How to Apply for a Schengen Visa
Updated: 7 hours ago
If you’re an Indian student studying in the UK, you have at some point dreamed of that European vacation. That ZNMD road trip across Spain. You have looked up flights to Paris, or Prague, or Berlin, and refused to believe how cheap they were (let’s face it, flying to London is more expensive than Prague). But, of course, all of those dreams rest crucially on the tiny hiccup of having an Indian passport.
I always found the idea of applying for a visa on my own super intimidating. I’d always had the help of a family member, if not a visa consultant. I didn’t have any of these resources when I decided to finally apply for a Schengen visa from Edinburgh, so I nervously skimmed through other blogs and government websites. Sceptical, always afraid of the stamp of rejection.
Surprisingly enough, the process was quite straightforward. The visa officials and VFS staff were much more easy-going than my experience in India. I had nothing to worry about. I got my visa within 10 days of my appointment (record time!)
What country do I apply for?
When you apply for a Schengen tourist visa, you apply on behalf of one of the 27 countries in the Schengen area. This should be the country you plan to spend the most days in (if you are visiting multiple countries) or the one you plan on visiting first (if you are spending the same number of days in each country). So, for example, if I’m going on a 16-day trip to Italy and Belgium, with 12 days in Italy and 4 in Belgium, I would apply to Italy, as that’s where I’m spending the most days. On the other hand, if I’m spending 8 days in Belgium, then going to Italy for 8 days, I would apply to Belgium, as that is the country I’m visiting first.
Before an appointment
The first thing you do when you apply for a Schengen visa is book an appointment with VFS and file an application online. This can be done up to 6 months before you travel (the latest you can do it is 15 days before your travel dates). I suggest doing this a month before you travel, just to give it some buffer time for unforeseen circumstances.
All visa applications go through the VFS Global portal. Here, you will need to create an account, then book a suitable appointment. Availability of appointment differs by country, and in some cases, you may even have to travel to London (or consider applying for a different country) if you don’t see appointments in the near future. I applied via Finland, and luckily enough, I was able to get an appointment for 4 days later. You start the application online and take all your documents (listed below) with you on the day of the appointment. You don’t need to take more documents than necessary, but if you like to be safe, keep a soft copy of all those extra documents on your phone – just in case.
Now comes the most stressful part – the documents.
1. Visa application form
VFS advises you to fill it online, print it out and sign it.
2. Passport
Make sure it's valid for at least 6 months after your return date.
3. Passport copy
A copy of the front and back pages of your passport.
4. BRP copy
Front and back; this should be valid for at least 3 months after your expected return date.
5. 2 visa photos
These should be recent photos taken according to EU requirements.
6. Round-trip tickets
Return flight tickets clearly specifying the date and flight number. You may want to book refundable ones in case you’re worried.
7. Travel Insurance
You’ll need one that satisfies EU requirements (a coverage of at least 30,000 Euros, covering the whole Schengen territory).
8. Proof of accommodation
This could be hotel/AirBnB bookings or a letter from a host if you’re staying with friends or family.
9. Proof of financial means
This includes bank statements of the last 6 months; if your trip is being sponsored by someone else, like a parent, you will need a sponsorship letter, their bank statements, proof of their relationship to you and a copy of their passport.
10. Proof of enrolment at university
Your student support office should be able to help you with this; this should state your name, degree, attendance period, maybe even the number of classes you are enrolled in, and that you will need to return (possibly by a specific date like the end of spring break) to continue your studies. I even attached a copy of my student card.
11. Cover letter
A short letter talking about why you want to visit your destination, who you’ll be travelling with, what you plan on doing there.
12. Travel itinerary
If you’re travelling to different countries on a single trip, it can help to show that you have train or bus bookings between cities; preferably even a breakdown of what you plan on doing every day (don’t worry – you don’t have to stick to it).
13. Visa fees
This would cost about £120 including the visa processing fee, VFS charges and passport courier fees. I paid these fees on the day of my appointment, not beforehand.
I would also advise you to carry your BRP with you for your appointment.
In case you’re wondering where to print all of this – there are a lot of printers all over the uni. Your best bet may be the ones in the Main Library, though, as these are the only ones I know that are accessible 24x7.
On the day of the appointment
The VFS office in Edinburgh is in Leith (I honestly think the area is quite isolated and dodgy – at least by Edinburgh standards). It is advisable to get to the office 15 minutes before your appointment. Depending on what country you’ve applied for, you may need to go through a basic security check (I did for Finland). Once you’re in, you’ll be given a token and sent to the waiting area. Once your token number is called, you need to go to your allocated booth, where an official will go through your documents, take your biometrics and the payment and give you a tracking receipt for your passport. With all that done, you can take a deep breath, relax and wait for your passport to be delivered in a few weeks.
Single v/s multiple entry
£120 is a lot of money to spend every time you travel to the EU. This is why I suggest trying to get a multiple-entry visa. The best part – it costs the same as a single entry visa, and you don’t need to go through the hassle every time you want to travel to the Schengen area! The requirements for this visa are almost the same as those of the single entry, but you need to provide evidence that you will return to the EU multiple times. The easiest way to do that is to book multiple trips at once and share the flight and accommodation details for those. You need to show travel insurance only for your first trip, but it is always advisable to purchase insurance every time you travel.
At the end of the day, it is not up to you to decide the result of your visa. The key thing to look at when your visa gets delivered is the number of entries (single or multiple), number of days and duration. It’s possible that your visa is valid for 3 months but the number of days is only 10 – it depends entirely on the official looking at your application. Still worth a try, I’d say.
Hopefully, you'll see that the process isn't as scary as it seems. And once you finally stop procrastinating and get the visa, you can go on that trip you've always dreamed of. Let me know how the process goes for you and feel free to comment with any questions you have! Happy travelling :)
The Republic of Ireland has a separate visa application from the Schengen countries, but the website states that BRP holders are able to get the Irish tourist visa for free.
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