Are you an Indian having a dream of travelling to Europe for a short holiday, staycation or to meet relatives or friends. Then, comprehending the process of a Schengen visa for Indians is all you need!
Europe being a country of fantasy world; beautiful oceans, beaches, locations, sceneries and famous tourist places to explore, is still a dream world for many Indians. No matter what corner of Europe you pick, it has millions and millions of tourists going gaga over it.
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In 2019, Eastern Europe was the most visited region of Europe by Indians with over 1.8 million Indians having their best time in Europe. Western Europe on the other hand, experienced around 1.1 million exalted visitors from India in 2019. But, every year, many people fail at getting European visas due to various reasons. This can happen due to various mistakes or anomalies, improper information on visa rules of Schengen visa for Indians and whatnot!
Here is all you need to know about Schengen visas for Indians.
What Is A Schengen Visa For Indians?
A Schengen visa is a special visa for tourists seeking a short stay in any Schengen zone member country. Some of the countries under the Schengen visa agreement are Italy, France, Germany, Greece, Austria, Belgium, Iceland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and many more.
There are a total of 26 countries under this Schengen visa agreement where the Schengen visa for Indians can grant you entry. This is one visa allowing entry to all 26 countries without the requirement for different visas for each country. This is generally issued for 90 days.
The Application Process For Schengen Visa For Indians
The steps of getting a Schengen visa for Indians is a well-regulated and defined process. To begin with, one needs to have a travel insurance plan. This ensures you can save yourself from any travel mishaps during the journey. But this is not that of a hassle as there are a large number of insurance providers available to help you with travel insurance plans for Europe. One such provider is Care Health Insurance.
Once you have got your travel insurance figured out, the next step is to fill up the nine application forms of the Schengen visa of Indians application form. Along with this, prepare your cover letter explaining your purpose and basic itinerary of the trip and also keep ready other required documents such as passport, bank statements, employment contract etc.
After submitting all this, you get a visa appointment. And after going through a basic visa interview process, fees can be submitted and a Schengen visa for Indians is issued.
Understanding Visa Rejection
Sometimes, the visa application gets rejected due to various reasons. Some of the reasons could be improper cover letters, incomplete documents, expired passports, invalid bank statements etc. To mitigate the chances of your Schengen visa for Indians application rejection, double-check the documents carefully.
Things To Know About Schengen Visa For Indians
Here are one of the must-know things about Schengen visa-
- It can be of two types, Uniform Schengen visa (USV) and Limited territorial validity visa (LTV).
- Candidates having any history of criminal abuse, violence or legal trouble, would not be issued this visa.
- Fees range between 1500-6000 Rs. (INR)
- The processing time for Schengen visas for Indians It depends on documents, stays duration, etc. Generally, it takes around 20-50 days.
- This visa is generally non-expandable.
- The USV visa is further divided into three categories named Category ‘A’, ‘C’, and ‘D’. This also includes single entry, double entry and multiple entry visas.
En-route Europe!
If you have valid travel insurance, passport and required bank amount to show, your chances of getting a Schengen visa for Indians elevates. However, one cannot be certain. As the Schengen visa grants allowance to multiple countries, it is not easy to get. Therefore, often the application gets rejected as well. A careful and detailed understanding of the visa rules, regulations and requirements, one can get a Schengen visa for Indians at the right time.
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