About 7 million Indians visited Europe in 2016 to become the 6th largest visitor to Europe. That number is expected to grow upto 15 million in 2020.
Update : It is now mandatory to get COVID Insurance when you travel Abroad. Click the below link to get your COVID Insurance at cost price.
This article explains how to apply for Schengen visa for Indian passport holders, what are the requirements and the process to get your visa approved in 7 days.
Needless to say, Europe is a premier dream destination for Indians to travel and with most of us getting influenced by the grandeur of our movies depicting wonderful locations in Europe, the demand for Schengen visa for Indian passport holders will anything but dwindle.
Important checklist on Schengen visa for Indians
Around 10 million Indians visit Europe every year. Even though India is not one among the visa-exempt countries, Schengen visa for Indians can be easily availed with the help of Blinkvisa. The steps to do when applying for Schengen visa for Indian citizens are:
- If you are travelling to more than one Schengen country, you need to know which consulate you need to apply for your Schengen visa.
- Get an appointment with that consulate (Need help in getting an appointment for Schengen visa?)
- Fill the application form for Schengen visa.
- Collect all the documents required for your Schengen visa.
- Appear at the VFS office or directly at the consulate on your appointment date and submit your documents & biometrics(fingerprints).
We will explain all these details in detail in the following sections
What is a Schengen visa? Where to apply for Schengen visa in India?
Schengen visa is a special kind of visa which allows you to travel among all the Schengen countries for a period of upto 90 days. You can apply for Schengen visa in any of the 25 Schengen countries or apply at local VFS center. VFS centers are present in almost all major metros. VFS has separate counters for all the Schengen countries. The counter in which you need to apply depends on your answer for the below question :
Based on the above information, you can determine in which consulate you should apply for your Schengen visa.
Download free ebook with all sample templates and tips by clicking the below image.
What is Schengen visa fees for Indians?
If you are applying with VFS, then there is a processing fee of INR1476/- that you will need to pay with VFS and this amount needs to be paid in cash. So make sure you have the above amount in cash since they don’t accept cards.
But there are other alternate costs for Schengen visa especially if you do not want to make flight & hotel bookings in advance since you are not guaranteed of visa.
Documents required to apply for Schengen short-stay visa
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Duly filled Schengen visa application form – You can download the ebook by clicking the image above which contains step by step video instructions to fill your Schengen visa.
You can – Download Schengen visa application from here
Update: You can now fill the entire Schengen visa application online and take a print out of it. See our blog post on how to fill your Schengen visa application online. No need to run around for a pen, no need to worry about typos.
Passport with at least two blank pages and valid for at least three months. If you have an old passport, then even that needs to be submitted along with the application. If you are a minor then the application must be filled and signed by both the parents along with photocopies of parent’s passports.
Two photographs as per the spec mentioned by photo specification for visa application.
Personal Covering letter from the applicant explaining in detail the purpose of the visit. This needs to explain in detail your entire travel itinerary, all the documents that you have submitted in order addressing the Embassy in your area.
Medical insurance with a minimum cover of €30,000. See our article to get the best travel insurance for Schengen visa
Update : It is now mandatory to get COVID Insurance when you travel Abroad. Click the below link to get your COVID Insurance at cost price.
A confirmed Flight itinerary or reservation for Schengen visa A flight ticket need not be booked in advance for a visa. Once the visa is confirmed then a flight ticket may be purchased. Flight itinerary is a safer way of submitting a visa application without buying an actual flight ticket which is expensive if your visa is refused.
What is the flight itinerary? Is it accepted by the Schengen consulate?
Of course, in fact, all the embassies mention the same. We have added links to the official visa pages which you can verify.
Your travel itinerary : you MUST BOOK your airline ticket but do not purchase until the visa has been approved.
We recommend that you do not purchase travel tickets until your visa has been approved. On the other hand, you may provide us with a reservation, a planned itinerary or an online printout of a roundtrip ticket.
Travel reservation to and from schengen area, not a ticket. Note: Make travel reservation which you can cancel
Flight (roundtrip)/travel reservations and full itinerary (if several Schengen States will be visited or if the trip covers several Schengen States and non-Schengen countries) with the name of passenger and one copy
Round trip ticket/reservation, originating in this jurisdiction to Europe (and ultimately to Italy) and back, including internal entry and exit points of travel i.e. EURORAIL tickets, car rental, internal flights. The names on reservations have to reflect the names on passports.
We can provide you with flight itineraries which is accepted by not only for Schengen visa but for all visas. We have customers using the same flight itinerary for Malaysia visa, Singapore visa, India visa, UK visa etc.
In fact the European union visa requirements for visa states the same.
As per the official document,
Round trip reservation or itinerary with dates and flight numbers specifying entry and exit from Schengen state.Schengen authorities accept the itinerary when applying for the visa but request the original air ticket when visa is collected.
That is why we have 100% visa acceptance rate although some of our customer have been requested to provide “additional documents”,none of their visa has been rejected for providing fake documents. With 80% of our customers being return customers or companies which process visas for their employees/clients, our approach is the best approach if you want to ensure the safety of your visa.
This is our orders screen for this month. Most of the orders have been placed by repeat customers.
The best part about our service is along with getting a flight reservation without payment, you can also get confirmed hotel bookings, personal cover letter, leave/no objection letter for your visa consulates.
Proof of accommodation such as hotel bookings We would not suggest you to make your hotel reservations before your visa is approved. We have seen many customers who make all the bookings thinking they can cancel them once they get their visa only for the visa process to be delayed resulting in huge cancellation fees.
Flight, hotel or insurance for your Schengen visa for Indian
Proof of sustenance (either as bank statements travel cards, credit cards) to show that you can sustain yourself financially when you are in Europe.
If your parents are sponsoring your trip, then you will need to show their bank statements along with a letter stating that they are sponsoring your entire trip and sign on all then bank statements.
If you are employed:
- Employment contract or your latest 4 months salary slips.
- Current bank statement of the latest 6 months
- No objection/Leave permission letter from employer (download template from ebook).
- Income Tax Return (ITR) form or Certificate of Income Tax deducted at the source of salary
If you are self-employed/running a business:
- A copy of your business license
- Company bank statement of the latest 6 months
- Income Tax Return (ITR)
If you are a student:
- Proof of enrollment
- No-objection certificate from school or university (also from parents)
If retired:
- Pension statement of the latest 6 months
If applicable:
- Regular income generated by property proof of the latest 6 months
Other then the above general documents, depending on your purpose of visit a few additional documents should be obtained
Applying for a Schengen tourist visa for Indians
- Invitation letter for visa with the address and phone number from family member or sponsor . A letter signed and approved by local town hall or any other competent government.
- Bank statement of the last 6 months
- Passport copies
Applying for Schengen business visa for Indians
- Invitation letter from the company you will be visiting and their detailed address accompanied with the dates of your visit and your plans if any
- A certificate from your employer stating/allowing your business travel download template from ebook)
- If there were previous trade relations between the two companies, proof of such events must be provided
- Business bank statement of the latest 6 months
- Company registration proofs
- Regarding the applicant’s expenses during stay in the Schengen zone, either the employer or the partner company must state coverage of expenses on the letter or invitation
FAQs on Schengen visa for Indians
1. Which is the best country to apply for Schengen visa for Indians?
Most of our customers unanimously agree that German consulate is the easiest to apply for Schengen visa among all countries. In fact, if you are applying for a tourist visa in German counter at VFS, you don’t even have to attend for the interview at the German consulate.
Compare that with Belgian or France where you will need to provide Biometric scans, other additional documents and the need to attend an interview. Germany is the recommended consul to apply for a Schengen visa.
Update: Since 2018, you need to provide biometrics for all the consulates, you can do that in the VFS center itself.
Will all Schengen visas be granted for 90 days?
No, the Schengen tourist visa is not granted for 90 days, you will get visa only for the number of days that you present in your travel itinerary and your flight & hotel bookings. See the sample attached below. The visa is granted for 15 days mentioned in the dates. If you want you can add some flexibility by adding 10 days to your itinerary. You can do this by using our flight +hotel plan
2. How long does it take to get my visa?
It usually takes about a week. But it depends on how busy the consulate is so it is better to apply for a visa at least one month in advance
3. What questions might be asked during my interview?
- Who will pay for your visit?
- Are you married? If yes, what does your spouse do? For how long have been married?
- Do you have any children? If yes, how old are they, what do they do and where are they?
- Do you have any close family or friends in the Schengen area.? If yes, when did you meet the last time?
- Where do you stay?
- What is your educational qualification?
- How will you travel from one place to another?
- How do you guarantee me that you will come back?
- Which company do you work for?
- What does your company do?
- What is your profession?
- What is your role in the company?
- How many years of total experience you have?
- For how long are you employed with your current employer?
- For how long were you employed with your previous employer?
- Could you please show me your company profile and tax returns?
- How many employees are there in your company?
- Explain your current project to me.
That is it. Once your interview is over, your visa will be sent to you either through mail along with your passport. That is it. You are now ready to embark on your visa journey.
4. Do I have to purchase the same ticket from you once my visa is approved or can I make my own bookings?
No,
Once you get your visa you can make your own bookings and no need to worry about the bookings you make with us. You are free to make your own plans. we will handle all the cancellation charges and you will not need to pay anything extra.
5. Can I see a sample flight itinerary and hotel bookings?
This is our flight booking sample
Our hotel booking sample
[pdf-embedder url=”https://travelvisabookings.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Hotel-Riu-Costa-Lago-All-Inclusive-Torremolinos-Mar-17-Itinerary-7160682756408.pdf” title=”Hotel reservation for visa application”]Our Insurance Sample
[pdf-embedder url=”https://travelvisabookings.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/insurance-templates.pdf” title=”Insurance Sample for Schengen tourist visa”]6. Can I make changes once I place the order?
Yes 100%. Each purchase on travelvisabookings will be given a minimum of 3 changes. If you have made a mistake in your order or want to change your travel plan, then drop us an email and we will make the changes for you
7. Can I add more traveller names in my itinerary?
Yes, 100%. For a small fee, you can add your co-travellers names in your plan. Also, as a policy, we will add children below 15 years in your order for free !!
8. How can travelvisabookings.com book a flight ticket without paying for them?
We can pre-book confirmations because we are registered, travel agents. We can pre-book upto 100 flight tickets and hotel reservations a day. We have 5 such offices worldwide. So we have a limit of 500 bookings per day. We more often reach this limit every day. So if you are in a hurry, please book them as soon as you can
9. Is travelvisabookings a scam?
Well our competitors would like you to believe so. There has been a lot of propaganda on social media & quora trying to book us as scam. But we are providing the exact service as them for over 5 years . We would advice them to work with the same enthusiasm on their website to improve it and challenge us with customer support.
10. Is paying through travelvisabookings secure?
Yes 100%. We do not save any of your card or Paypal information. All your payments happens on the payment gateway and we get only the payment confirmation. We do not save any of your information on our website except your check out form.
11. What if my plans get cancelled?
Then you will get a 70% refund from our end.