Supporting documentation for Schengen visa

Application fee

There is a non-refundable fee of €60 for adults and €30 for children (aged between 6-12) at the time of writing.  These fees are generally converted into the local currency (e.g. £ sterling) and may differ slightly between Embassies.   

Passport

You must include an original and valid national passport with your application.  The passport must:

·         Be valid for at least 3 months beyond the expiry date of the Schengen visa. 

·         Contain at least 2 blank pages

·         Have been issued less than 10 years ago

You should also include a copy of your passport and copies of any previous passports.  For minors, they must also submit their own passport.     

Proof of UK residential status

If you are applying in the UK, you must submit evidence of a valid UK residency permit visa.  This may already be contained in the original passport that you submit, or a copy of your Biometric Residence Permit card. 

If you are in the UK as a dependent of someone with rights to remain in the UK, you must also submit:

·         a copy of your partner’s passport;

·         a copy of your partner’s valid UK residential permit visa; and

·         an original marriage certificate if applicable

Just like the passport, any UK residential permit visa submitted must be valid for at least 3 months beyond the expiry date of the Schengen visa.  

Evidence of purpose of staying in the UK

If you are applying in the UK, you must submit evidence, usually in the form of a letter, proving you are in the UK for the purpose as stated in your UK visa.  The evidence must be:

·         original;

·         as recent as one month from the date of your application;

·         Signed and dated;

·         Official, for example the official company letter head or an official stamp of the school/college/education institution

You must also submit a photocopy of this letter. 

The types of evidence to be submitted depends on your UK residency type.  Here are some common examples.

Students in the UK

You must submit an original as well as a copy of an official letter from your school/university/education institution.  This letter should confirm the following details:

·         Your start and end dates of study

·         The name of your course

·         Whether your studies are full or part time. 

The letter must be signed, stamped and/or use the official letter head of the school/university/educational institution.  An example letter is provided in Appendix B.

Employed in the UK

You must submit an original as well as a copy of an official letter from your employer.  This letter should confirm the following details:

·         Your start date at the company

·         The position you hold in the company

·         Your salary amount 

The letter must be signed, stamped and/or use the official letter head of the company.  An example letter is provided in Appendix A.

Self-employed in the UK

You must submit an original as well as a copy of an official letter from your lawyer, account or Companies House.  The letter must be signed, stamped and/or use the official letter head of the firm/organisation giving you the endorsement. 

Proof of finance

You must demonstrate to the Schengen country Embassy that you have sufficient funds throughout your stay in the Schengen area for the duration that you are applying for.  Obviously, the longer you are applying to stay in the Schengen visa, the more funds you will need to show to fulfill this requirement. 

You can prove the financial subsistence by the following methods:

·         Original and copies of instant access bank account statements covering 3 months before date of application

·         Travelers cheques

·         Credit cards

If you are a dependent, you must provide the following:

·         An original marriage certificate;

·         A copy of your partner’s passport;

·         Original instant access bank account statements of your partner, covering 3 months before date of application

In general, Schengen country embassies will apply a basic formula to work out the minimum amount of funds required, as follows:

minimum acceptable subsistence per day x number of days of the trip

Every Embassy has different financial subsistence requirements.  The following table outlines the minimum amount that needs to be proved for each Schengen country.  Please note that these guidelines are updated regularly, and we welcome your feedback if you have been given a different figure. 

Country	Financial subsistence guidelines
Austria	Not stated.  Please enquire directly
Belgium	If staying at hotel: €50/day If staying with individuals: €38/day
Czech Republic	Not stated.  Please enquire directly
Denmark	DKK 350/day
Estonia	EEK 600/day
Finland	€30/day
France	€56.2/day
Germany	€45/day
Greece	€20/day, minimum €100
Hungary	HUF 1000/day
Iceland	ISK 4,000/day, minimum ISK 20,000
Italy	1 to 5 days overall fixed sum: € 269.60 (1 applicant) € 212.81 (2 or more applicants) 6 to 10 days daily sum per person: € 44.93 (1 applicant) € 26.33 (2 or more applicants) 11 to 20 days fixed + daily sum per person: € 51.64 + € 36.67 (1 applicant) € 25.82 + € 22.21 (2 or more applicants) > 20 days fixed + daily sum per person: € 206.58 + € 118.79 (1 applicant) € 27.89 + € 17.04 (2 or more applicants)
Latvia	If staying at hotel: LVL 30/day If staying with individuals: LVL 10/day
Liechtenstein	Not stated.  Please enquire directly
Lithuania	€40/day
Luxembourg	Not stated.  Please enquire directly
Malta	MTL 20/day
Netherlands	€34/day
Norway	NOK 500/day
Poland	PLN 100/day, minimum PLN 500
Portugal	€40/day, minimum €70
Slovakia	SKK 3450 per day
Slovenia	€70/day
Spain	€57.06/day, minimum €513.54
Sweden	SEK 370 per day
Switzerland	Not stated.  Please enquire directly

Passport photos

It is best to submit 2 identical photographs with your application, even if the Embassy asks for one.  One should be glued to your application form (not clipped) and the other one loose. 

There are strict requirements for the photos.  They must be:

·         Against a white or light background

·         Be taken as recent as 6 months before the application date

·         Be 35mm x 45mm

·         Printed on high quality photographic paper

It is best to have the photos taken from professionals who deal with Schengen visa passport photos on a daily basis. 

Travel insurance

You must submit evidence of travel insurance at the appropriate level of coverage.  Different Embassies may impose specific insurance coverage but in general, your insurance must provide:

·         Minimum cover of at least €30,000;

·         Emergency hospital treatment;

·         Repatriation of remains from the Schengen area

You must submit a photocopy of your travel insurance policy which meets the above criteria.  You should check with the Embassy to see if they require any particular coverage before taking out the insurance cover. 

A number of insurance companies provide Schengen visa travel insurance package that is aligned with the requirements of the Schengen embassies.  You will be able to find them through an Internet search, pay for them online and print out the policy.  Take care to read through the policy to confirm it has the coverage you require.

Proof of transportation

You must provide printed copies of the following to prove your travel:

·         Confirmed return transportation (e.g. flights, trains, coaches, ferry etc.) in and out of the Schengen area;

·         Confirmed transportation (e.g. flights, trains, coaches, ferry etc.) within the Schengen area;

·         If you are travelling by car through the Euro tunnel, a photocopy of the ticket reservation

Some Embassies will require that you have paid for your transportation, whilst others only require evidence of a booking.  In reality, most budget airlines, rail companies and coach providers require you to pay upfront to book the tickets.

Proof of accommodation

You must provide printed copies of confirmed hotel reservations of every night’s stay for the duration of the trip.  The reservation should state the name and address of the hotel, the check-in and check-out dates, name of the applicant and the contact details of the hotel.

It is also prudent to enquire whether the Embassy has any special requirements.  Some Embassies require the reservations to be fully paid for.

If you are staying with friends or family, you must submit a signed letter of invitation from your friend/family, along with a copy of his/her passport.  Some Embassies require the letter to be further verified.  Please enquire to the relevant Embassy.     

Itinerary

If you are visiting more than one Schengen country, you must submit an itinerary of your trip.  Even if you are traveling to one Schengen country, it is still highly recommended that you submit an itinerary to strengthen your application. 

Your itinerary should include information on the following:

l   The countries and cities you are travelling to, along with intended date of arrival in each place

l   Where you intend to stay in each place during your trip

Application for minors

If an applicant is less than 18 years old, you must submit a parental consent letter from the parent or legal guardian of the applicant.  The letter must be original, signed, dated, and state who is responsible for the minor.