Tourist Schengen Visa

Tourist visa is an authorization of the designated country/countries of destination within the Schengen Area issued to the citizens of countries that have mandatory visa requirements from the Schengen Zone with the sole purpose of traveling in the designated Schengen country/countries for pleasure or on a visit to their relatives living in the Schengen Zone. The holder of this type of visa is not required to have the citizenship of the designated country in order to spend time with their relatives or visiting the designated Schengen country however such an authorization has its limitations as well.

On a tourist visa you are allowed to reside in the designated country for the maximum of 3 months/90 days unless the visa states differently, and you are not allowed to work for such a period of time, unless the visa states differently.

Who needs a Schengen Visa?

Non-European citizens willing to travel to the Schengen Area are bound to apply for a short-term Schengen visa under “tourist” specification.  Depending on the visa issued they may be allowed to enter once (single entry) or multiple times (multiple entry) and stay for no longer than 3 months 90 days per year in between the period of 6 months. Such a decision is made by the authorities depending on the nature of ones travel purpose and other relevant factors.

What documentation is required?

First of all, one must download the application form from the internet and fill it completely and sincerely. You can electronically fill in the form for a Schengen Visa and print it out.

One photo is to be attached; the photo must have a passport format, full-face capture, and a light background. The photo must be recently taken.

The passport as well as all the copies of your previous visas, valid for at least 3 months prior to your departure is required. The passport must have at least two blank pages.

One must have a copy of the reservation of the return ticket for the time intended to be travelling. It is not recommendable to buy the ticket before getting the visa, if not necessary.

The travel medical insurance policy is to be secured, covering any medical emergency with hospital care and travel back to one’s native country due to medical motives. This health insurance policy has to cover expenses up to 30,000 euros, the sum depending on the residing days, and also it has to be valid in all Schengen countries. The health insurance policy must be purchased before picking up the Schengen Visa India and if your visa is refused you can cancel it!

Tourist visa (Visiting friends or relatives)

The current bank statement (preferably for the last 6 months)

In case one doesn’t have a bank account or doesn’t own enough funds to be taking care of their expenses during this travel, one must ask the visiting friends or relatives to sign an “official affidavit of support” at the corresponding office in his/her place of residence. Make sure you carry the original document when applying for the visa.

The applicant description of their trip, the purpose of travelling, the time frame and all the personal date written down in a letter.

In case of first time travelers, one must submit also:

Income tax returns for the last three years

Appointment letter

Proof of legal entity of the company

A reference letter from the employer

In case the applicant is the owner of the company he/she is working for, the business registration, tax returns and the latest bank statement is to be attached.

The plane ticket reservation (One shall buy the ticket after getting the visa, as recommended).

Other documents, specified by the visa subtype

[Source: http://www.schengenvisainfo.com/tourist-schengen-visa/]

Planning to travel to Europe? How to Apply for Schengen Visa

It was in 2007 when my parents had to apply for my student Schengen visa. It wasn’t easy back then, especially with my case since I was underage and my parents had to give my sister the rights to be my guardian while I live with her in Finland, there was too much fuss and tons of paperwork. Of course, I didn’t process my own papers because I was not yet eighteen, therefore my parent’s had to endure all the processing themselves while I tagged along. That was eight years ago.

Nowadays I have to do the entire visa processing all by myself without anyone’s help and although year by year visa application becomes more expensive, yet easy (thanks internet), there is one thing I realize has not changed: the process of application itself. Throughout my eight years of stay in Finland, I had to go through the same visa application process every year for four years until I finished my studies.

After that, I had to apply for a four-year working resident visa. It doesn’t matter in which country you try to apply for your Schengen visa (may it be student, tourist or working visa) and/or to what country, the requirements are very standard (we’ll go through them as you read along). But as always, every embassy requires some specifics.

That is why it is always better to call and ask for other special requirements needed just in case it is not clearly specified in their list online.

Although I acquired my Schengen visa because of work and studies, that does not mean it is so much different than applying for a tourist visa. Tourist Schengen Visa however a much simpler process than work and studies is since it is only meant for short visits (90 days).

Be aware nonetheless because even though I say it’s simpler doesn’t mean you have to treat your application lightly. One wrong move will lead to your application getting denied and although reapplication is possible, it is still better to be careful and triple check your requirements before handing it to the embassy or consulate for processing.

Like any visa application, it also costs a lot, so please take care that you fill in every detail correctly.

[Source: http://twomonkeystravelgroup.com/2015/04/how-to-apply-for-schengen-visa/]