Are you thinking to apply for Schengen Visa in 2023? Recently, I applied for Schengen Visa a second time via the Czech Republic this time and received a 3-month visa with 6-month validity.
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➡️ Visa Fees
- Schengen Visa Fees - 80 Euro
- VFS Service Charge - 1120 INR (for the Czech Republic)
The VFS Service Charge, courier charges, etc. vary fr country to country in the Schengen region so check the visa fee for your country before applying. They also add a Courier Assurance Fee that is not needed and you can ask to remove it when paying the Visa Fees.
➡️ Processing Time
It takes 15 working days to get a Schengen Visa generally. This time can be reduced or increased depending on the documents that you have submitted. I got the visa in 1-week during the New Year duration.
➡️ Validity and Duration of Schengen Visa
Generally, you can get a visa valid for up to 6 months out of which you can stay a maximum of 90 days in the Schengen countries.
➡️ Documents Needed for Schengen Visa
-Valid passport with 2 blank pages and 3 months validity
- 2 photos on white background not older than 6 months
- Filled Visa Application Form
- Previous Passports (if any)
- Travel Insurance with minimum 30k Euro coverage or 50k USD with approved agents
- Confirmed Flight Itinerary
- Proof of accommodation for the duration of the trip
- Refusal notice mentioning where and why were you refused a visa
- Cover Letter detailing your itinerary for the trip, why you want to visit, and any documents that might be missing and why.
- Proof of Funds
- Interconnected flights or trains (not mandatory in most cases)
➡️ How to Show Flight Bookings
- Dummy Flight Tickets: There are many online websites such as dummytickets.com or visareservations.com that reserve a flight for you and share the booking with flight number, PNR number, etc. that you can submit with the application.
- Refundable Flight Tickets: Book refundable flight tickets so that even if your visa gets rejected, you don't lose out on money.
➡️ How to Show Proof of Accommodation
The best way to show confirmed hotel tickets without paying anything is by reserving your hotels and hostels on booking.com. Most of these places offer free cancellation so you don't have to pay any cancellation fee as well.
➡️ How to Show Proof of Flights and Trains within the Schengen Region
In a few cases, they might ask you to show how you will be travelling within the countries as well. For that, you can buy a Eurail Pass which is valid for 1 year from purchase and can be activated anytime that you would like.
➡️ Single and Multiple Entry Visa
Always select multiple entry visa for Schengen visa as the cost remains the same for single and multiple entry visas.
➡️ Process for Visa Application through Switzerland Embassy
1. Book an appointment for your Visa Application.
2. Gather all the documents and photos
3. Arrive 15 minutes before the appointment time and take the token for your Visa application.
4. Go to the Country's Submission desk and wait for your token number to be called.
5. Submit your documents which will be verified by the official there. If there is anything missing, get the document and come back to submit it at the same counter.
6. Once all documents are in order, you will be given a receipt to make the payment of the Visa Fees.
7. Go to the Payment counter and pay the fees (preferably in cash) and get the confirmation receipt for payment.
8. Hand over this confirmation receipt at the submission counter where they will give you a file with your documents and a number for the biometrics queue.
9. Once your number is called, give your biometrics information such as facial information and fingerprints.
10. Once it's complete, you are free to exit the VFS center. An acknowledgement slip will be provided to you to track your visa application process.
➡️ Passport Collection Process
1. Check your application status on the VFS website if you haven't opted for SMS updates.
2. Once you see that your passport is ready to collect, visit the VFS center's Passport Collection counter and take your passport.
3. If you opted for courier service, your passport will be dispatched via Bluedart and you will receive it within 2-3 days.
4. Check the visa details like your name, passport number, visa validity, and duration.
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