Documents required for Schengen visa (Updated 2023)

In our experience, most of our clients are confused about the documents required for Schengen visa.
Do I need a birth certificate ? Do I need to get a letter from the town hall ? Should I fill one or two Schengen visa applications?

The answer is always it depends, as the documents required for Schengen visa mainly depends on two things , your visa type & your work information, which is different for each Schengen visa applicant

Therefore you cannot submit the same documents that your friend Andy used for his Schengen visa as your requirement needs to be understood before you even think about getting your visa documents ready.

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This post will make it super easy for you to prepare your documentation based on your requirements. Or you could outsource your Schengen visa headache to us and we will handle it for you. Though this article is long, you will need to only concentrate on Common Documents + sections that are relevant to you and skip the rest.

Common Documents required for Schengen visa application

The below mentioned documents are needed for all Schengen visa applicants, make sure you have got them first. These documents are common among all Schengen countries.

• Schengen visa application form, duly filled and Signed. You can know how to fill your Schengen visa form here along with samples and templates.
• Schengen visa Appointment, this is the first step before you even begin planning your trip. Does the consulate you want to apply for Schengen visa have an appointment ? See our article to know more about What to do before you apply for a Schengen visa ?
• Photos as per Schengen visa specifications, the photos must be recent and follow the requirements mentioned here.
• A valid passport with atleast 6 months of validity from the date of visa approval. If you have any old passports then attach them too.
• A checklist of the documents.,to be filled and submitted for the Schengen visa and add it on top of the stack of the Schengen visa documents.
• Flight itinerary or a fully paid flight ticket(No temporary PNR bookings). Get a flight itinerary for visa using flightgen app. To download the app use the links below.

• Schengen approved Travel insurance policy, which is $0 deductible and covers atleast $50,000 including repatriation.
  Make sure you follow these requirements properly as this can also lead to visa rejection. If you are an Indian passport holder, then get this Insurance from HDFC Ergo Travel Insurance . For other countries, you can use the below link.

• Personal cover letter for Schengen visa, though it is not mentioned in the official list of documents required, you will still need to bring a cover letter for visa appointment as per VFSGlobal. You can easily get your cover letter using BlinkDocs App

• Proof of accommodation such as hotel/hostel bookings for visa or a rental agreement. A letter for invitation from a host who stays in the Schengen region can be used as proof of accommodation as well .
• Proof of financial means, on average you must atleast have EUR 80 per day of stay (after booking your flight & hotels) so for example for a 10 days trip, you must have EUR 800. You can also use a sponsorship letter if someone is providing you with financial support for your travel, along with heir bank statements .
• Proof of payment towards your Schengen visa, this you can get it either when you book your appointment or when you visit VFS office for your appointment.

Additional documents based on work Status

As mentioned earlier, the documents required for Schengen visa is a combination of work status and visa type.

If you are employed:

• Proof of employment like offer letter or contract
• Current bank statement with salary credit for the latest 6 months.
• Leave approval letter for visa from the employer in their letterhead, signed by the HR. This letter must also state that your employment will resume with them once you are back from the trip. Here is our sample Leave Approval Letter for Schengen visa.
• Income tax returns (ITR) filed for the last 2 years or TCS deduction of salary.
  

If you are self-employeed:

• Proof of business/income license or incorporation certificate
• Proof of income if you are a freelancer.
• Current bank statement with bank attestation for the latest 6 months.
• Income Tax Return (ITR)

If you are a student:

• Proof of enrolment in your current college or school like an ID card or a letter from your principal.
• No objection certificate signed by your school stating that your leave is approved.

If you are retired:

• Pension statement of the last 6 months.
• Proof of pension credit, such as bank statements.

If unemployeed:

• Proof of sustenance for the duration of the trip such as bank statements, credit or travel cards etc. If you are taking a hiatus and plan on joining your office again, then you can also attach any offer letter you currently have.
  

If your spouse is EU citizen/ having residence permit:

• Spouse’s passport and employment letter.
• Marriage certificate.
• Spouse’s employment letter not older than 3 months along with proof of salary credit.

If you are a minor:

For minors the documents or proofs of the parents should suffice. Along with the below mentioned documents.

• The minor’s birth certificate
• Application form signed by both the parents.
• If divorced, then family court order
• Passport copies of both the parents.
• If the minor is travelling alone, then a notarised authorization letter signed by both the parents.

Documents required for Schengen visa based on visa Type

The documents you need to submit for visa application depends on your purpose of travel. Along with the common documents, you will need to submit these additional documents based on your visa type.

If applying for Schengen tourist visa:

• Day-wise Travel Itinerary, where you have mentioned what you plan to do day by day with dates mentioned. If you are using blinkDocs App, then their hybrid cover letter will add the Travel itinerary for you, so at the price of 1 you are getting 2 documents.
• A Letter of support, or an invitation letter for Schengen visa , in case your trip is sponsored by someone residing in Schengen region, then they need to visit their local town hall and get a document attested by them.
  The name of this document varies for different countries. For Ex: German official affidavit of support is called Verpflichtungserklärung (I am not even going to try pronounce it). Check online what this document is called by the Schengen country you are applying your visa for.
  
  

if you are applying for Schengen business visa:

• Invitation letter, on the inviting company’s letter head inviting you to attend work related assignments like meeting training etc. The letter must also mention who is responsible for the expense of the trip.
• Proof of previous relation, proof of previous trade between yourself and the inviting company.
  
  

If you are applying for Schengen medical visa:

• A letter from a doctor/clinic/hospital in the home country of the visa candidate, that he or she needs medical treatment.
• Official confirmation of the treatment/appointment by the receiving medical institution (hospital/clinic) in the EU.
• Proof of financial means. Proof that the applicant has sufficient financial means to pay the medical expenses and other related expenses throughout their treatment. This can be one of the following:
  • Bank statements.
  • Letter of sponsorship + bank statements of the sponsor.
  • Proof of advance payments of the treatment + bank statement for other related expenses.
  • Verbal note from the Ministry of Health of applicant’s home country – which must declare the readiness of the relevant government of the applicant’s home country to cover his medical treatment costs (for covered medical treatment by the Government of the home country of the applicant)
    
    

If you are applying for Schengen student visa:

• Two Schengen visa application forms instead of one.
• Letter of acceptance at the college in Schengen region.
• Proof of financial means during your course duration . unofficially, we think around EUR 10,000 must be enough.
  
  

If you are applying for Schengen work visa :

• Two duly filled Schengen applications
• Employment contract between yourself and the company in the Schengen country.
  
  

If you are applying for Schengen spouse visa :

• Two visa application forms instead of one.
• Marriage certificate or a certified copy of proof of marriage
• Passport copy of your Spouse, if he is a European citizen or if he holds a residence permit, then a copy of that
  
  

If you are applying for Schengen sports, culture of Religious events in Europe:

• Event Information. I.e. invitation letters, entry tickets, enrollment conditions, detailed programme and other documents that present relevant information about the event.
• Proof of previous performances. Participation in previous festivals and ceremonies (cultural, religious), sports competitions, winners certificates, proof of world/international ranking (sports)
  
  

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