a family of 3, me and my parents, planning for a trip to Germany. How many appointments do I need to take at VFS. Should I take 3 individual appointments or 2 appointments(1 group appointment for both my parents) and 1 for myself? In the website it says, group appointments- max 2 applicants can be added. Kindly guide me.
Individual appointments for each person
Hi.. Me and my fiance are planning to go to Europe on 30th June. I applied for Italy visa through vfs, as the number of days in Italy is more. I was called for an interview today, and they asked me for my marriage certificate. But I m supposed to get married on 20th June and the certificate takes around 5-6days to come. If I mail them my certificate on 26th of June how can I travel? Will a preliminary marriage certificate would work?
And my another question is my fiance is in us, and the interview date in Italy consulate was in the month of June in which he had to travel back to India. So he applied for Schengen Visa through France. The Italian consulate has asked me for my finance visa stamping also. So the question is will be there any problem if his is from France and mine from Italy?
Hi.. Me and my fiance are planning to go to Europe on 30th June. I applied for Italy visa through vfs, as the number of days in Italy is more. I was called for an interview today, and they asked me for my marriage certificate. But I m supposed to get married on 20th June and the certificate takes around 5-6days to come. If I mail them my certificate on 26th of June how can I travel? Will a preliminary marriage certificate would work?
Ask them if Marriage invitation and engagement pictures work.
And my another question is my fiance is in us, and the interview date in Italy consulate was in the month of June in which he had to travel back to India. So he applied for Schengen Visa through France. The Italian consulate has asked me for my finance visa stamping also. So the question is will be there any problem if his is from France and mine from Italy?
You can explain them the reason for this discrepancy.
hello there….i am traveling with friend to italy and spain , but more number of days in italy so will be applying for visa via Italy.
I need to check if it will be an issue if two ladies are traveling alone. my husband can give NOC though….but someone told it might be an issue….can you please suggest how can I / we cover that point convincingly in the cover letter.
thanks
Just mention that you are traveling with your friend and you are sponsoring for yourself. That shouldn’t be a problem 🙂
ok thanks! keeping fingers crossed….will come back and share the experience!
Thanks for the info. This was helpful while I was applying for Schengen Italy visa.
Hi, any idea on how long it takes for the Italian Embassy to process Tourist Visas? I have applied from the Delhi Embassy on 11th May
Its been 10 working days and I have not received my visa yet. Travel date is 8th June.
During my previous travels I have received Schengan Visa 4 days.
Really getting worked up with the processing time as all bookings have been made.
They claim that they take minimum 15 working days to process the visa. But it may take longer or even arrive real quick. Waiting is the only option. Sorry!
Hi Ashwini,
Hope you are doing good! I came across your blog i need your help with applying for a schengen visa for italy. I am actually going there to do a 3 week course in gelato making post which I will be travelling to spain for a week. I would want to know if I should apply for a study visa or a tourist visa. I would be getting a letter of invitation from my university. My appointment date is 4th June and I need to leave on the 23rd of june as my course starts on the 25th june. Is this time enough to get a visa considering this is not the first time I am applying for a shcengen visa. Look forward to hear from you.
Kind Regards,
Ruby
I am really not sure in your case as there is a sweet cusp between travelling and sight seeing 🙂 Can you please call VFS office and ask their suggestions? All the best and make sure you invite me to taste your Gelato when you make some 🙂
Hi Dear Ashwini,
I HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THIS BLOG AND FIND IT IMMENSELY HELPFUL. THANK YOU FOR GUIDING ALL OF US THROUGH. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK GOING.
I JUST NEED SOME INFORMATION PLZ HELP.
I WILL BE TRAVELING TO VENICE, ITALY ON 21 SEPT, 2018 TO ATTEND EXHIBITION WITH MY EMPLOYER AND CLEARLY HE IS SPONSORING MY TRIP. DO WE HAVE TO MAKE SEPARATE COVER LETTER FOR BOTH OF US? DO THEY TAKE TWO VISA APPLICATION SEPERATLY OR AS ONE? WHAT IF WE GET APPOINTMENT DATES ON DIFFERENT DATES?
May I know who do you mean by ‘We’ here?
Hi Ashwini! Your post was extremely helpful. In fact I will even bookmark it to share with others in need. Needless to say, the short time between applying and trip dates freaks most of us out. I am flying (hopefully! I await my visa) on 20th and didn’t get a visa appointment before today. I was hopeful after seeing your post. Though I wasn’t given the alternative to walk in. Found the Customer service a tad unprofessional in the way they responded. I have my fingers crossed. Great job with the post!
Thanks Namita. Fingers crossed. Hope your visa arrives on time!
Hi Ashwini!
Thank you for a very helpful post. I went through your suggestions and applied my Italian visa at vfs Bangalore on 14/06/2018.. I was told I would get it in 15 working days.. No updates yet.. Really worried on the visa arrival!!!
Its been only 9 working days since you applied. Wait for another week, and you will definitely hear back from them.
I am planning to travel with my husband to Italy for 10 days:
1. My husband’s passport has my maiden name as wife while my passport does not mention my husband’s name.
2. Our marriage certificate has a different name for me which I have not adopted on any of the other documents including passport, etc..
3. What proof of marriage can I give apart from the marriage certificate. Will a joint property sale deed work?
Please call VFS helpline to clarify this. I have no idea about this. Thanks
Hi,
I am travelling to Schengen countries for the first time and apply for visa to Italy. My entry will be in Rome.However in the covering letter I mentioned the itinerary in Italy. Is it possible to travel to other schengen countries as well without mentioning in the itinerary?
Response is appreciated
You can if in your visa, the number of entries is marked as MULTIPLE. Otheriwse NO.
Hi Ashwini,
Your post was immensely helpful in preparing our Visa application for Italy (including the post regarding the Cover Letter). I am in a fix right now and was hoping if you could help. We are covering four countries (Czech Republic, Austria, Italy and Spain) and will be spending the maximum number of days in Italy. Is it absolutely necessary that I need to pre-book all my inter-city tickets (bus/train/flight) across the four countries to show them in our detailed itinerary in the visa application? Most of the cheaper tickets are non-refundable so was hoping if we could book them after getting our visa.
Our trip if from 16th Sept-8th Oct. Our visa appointment is scheduled for 11th July.
Thanks in advance 🙂
If you can book refundable tickets then go ahead, otherwise, don’t worry. Just mention a clear and precise itinerary with necessary accommodation proofs.
Hi Ashwini
Glad to land here !!! Me & my husband have planned a vacation in Italy. Our travel dates are 10th-18th August, 2018. We applied for schengen Visa on 12th June, 2018 to VFS-Delhi. I have been tracking the status but it always display that my application is submitted to embassy & is under process.
It’s been almost a month & we have got no revert. I am planning to submit a request letter to expedite as i am worried now. All my travel bookings are confirmed & paid. Does it usually take this long to issue visa or to report if there is any discrepancy ?
Please write to Italy embassy via email or try calling them, but before doing so call VFS and ask their advice once.
Hii. Great post i have few questions… I am planning to go to europe in November 2018 for 12 days. My questions are related to visa(1) I am employed and every month approx 55k credited in my account as a salary, but i have changed my job 6 months ago(2)In my last job salary was less so my last 3 years ITR is around 5.5 to 5.8 Lakh. (3)My wife surname has not been changed in passport and in my passport also spouse name is not mentioned but we have a marriage certificate. (4) I have credit card with limit over 2 lakhs, lic policy, small fd and house in my name can i show these? (5) My wife earns 15k per month by doing home tuition and online classes can i show this? Or not necessary. (6) I am planning to apply for visa in September last week at that time i would have approx 3.2 lakhs in my account. (7) At the same time in my wife account we would have 80k so shall i show this or my account balance is sufficient. (8)I am open for france or italy so where should i apply.. I know all the rules just want a suggestion for better chances. (9) Is it necessary to show 6 months bank statement can i show 4 to 5 months. (10)My job location and my home town is different so what other documents are needed. (11)My wife surname is changed in aadhar card and bank account but not in passport.(12)I don’t have form 16 to show but i have last 3 years itr. …
Can you please call VFS helpline. They must be able to help you with all answers to your questions. 🙂
Hi Aswini,
Glad i found this blog. It has been extremely helpful. Now i have certain queries regarding my intended visit to schengen europe. I am planning to visit for a period of 62 days.
1. I have a bank balance approximately 8 lakh in my account. While applying for a visa is that enough? I also do not have a credit card. So it is advisable to mention in the cover letter that my expense will partly sponsored by step-father, and partly by me and also mentioning that i will be using my step fathers credit card and submitting bank statement, itr of both?
2. My point of entry, exit and maximum no of stay are in Germany. As per my itinerary i will be germany initially for 6 days, followed by 9 days in last leg of my journey… So should i selct single entry or multiple entry while applying visa.
3. I am planning to use eurail 2 months continous youth pass while definitely will be purchased once i got my visa applied. What should i mention in my cover letter about intercity travels? . Since most part of my journeys doesn’t require advance reservation, is it necessary to reservation intercity travels?
4. I have started working only 1.5 years back. As proof of financial substinence i heard that you need to submit past 3 years itr! Bt i have submitted only once! What should i do?
5. There are lot of travel insurance seen in vfs site! Which one do you recommend?
Answering your questions:
1. I have a bank balance approximately 8 lakh in my account. While applying for a visa is that enough? I also do not have a credit card. So it is advisable to mention in the cover letter that my expense will partly sponsored by step-father, and partly by me and also mentioning that i will be using my step fathers credit card and submitting bank statement, itr of both?
A: 8 lakh is a good amount. If you have 8 lakh in your account, it should not be difficult for you to get a Credit card, call your bank and its just a 2 day thing n you will get your cc. If you still want to go ahead with your father’s cc, then its ok. The only concern is it will complicate your cover letter but nothing harmful or bad though.
2. My point of entry, exit and maximum no of stay are in Germany. As per my itinerary i will be germany initially for 6 days, followed by 9 days in last leg of my journey… So should i selct single entry or multiple entry while applying visa.
A: Please select Multiple entry option as you will go to many Schengen countries.
3. I am planning to use eurail 2 months continous youth pass while definitely will be purchased once i got my visa applied. What should i mention in my cover letter about intercity travels? . Since most part of my journeys doesn’t require advance reservation, is it necessary to reservation intercity travels?
If the intercity travel is refundable, go ahead and book it. Because the more prepared you are, the more it sends signals that you are organised and have enough money to sustain. Otherwise, do not worry about intercity travels. but make sure you book your accomodation that will match your itinerary.
4. I have started working only 1.5 years back. As proof of financial substinence i heard that you need to submit past 3 years itr! Bt i have submitted only once! What should i do?
Pleas mention that in the cover letter.
5. There are lot of travel insurance seen in vfs site! Which one do you recommend?
Ask the quote around and then select the one that suits your budget!
I am traveling only to Italy in October for 10 days. Are intercity train tickets also required for the VISA application?
Not required.
Hey!! Wonderful article! Thanks so much! My wife and I are planning to travel to Europe in October. We have got all processes in place – just a couple of questions:
1. Do I create one profile in VFS and book appointments for both me and my wife. Or, create two profiles for the two of us?
2. In the visa type selection drop down of the Appointment booking page in the VFS site, there are two tourist visa options:
1. Tourist
2. Tourist C Shengen – India
Which one do I select?
Will be eagerly awaiting your reply.
Regards,
Arka
Create 2 different profiles. Select Schengen India.
Hi ashwini:
Good work. I have a doubt. I am a doctor and have received an invitation letter for training at a university hospital in Rome for 6 months. The letter says that I will not be paid during the training period but I will be provided an accommodation for the duration of my training period. My wife (house wife) wants to accompany me during this training period. I have contacted a number of agents regarding visa requirements for both of us and each one has his own stories but none of these guys has been able to give a proper response. Is it possible for both of us to stay in Rome for 180 days/6 months? VFS Bengaluru is just an agency for collecting the required documents for visa. They don’t entertain any doubts regarding the visa requirement. Could you please give me some suggestions regarding the same? Thanks in advance
Can you please call VFS helpline number. They are the right people to answer your query. Thanks 🙂
Hello thank you for the article it is helpful for most of the quarry which in mind boggling, where we don’t get proper response from most the people,
If you know any scenario like me please do give me some suggestions, I have a sutiation where I have applied for my student visa for 2018-19 but due to some error in my documents my interview dint go well, so my visa got rejected with the reason “your intentions to leave the territory of the member state before the expiry of the visa could not be ascertained” so my question is can I apply for Visa for next year with new pre enrollment, and if I can apply will my rejected Visa will affect for my next appointment.? I am really worried I could make it or not even after waiting for one more year kindly give me the some suggestion related to this problem.
Thank you
Please mention about reasons you have to come back to your home country after your studies. Show that you have strong ties back here at home so you will come back.
Hey there Ashwini.
Your post was of great help.
I did have certain queries though. Hope you could help me with the same. The situations here are hypothetical and I haven’t booked tickets yet.
1. I’m landing in Rome on the 7th of March and then taking an overnight train to Venice. I don’t have an accommodation in Venice. But I have the pre booked train ticket. Is that going to be a problem? I’m landing pretty late and my only option is to take the overnight train.
2. I’ll be taking an evening train to Florence on the 8th and will be staying there for two nights before leaving for Rome on the 10th morning, where I’ll be spending 5 nights. So should I put my accommodation as Florence or Rome?
3. I’m a 22 year old female and will be traveling solo. Is that suspicious? I don’t mean to settle there or anything but the embassy people might think so. I don’t have any property back home but I do have a job and I live with my single mother. Is that evidence enough?
4. I recently graduated and started working since August 2018, therefore I don’t have my ITR or Form 16 yet. And form 16 is under required documents. :(( What to do?
5. And the last, my bank account will be having 60k at the time I intend to apply for the Visa with the flights already booked but not the accommodation. I’ve been saving up a little amount from my salary for this trip and by the time I actually leave, I’ll be having 90k in that account. How do I explain this to the embassy people? Even with the 60k, I’m maintaining their 44€ per day budget, but I’ve heard stories of visas being rejected if we don’t have over 1L in the account WHEN applying. (My trip is of 8 days)
I know there are a lot of questions here, and it could be a bit confusing but I hope you’ll be able to take out some time and help me here. Thank you so much, in advance. ♥️
Answering your qns point wise:
1. Yes. Please book a refundable/free cancellation stay at Venice. VFS ppl ask booked stay for every night you stay in the country.
2. 2 nights in Florence and 5 in Rome. So, 7th -> land in Milan, Train to Venice. Stay in Venice.
8th and 9th -> Florence.
10th- 14th -> Rome
3. Please mention your ties to the country in cover letter
4. Please mention the same in cover letter
5. Ask your friend or relative to transfer some amount to your account for a few days (until Visa is approved). I suggest that you have atleast 1.5 lac at the time of visa submission i.e. when you take the bank statement print out (though there is no written rule, just my suggestion)
Thank you so, so much.
You’ve been a savior. ♥️
Glad to be of help 🙂
Hi applied 10 days back for italy business visa but i have not got any information from consulate or vfs about approval my trip is in next 20 days.when i applied for bussiness visa i did not have italian company letter as my company is US having conference in italy i have done declaration. What should i do pls guide
Check your status in VFS website and call them if you need any clarification.
Hi Ashwini really good job on the article. But there are 2 points which seem factually incorrect –
1. Travel insurance needs to be 15 more days than the date of departure ( couldn’t find any official document regarding this) and
2. Single entry visa suffices to travel within the 26 schengen states. Single entry means you will enter and exit the Schengen Area only once. Clarified this with VFS helpline also.
Your thoughts? Or am I mislead?
Hi Priya,
Thanks for writing in.
As for the 15 day extra insurance clause, I traveled in 2016 and it was true at that time, now, I checked the recent checklist, it says 10 days mandatory insurance from travel date. Thanks for the heads up, will correct it.
And about Single Entry visa, the term is debatable coz, on our Sweden trip in 2017, we got a single entry visa. We too believed what VFS folks told and tried to venture out of Paris airport on our 6 hour layover, but the immigration officials didn’t allow saying we had a single entry visa, though Paris is within Schengen area. Whereas on the same trip, we visited Iceland too and we did not have any issues what so ever! Thats the reason, I suggest ticking the Multiple Entry Visa.
Hi there! Great Post
My query is different. I am a solo female backpacker drom Mumbai and planning a trip across Italy only for about 12 days. Pls help me with the foll:
1) Will my travelling alone be a problem. My husband is a Dubai-based freelance trader. Any NOCs required as such.
2) Regarding financial standing. I left my job after 5 months here last week. I have salary slips but can get more docs. I have investments that i can liquidate but wont be enough. Also my mom (homemaker) has assets and investments, can I show her docs too or we need to liquidate them first. I am showing a bal of 2.2 lacs.
Thanks’
Bank balance is enough, though mention these in your cover letter, also mention why it is important for you to return back to India
Hello,
Thank you for a very detailed and informative post!
One thing I want to ask: did you mention about the car rental in your cover letter?
Also is it necessary to show bus bookings from one city to other? I am planning an Italy only itinerary, where I’d hire a self drive car for 3 days and rest of the days I’ll travel inter-city through bus.
My travel date is planned: 8th to 19th August 2019 and I have a VFS appointment on 28th June. I’m preparing the cover letter.
Thanks!
I know I’m a lil late in replying to your query, but answering this as it might help others. Yes, if you are renting a car for internal travel, its always good to mention it and provide docs for it. This will simplify the work for folks at embassy and assure them that you are well sorted for your trip.
Hi there,
As with all others, I also found this very informative and helpful. Thank you for sharing your experience and helping us out!
I had a couple of queries and wanted to check if you could help here –
1. I am Applying through BLS for Schengen visa for Spain. The checklist mentioned provide passport photocopies of all pages and include old passports as well, even the blank pages. Did not make much sense – perhaps 4-5 pages being blank on current passport is necessary for all stampings required. Please let me know if you could shed some light.
2. About ITR forms for last 3 years – it mentioned as Assessment years. If I share the last year’s filing, i.e. latest one then basically Fiscal year 2018-19 is Assessment year 2019-20. This still qualifies for submission for VISA application now. Can you confirm?
Thanks in advance!
Well, about your first point, we can’t think about logic but submit what documents are asked by the embassy. And about ITR forms, please call VFS helpline to clarify this. Thanks and all the best!