Applying for a Schengen Visa

I didn't want to jinx it by offering visa gyaan before I had my duly stamped passport back in my hands :) Being Indian, I've to re-apply every time I want to travel to Europe. The rules keep changing, so it's always freshly nerve wracking. Here are some tips that worked last month:

1. You need to apply for a visa with the consulate of whichever Schengen country you plan to spend the most time in. If it’s a fairly even spread, apply at the consulate of the country you’re flying into. In my case this was Italy. Given how well Indians treat Sonia Gandhi, you’d think we’d be waved into Italy, no questions asked, but nooo.

2. If you’re flying out of the Schengen zone to a country which requires a visa, you need to have the latter visa before applying for the Schengen one. 

3. Go to the relevant consulate’s site to see what documents & bank balance you need. This is a bit of a pain because several websites claim to be the 'official' one. Look for the one that slips back into Italian despite your clicking 'EN' at the top right several times.

4. I highly recommend booking flights & hotels with free cancellation. If your company doesn't cover insurance, you’ll need to buy your own, and Travel Underwriters was the cheapest (reliable) one I found. You'll need to give them 72 hours' notice for a 'proof of coverage' letter.

5. Filling the Schengen visa application form: You need to list all the Schengen countries you’re visiting in the ‘Member State of destination’ field. Similarly, hotel details for all countries are to be listed later in the form. Also, don't stick the photo in the box, just carry it along.

6. Remember you’ll be giving away your passport for 7-20 days after your visa appointment, so don’t schedule international trips in this time. For domestic travel, check if other ID proofs will be accepted by the airline. 

7. Most consulates need you to make an appointment before you show up. I wholeheartedly commiserated with the security guard at the Italian Consulate* who had to futilely open & close the door ten times in the five minutes I was there. And no, he can’t answer any of your questions. 

8. Bring photo ID along when you come. Keep it out if possible. The queue of people behind you will greatly appreciate this, especially when it’s -10 out. Cell phones & laptops may be confiscated at the gate, so leave them at home if possible.

9. Bring the visa processing fees in cash. No discounts for those who've received Schengen visas before, tragically. The nearest ATM to the Italian Consulate in TO is past the AGO.

10. The Italian Consulate in Toronto is notoriously slow, so factor in 1.5 hours for the appointment. They are super-fast at giving you the visa though – I got mine in 6 days’ time.

11. You can either pay to have the visa couriered to you, or go pick it up. I recommend the latter, because it’s important to check your name & the dates for which the visa’s been issued.

12. FYI, you needn't bother with the nice heels when it’s slippery-snowy out, because the officials can’t see them from behind the tiny window anyway. Lesson learned. 

* Did you know the IT consulate in TO is in a historical building dating back to the 1800’s? The Italian government bought the house constructed by a British-born tanner in 1937, and it was confiscated by the Canadian govt in 1939 when WWII began. It was given back to the Italians later, obviously, and they've owned it for over 40 years now. This being Toronto, the building sits right where you’d expect it to – in Koreatown, rather than in Little Italy. Oh, Canada.

14 comments:

  1. Hi, wondering if the embassy ever checked back after you were granted the visa? Did they ask for your confirmed plane ticket, hotel reservations, and your IT? Thanks so much!

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    1. Hi Riana,

      No, they didn't. I'd submitted the itinerary up front, and they didn't cross-check anything after they'd granted the visa. All the best with your application!

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  2. Thank you! One more Q, do you know the result right after the appt and just wait for your passport?

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    1. I'm afraid not. You either pay courier charges so they mail you the passport (with or without the visa stamp); or you get asked to come by the consulate again to collect it. Approximate processing times should be listed on each consulate's site.

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  3. Hello! I'm planning on going for my grad trip to Europe. So I have a couple of questions if you don't mind answering. Firstly, if I plan on travelling in September and apply for it now around April or may, will my 90 days start right away or from when I enter Europe? Also if I tell them I'm planning on entering Europe on 15 September but end up going a few days earlier, will they check back? Would that be an issue ? Also since I'll be a graduate and unemployed during the time I'll be travelling, what proof can I provide them that I'll be returning to Canada? Also can I show them my dad's bank statements instead of mine if I tell them he is the one sponsoring my trip? Thank you in advance!

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    1. Hi! You're applying for a different visa than I was, but I do know the 90 days start from when you enter the Schengen country. I'm afraid the date of entry will definitely be checked, so I'd recommend sticking to what you put down on your application. Your dad's bank statements should work as financial collateral, since you're a graduate. In fact, just proof that you have family in Canada should be enough to say you'll come back to Canada. All the best with your application :)

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  5. Hi, I am wondering if you have applied the Schengen visa recently (2018), and are all of the advise/observations you have indicated above still stand. I am mostly interested to know if (1) I can still pick up the visa + passport in person; (2) the turn around of visa is still +/- 6 days. I am going to Italy Oct 14, but the earliest appointment I got is Sept 21. As the Italian Consulate Toronto website specifically indicated once appointment has been made, I can't change it. Otherwise I may lose my appointment. Thus I am afraid to make any change even though I see earlier appointment availability. Thanks in advance.

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  6. Great stuff! I visited Belgium last year and it was very difficult for me to get visa on time but there are some blogger like you who are always ready to help. Thank you belgium visa team who helped me get my visa on time and shared up to date information about schengen visa requirements .

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  7. Nice and interesting information and informative too.
    Can you please let me know the good attraction places we can visit: Akbar Travels France Visa

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  8. Hey Akshaya, thank you for writing down steps of applying for Schengen Visa in an elaborated & simple way. I am sure this would be of a great help for people aspiring to apply for Italy Schengen Visa. I appreciate your efforts that you’ve put in compiling steps of Visa Application. I am planning to get my Italy Schengen visa for my next trip to Visa & nearby Schengen countries. Will surely refer to your post.

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  9. Hey, thanks for sharing such an informative post. I visited belgium last month and it was very difficult to book visa appointment in the embassy but thank you find visas team who helped me to book my belgium visa appointment on time.

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  10. An informative post. It will surely facilitate prospective travelers to apply for Italy Visa. Those traveling to Italy this month can visit the enticing Italy Beer Festival
    with friends.

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  11. A Schengen visa does have a lot of perks! I will try to get a Schengen Belgium Visa & take my kids to Belgium. They enjoy visiting interesting places & making new friends.

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