subject: What Mistakes to Avoid to Get a Schengen Visa Approved? [print this page] What Mistakes to Avoid to Get a Schengen Visa Approved?
According to our experience quite a few applicants for Schengen visas do not have their visas approved when they submit their visa applications.
We will go through five major mistakes that should be avoided.
Mistake One: Not understanding what a Schengen visa is. There are 25 countries which are
under the Schengen agreement; a visa issued by any of these countries is called a Schengen visa. For example, if you have a visa granted by the Spanish consulate, it is a Spanish Schengen visa. If your visa was issued by the Italian consulate, you have an Italian Schengen visa.There is no such thing as "Schengen visa" for all countries, and one cannot just apply for "Schengen visa". It is really important to understand how it works. The rule you must follow is this: you MUST apply for a Schengen visa at the consulate of the country which is your main destination. If you fail to define your main destination correctly you will be asked to apply at a different consulate. Thus your visa application will be turned down.
Mistake Two: Confusion about visa duration and its validity.A lot of applicants want to apply for one or two year Schengen visa and spend a whole year in a Schengen country but this is not how it works. You CAN get a Schengen visa for one year, but only when you meet certain conditions and requirements. For instance, if you are submitting your visa application for a Schengen visa for France, and you are not a spouse of an EU/EEA national, you most probably will be granted a multiple entry visa valid for three or six months for the first time. As for duration of stay, please refer to your visa to see how many days you may stay in the Schengen area. After that you can apply for one year visa. Tourist, Business and Transit visas are all "short stay visas" which allow the bearer to stay in the Schengen countries up to 90 days in any half-year maximum. Another type of Schengen visa is called "long term visa". It allows the bearer to stay in Europe for longer than 90 days and is normally issued when a person owns a property in Europe, or wants to study there.
Mistake Three: Applying at a wrong visa centre/consulate. After you have defined your main destination, you need to book an appointment at the consulate or visa application centre of that country. But be careful and book an appointment at the facility serving YOUR area. For example, if you live closer to Manchester than London, you may not apply for a Spanish or Portuguese Schengen visa in London, you have to submit your application in Manchester. Study embassies' web sites to find out what areas they service and where you should submit your application.
Mistake Four: Submitting old or wrong visa application form. Some applicants think that there is just one visa application form suitable for all Schengen visas. That is not true. Each Schengen country has its own application form for a visa. The forms can be found on embassies' official web sites.
Mistake Five: Processing time underestimated. It is a mistake to think that you can get a visa issued on the same day. There is no express or same day service for Schengen visas currently. At the moment it takes minimum 3 working days from the day of submission to have a visa application processed. In this aspect much depends on the nationality. For those holding passports of developing countries the process may take longer, sometimes up to four weeks from the day your application has been accepted.
