Want to travel to the countries in the Schengen area? Worried for what documents would you need and which procedure you should follow for your schengen visa application? Don’t worry, we have simple steps to follow. Get into this article and know the General Schengen Visa application procedure.

Travelling to Schengen area means to apply for a short-term Schengen Tourist Visa. Short-term Schengen Tourist Visa is of two types, Type A and Type C. Depending on the types, this visa will allow you for a single or multiple entry access. The multiple entry access is valid for a maximum of 3 months. You need to apply to the consulate or embassy of the country in case you are planning to visit more than one country.

Six Month Passport Validity Rule

You need to make sure that your current passport is valid for a minimum of six months before your planned travel date. 6-month passport validity rule is strict in Schengen area for the tourists who want to travel to any of the Schengen territory.. For example, if your entry date is 25th May 2019 and leaving date is on 1st June 2019, then your passport expiry date should not be on or before 30th November 2019. So it’s require you to check your passport’s expiry date and renew if needed.

Schengen Visa Application Procedure Steps

Step 1: Passport Check

Passport is one of the most important steps in general Schengen visa application procedure. Passport’s expiration date is very important as mentioned above. Look at the expiry date of your passport and keep a count of six months. You need to renew your passport before you travel if  your travel itinerary is in between the six months of your passport’s expiry date. You can apply for a Schengen visa if you have your current passport but make sure to get a new one before you enter the Schengen area.

Step 2: Visa Application Form Fill up

Fill up your Schengen Visa Application Form after you checked your travel itinerary and passport’s expiration date. Computer generated form are more preferable than handwritten forms. Filling up the form correctly is needed because it will enter the Schengen member embassy’s data bank.

Step 3: Collect all Necessary Documents

After filling up your Schengen Visa Application form, you need to collect all necessary documents required by the Schengen member embassy. Below are the general list of documents required by the Schengen member embassies to process your visa application.

1. Recent Passport size photos with white background.
2. Get your Travel Insurance from a Visitor’s Coverage and a reliable insurance company.
3. Travel Proof like Flight booking, Hotel booking and your Travel Itinerary. You can get all these from us without paying any penny for your ticket, tour packages, and reservation.
4. Personal Coverage Letter stating your visit purpose and travel itinerary.
5. Attested Bank Statements showing minimum balance required over the last 6 months. You can also show your family member’s or guardian’s bank statement with an accompanying letter stating that they will sponsor you for your travel and stay.
6. No Objection Letter for Schengen Visa (positive for your visa application outcome).

Step 4: Schengen Member Embassy Selection

After you collect all your necessary documents, you need to submit them to the correct Schengen member embassy without submitting them to any of the random embassies to avoid     the chances of disapproval.

If your plan is to visit only one Schengen country, then you must apply for a Schengen Visa only for that particular country.

If you are planning to visit more than one country in the Schengen area, then you must apply for a Schengen Visa from the Schengen member embassy of the country you are going to stay long.

If you are planning to visit several countries in the Schengen area, have done your flight bookings but have not set your travel itinerary, then you must apply for a Schengen Visa for the Schengen member embassy of your point of entry country.

Step 5: Book an Appointment

After your Schengen member embassy selection, you need to book an appointment by contacting the visa processing unit of the embassy. You can book your appointment online or can contact through call.

Appointment booking should be done 3 months before your departure date otherwise the Schengen member embassies will refuse to accept your Schengen Visa applications. The earliest you can apply for an appointment is up to 12 months before your departure date.

Step 6: Be Ready for a Visa Interview

Your personal appearance and in person interview is the next Schengen Visa Application Procedure. Be ready for an interview when you go to your scheduled appointment. You should keep everything in place as the interviewer will ask you questions about your trip and your travel purpose.

You should not send a proxy to submit your documents because your documents will be checked while your interview and you have to go through the biometric process. Your thumbprint will go the Schengen’s data bank automatically. By this way, you don’t have to appear in person in your future Schengen Visa applications.

Step 7: Payment Process

Finally, you need to pay for your Schengen Visa processing fee after the officials check your Schengen Visa application form properly. The amount differs from country to country and from one embassy to another but the average amount for adults is €65 and is non refundable. You can pay your amount by cash/card.

If you have any questions, please check our Schengen Visa website and know how to apply for a Schengen Visa. Start your Schengen Visa Procedure, prepare your documents needed for the visa application. Avoid any stress and contact us if you need any help. Just fill up a simple query box and we will respond to all your queries asap.