It’s not always the first thing that pops into a traveler’s head when they think about a trip abroad, but it’s an important one: Do I need a visa?
The Schengen area (a collection of 29 countries in Europe) has strict entry requirements, which means millions of travelers from various countries need a visa before entering.
While US citizens don’t need a visa, many Pennsylvania and New Jersey residents do. Whether or not a traveler needs a visa mainly depends on the country that issues their passport. If their passport was issued by the US, a visa isn’t needed.
However, if it was issued by a country that doesn’t have a visa-waiver agreement with the Schengen area (such as China or India), a Schengen visa is obligatory.
In this case, the applicant will need to obtain a visa before heading overseas, as well as make sure that they meet all of the Schengen visa requirements.
While it might feel like it’s ok to skimp on the requirements a bit, it is not a good idea. In fact, it leads to visa applications being rejected or unable to be submitted.
Applicants have to prepare and present several types of documents when applying for a visa.
Visa application form and photo. All applicants must fill out a visa application form and provide a printed visa photo that is compliant with the European Union’s ICAO standards.
Valid passport/travel documents. The Schengen area requires that all passports have at least 3 months of remaining validity beyond the applicant’s intended trip. It also needs to be issued within the past 10 years and have at least 2 blank pages available. Original, physical passports are currently required for visa applications.
Accommodation bookings. Included with the application, the visa-hopeful must include proof of accommodations. This means that the lodging (such as a hotel) needs to be booked and confirmed before the visa application appointment. It is possible to stay with family/friends, but proof of hosting will still be required.
Flight itinerary. In order for a Schengen visa application to be submitted, a flight itinerary has to be included. Flight itineraries are flight confirmations/bookings.
Compliant travel insurance. All Schengen visa applicants are required to purchase travel insurance (sometimes called Schengen travel insurance or Schengen visa insurance). This insurance has to meet several criteria, such as providing €30,000 in emergency medical coverage and having guarantees for repatriation, hospitalization, and medical evacuation. It needs to cover the applicant for the entire duration of their stay, in all Schengen member countries (despite whether or not they set foot in more than one).
Proof of financial sustenance. All visa applicants need to prove that they have sufficient funds to cover their expenses during their trip abroad. This often comes in the form of bank statements, but can also include pay stubs or other forms of proof.
Biometrics. All Schengen visa applicants must submit their fingerprints, and sometimes a digital photo.
When the visa process is started, applicants will receive an official checklist. This checklist will show all of the required documents and the acceptable formats. It’s extremely important that the applicant go off this list and provide all of the documents in the requested formats.
Applicants will also need to book an in-person appointment. The applicant will be required to bring all of the documents to their pre-booked appointment. If all of the required documents are present and sufficient, a visa attendant will forward the application to the appropriate embassy. Biometrics will also be collected.
Decisions aren’t made at the visa application appointment itself. In fact, visa services attendants have no say in whether or not a visa application is approved or denied. After the appointment, it takes around 15 days for a decision to be made.
Visa applications aren’t free. One of the requirements is that all visa fees and applicable service fees must be paid before the application is submitted and processed.
If the applicant fails to:
Then, their visa application may not be forwarded to the Embassy for a decision.
This could ultimately impact the timing of a trip, delaying it or worse. If the application does happen to be submitted with incomplete information or missing documents, the Embassy may ask for additional information. On the other hand, the visa could just be denied outright altogether.
This is why it’s so important to read the requirements carefully and to double-check that each and every document meets the criteria.
