Visa Application for a South African Citizen traveling to a Schengen Country
Which embassy do you need to apply at?
It will either be the country that you enter first or the country you stay longest at. If your longest destination is Madrid and Barcelona, with 5 days in total in Spain; and you enter France for 1.5 days then another for 1.5 days; – you apply at the Spanish Embassy.
How much does a visa cost?
R756 currently, but obviously prices can change.
What documentation do you need to submit?
Get the Schengen Visa Application form for Spain.
Proof of financial means. Copy of passport.
Copy of flight and accommodation details.
Now make a second copy of everything.
How long before the time can you apply for a visa?
You do need to get your flight tickets etc first – that happens max 6 weeks before flying.
After that, go for it! How long before you get your visa after submitting your application? Usually 5 days.
A few days ago I went to the Spanish Embassy in Pretoria to apply for my visa. I was really surprised at the speed at which they processed applications – and how easy it was. I was dreading getting there and having to fall in a long queue – but fortunately there was only a 5 minute wait!
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my husband and i r newbies to travel! we r planning to go to Spain and then on to North Cyprus. probably spend equal time in each country. what do we do about visa? if we apply for a Schengen would it b possible for us to go to France, or any other country for that matter, on the spur of the moment from Spain?
Hi Lesley! Thanks for getting in touch. The visa for Spain will definitely be a Schengen Visa, ask for a multiple entry visa on your application form and you’ll be allowed to travel to France or any other Schengen country while over there. Generally though, you have to have all your accommodation, transport, flights, forex and insurance paid for before applying for your visa. This means you’re going to have to tell the consulate where you’ll be when, so you can’t simply jet off somewhere on the spur of the moment unfortunately. Once you’re over in Spain, you cannot apply for any other visas from there, you have to apply in a country where you have residency/employment.
Northern Cyprus will be a difficult one. To be honest, in all my years working as a travel agent I’ve never had anyone ask to go there. Northern Cyprus is also known by some as “Turkish Occupied Cyprus” relating to when the country was occupied by Turkey and a new state was set up – consequently this country is not recognised by anyone except Turkey. Also, it’s airport is not recognised by IATA, meaning you need to fly to Turkey first and then on to Ercan airport in Lefkoşa (Nicosia). You apparently can cross the border from Cyprus proper if you have accommodation/tour booked through a North Cyprus tour operator – though from what I have read there are accounts of people who are non-EU citizens being arrested upon re-entry into Cyprus proper by the border police. From what I can tell, it doesn’t sound like a good idea to go to Northern Cyprus. Rather go to Cyprus proper and find out about crossing for the day when you are there. You won’t need a visa for Cyrpus IF you have come from a Schengen country already on the same trip, see: http://www.visaexpress.co.za/docs/Cyprus/Cyprus%20Schengen%20Visa%20rules%20as%20at%20Nov%202011.pdf .
Hope this all helps!
I am applying for a Schengen Visa through the Spanish Visa Application Centre in Cape Town. I want to travel to the Netherlands for two days during my stay. Is it possible to just state that I will be in the Netherlands for two days sometime during my stay, or will I need to book flights and accommodation for that trip, binding me to fixed dates which I cannot change? Alternatively, is it possible to just apply for a multiple entry visa and not state where I will be going and when?
Thanks
Hi Laura. The embassy will be wanting to know where you will be when. If you’re applying for a visa and not using an invitation letter from a friend of relative they would want to see confirmed accommodation for the duration of your trip. If you’ve got accommodation booked in the Netherlands, they’ll also want to see how you’re getting there.
What you could do if book accommodation for the duration of your trip to apply for your multiple-entry visa. Once you have the visa, cancel the accommodation you don’t need and rebook when you’re ready. Many of the hotel companies will give a refund if you cancel long enough in advance (usually more than 2 weeks).
You should definitely apply for the multiple-entry visa when you apply – most of the embassies give this as a standard in any case.
Hope this helps.
I have to travel to Barcelona for business in April. I am self employed. What proof of funding do they require?
Hi Robyn,
thanks for getting in touch.
You’ll need to comply with the general requirements plus the below:
> Official signed invitation letter from the Host Company or Authority in Spain, stating purpose, dates and relation with the invited company.
> Official signed business letter from your Company confirming the nature of the trip, dates, relation with the Spanish company or authority and applicant’s employments status in the company.
> If you are Self-employed please submit official documents confirming your business (commercial licence and latest VAT Certificate)
> Proof of registration with Organiser of Conference or Fair, if the purpose of the trip is to attend one.
Your proof of funds will be as normal, it’s just these documents you’ll need if going on business. Hope this helps!
Hi, im in the uk a the moment. Have a SA passport and UK visitors visa and would like to take a day trip to France. Will i be able to get a Schengen visa. Please help
Hi Louisa, I’m afraid if you only have a visitor’s visa, the French consulate will likely insist you return to SA to apply for the visa. If you’d like to take a shot at getting a different answer out of them, check out their details on their site: http://www.ambafrance-uk.org/Visa-Department
I am a resident of the U.K. still holding South African Passport. How can I get a Schengen visa? Can I do appointment by internet? I would be touring Spain in June and Italy in July.
What is the right time to submit the application for a visa?
Hi Busisiwe, thanks for getting in touch. If you are a resident of the UK, you can apply for your visa through the consulate in London. You can apply no more than 3 months in advance and I would suggest applying no less than 1 month in advance. Reach the Italian Consulate here: http://www.amblondra.esteri.it/Ambasciata_Londra and the Spanish Consulate here: http://www.maec.es/subwebs/Consulados/Londres/en/home/Paginas/home_cglondres.aspx . Maybe ask, since you’re going 2 Europe twice in 2 months, if they can’t make your visa a multiple-entry valid for 3 months – they may insist you have both trips booked and paid for first though. But, it may be worth asking in any case.
My tickets out of SA are to London and return. We are having flight tickest purchased in UK for our visit to Spain (timeshare ) for a week and then back to London and then taking the Eurostar to Paris for 3 days. can i use my return ticket to london when applying for a visa or must the ticket from london be sent and used. also will the visa cover the dates for the Paris trip.
Hi John! The UK visa generally covers you for travel to the UK over a 6 month period from when the visa is issued, you’re not allowed to stay longer than 3 months during the 6 month period from my understanding. At the moment the UK visa agency is not asking for proof of accommodation when apply for a visa, so your return ticket from SA to London and back should be sufficient – you won’t need the Eurostar etc booked before hand. You will need to show confirmed bookings into and out of Europe when applying for your European visa (amongst other requirements). Just to clarify there are two visas you need, one for Europe and one for the UK.
Hi Nick Paul,
I am a South African passport holder hoping to do a short 6 week course in Spain and then travel up to Germany and Switzerland and across to Turkey a month later, Then to fly back to SA from Spain. Do i need to apply for a visitors visa or a study permit? I wouldnt have any set accommodation in Germany or Switzerland but hoping to stay at backpackers during my trips. Is this impossible to do? or would it be more simple for me to fly to and from Switzerland first and apply for my visa through the Swiss consulate?
Hi Mitch, if you’re going to be studying in Europe, all the info I have says you’ll need to apply for a study permit in Europe before being allowed in. I’m not 100% sure of what the study permit allows you to do or if it allows you to stay on beyond the duration of your course – they may give you an extension. If you’re going to be travelling through Europe, you generally need to show how you’re getting around (prepaid) and show where you’re staying (also prepaid) for the duration of your trip. Unfortunately the days of off the cuff, spur of the moment trips to Europe are gone – too many South Africans have been caught working illegally or trying to live illegally in Europe. This means applying through the Swiss consulate won’t help you any more than applying through the Spanish consulate. I would however advise you to deal with an experienced visa agency like http://www.visaexpress.co.za who can advise better on your sort of trip.
Hi Nick Paul, my sister and I will be travelling to Europe and the UK for 3months. We are flying to Italy and then returning to South Africa via London. We will be visiting several countries while in Europe and the UK, all of which require a schengen visa or UK visa. We are doing our own sort of contiki tour. Will I have to submit accomodation for all the countries we will be visiting, or can we just give details for three countries accomodation, say Italy, Spain and UK? And transport we will be getting a eurail 3month pass, would this be information the consulate would need to know. Also would we go to the italian embassy to apply for the Schengen visa, we will be there for the longest time, there and France?Could you please advise.Thanks so much.
Hi Taryn, wow! Sounds like quite the trip you’ve got planned. The UK visa is a little easier than the Schengen visa in terms of requirements, but from what you’ve said above, it seems you’re confident with that one. For the Schengen Visa, if you’re going to be in Italy the longest, you’ll need to apply through http://www.myeuropevisa.com and select Italy on that site.
Your Eurail pass should be sufficient for proof of transport, just remember you’ll likely need to show how and when you’ll be entering and exiting Europe.
Regarding accommodation, if you’re not staying with friends/family in Italy, it’s very likely the consulate will want to see accommodation for the duration of your trip to the Schengen area. What you can do is pre-purchase accommodation in 2 or 3 countries for the purposes of your visa, you can always cancel what you don’t need and book new accommodation for what you do need, your visa will be a multiple entry visa, so it shouldn’t matter that that’s a country you didn’t have on your application (so long as it’s a Schengen Country).
If you’re going for such a long time (the maximum is 90 days in the Schengen Area by the way) you’re going to have to show proof of funds for the duration of your stay, that will be a minimum of R400 per person per day for the duration of your trip (that’s R24,000 each for a 2 month trip).
The length of stay for your visa is quite unusual so I would suggest double-checking everything with the call centre number listed at http://www.myeuropevisa.com just to make sure you stand the best chance of getting the visa first time.
Best of luck and enjoy the trip!
Hi Paul
What is the minimun money required to have available for a trip to Austria/Switzerland?
Or do I have to enquire about this when actually going for my visa?
Hi Sumein, thanks for getting in touch. Generally for Europe, with prepaid accommodation, you’ll need a minimum of about R400 – preferably more – per day for the duration of your stay.
Hi Paul
My girlfriend and i are planning a trip to france but we have not booked any flights or accommodation, We do however have a letter from a family member staying in Germany. Should we apply for Germany and then just catch a train to France or would it be okay to apply for France. However in France we do not have any set plans to show them. I have heard of just making reservations on planes until the visa gets accepted so they can see you will be leaving the country.
Hi Matthew, if you’re applying using the letter from a family member, your trip has to show that you’re flying to Germany. So I would book a ticket into and out of Germany to minimise the amount of paperwork you’ll need. Just ensure you apply for a multiple entry visa so that you’re allowed out of and back into Germany again. If they ask (they shouldn’t) just say that you may take a day trip to a neighbouring country once there.
You can easily catch the train to France once you’re in Germany. I did a similar trip a few years back, applying with an invitation letter to Germany, I also caught the train to the Netherlands for a few days and it was no trouble at all.
- Nick
Hi Nick…Im traveling in and out of europe , spending mainly in Spain when im going to be there and need to get a visa to be able to get in and out of Europe for the the year but wont need more then 90 days but will need multiple entries and also it needs to cover the 9 month period ill be in and out for..any suggestions on what i can do to get a visa for a year with 90 days and multi entry..?
Hi Jay, interesting that you ask that today. A colleague of mine who is going to Italy in a couple of weeks and then is doing a whole Europe trip later in the year just applied for a visa and asked if he could have a visa valid for the rest of the year. What he did is put in a letter of motivation with his application. This letter explained that he has a number of trips planned between this date and that date and where he was intending to go on the other trips and when abouts those would be. He urged them to consider his request for a longer stay visa. It is up to the consulate as to whether they will grant this or not, but it’s worth a try.
My husband, daughter and I will be travelling to the UK in March. We are hoping to take a trip to Euro Disney in France for 4 days.
How much money would my husband and I need to have in our banking accounts as part of our supporting documents for our schengen visa applications? We each have our own banking accounts.
Hi Ruth, generally one needs about R450 per person per day. It’s best to have this as part of your foreign exchange for your trip when applying. The consulate may want to see your bank statements to show that you have a bank account here in SA which is active. To apply for the visa you’ll need to visit http://www.myeuropevisa.com
My husband and were inveted by our son and his partner to visit them in Spain (all expenses paid) from the 2nd to the 25th August 2012. What besides the general requirements should we take along, and where do we go to apply for the Spanish Schengen Visa and at what cost. Thank you
Hi Melinda, the Spanish Schengen visa is about R650 per person, you apply through VFS, their visa handling service by visiting this site: http://www.vfsglobal.com/spain/southafrica/ You’ll schedule an appointment and pay the fee and they will let you know what to bring along.
You’ll need to have an original invitation letter from your son in Spain, this will have to be accompanied by a copy of his passport and proof that he’s allowed to reside in Spain (they may also request a copy of a utility bill). I would suggest contacting VFS on the number on their website to clarify exactly what format they want everything in to make sure your application goes off smoothly.
Hi there – my husband and I are visiting Spain in April; first to Amsterdam for 2 days, then Spain 3 weeks and back to Jhbvia Paris, staying in Paris for 2 days.
My questions:
* Do we apply for a Schengen visa directly at the Spanish embassy in Pta or do we need to go through an agency?
* A colleague told me you need special ‘Schengen’ travel insurance. I’ve already bought my normal travel insurance on my Absa credit card, is this sufficient?
Tx!
Karien
Hi Karien! Thanks for getting in touch. You’ll need to apply through the Spanish Embassy’s visa handling service (VFS), you need to make an appointment on their site. You can find all their details here: http://www.vfsglobal.com/spain/southafrica/contactus.html . For the insurance it will need to cover at least R300,000′s worth of medical care, repatriation and 3rd party damages cover, often credit card insurance is not sufficient but you can take a top-up on it, check with your card company for details of the cover and for purchasing top-ups if they’re needed.
Hello Nick,
I hope you are doing well.
Can I please request you to suggest me the schenegan Visa Fees for Spain. I am on student visa in Britain, and belongs from INDIA. I have an appointment on 28th, and probably on 9th March, will take a flight. Do we need to book our hotel, flight before 28th? My natwest bank will issue bank statement, medical insurance. How much time the Spain Embassy would take, if we are visiting on this 28th.
Thanks
1. Cost of Visa
2. Amount showing in the account ( in pounds).
Thanks in advance
Hi Rachit, thanks for getting in touch. I’m afraid I really only know about visas which are applied for from South Africa for South African passport holders. So I will give you advice as if you were a South African traveller.
You will need to have your travel insurance covering at least 30,000 Euro + return air ticket to Europe + confirmation of prepaid accommodation in Europe for the duration of your trip. If you are travelling between two different places on your trip, you will need to show how you are getting from the one city to the other. You will need to bring all this documentation to your visa application.
The visa should be in the region of about 65 Euro, payable in pounds (check with the embassy for the current exchange rate). The amount you’ll need to have in your account for your trip (preferably in foreign exchange) would be about 40-45 Euro equivalent per day.
Hope this helps, but I suggest contacting your closest Spanish consulate/embassy to check.
Hi Nick, my friend is an airline pilot and invited me to Europe (arriving in Frankfurt), then to hire a camper to travel wherever we feel like for two weeks. I am his registered travel partner but that means that the oppertunity can come up anytime and I need to get myself ready to jump on the plain if the oppertunity arrise. With open air tickets, and a six month open period, would I be able to apply for a multy-entry schenglen visa?
Hi Lea, they should allow you a multiple-entry visa, but they will very likely want to see when you arrive and when you leave the EU, so you cannot present an open return date. Also, unless he can provide you with a letter of invitation (Verpflichtungserklärung) taking surety for you in Germany, you will need to show where you are staying in Germany for the duration of your trip. The maximum length of validity of a Schengen visa is usually 90 days within 6 months, but this is rarely given to travellers, when your stay is going to be that long you, and the person taking surety for you will have to show sufficient funds for the duration of your stay. Visit here for more info and to make an appointment for a visa application: http://www.visa-germany.co.za/index.html
Hi Nick,
I’m traveling to Amsterdam later this year and the embassy requires proof of finance for a daily allowance, can this just be a bank statement, credit card statement or must it be foreign exchange?
Thanks
D
Hi Dino, thanks for getting in touch. 3 months Bank Account statements are accepted showing about 40 Euro equivalent available per day, though even better is proof of purchase of foreign exchange.
Hi. I am applying for the Schengen on behalf of my employer (he goes to Switzerland every year in March, so this is not the first Schengen I am obtaining on his behalf). He is travelling in March to Switzerland for approx 2 weeks, returning to SA and then going to Italy, Rome again in July. Can we apply for one schengen to cover both trips at the Swiss embassy and if so are there any other documents that will be required aside from the usual? I might just add that the Swiss trip is for tourism and the Rome for business and tourism. Thanks, looking forward to your advice.
Hi Lize. You can definitely request a visa valid for multiple entry for a maximum of 6 months duration. Just provide the Swiss consulate with as much info about his future trips as possible (eg dates) so that they can see that he’s serious. The fact that he’s had previous trips to the EU is to his advantage in this. Just remember granting the long stay visa is at their discretion still.
Hi Nick, i’m travelling to Spain, Portugal and France in June. Having previously travelled to europe and being married to a european passport holder i was in formed that i neednt personally apply for schengen visa (i can do it through an agency). All my previous schengen visas were issued by the Dutch Embassy but i wont be travelling to holland during this trip at all. Do i have to apply at the Spanish/Potuguese embassy or can i just apply as per normal at the Dutch Embassy.
Thanks
Rick
Hi Rick, thanks for getting in touch. You will need to apply through the consulate/embassy of the country you are spending the longest time in, whether that be France, Portugal or Spain, unfortunately you won’t be allowed to apply through the Dutch embassy at all. What happens if you are the spouse of an EU citizen is that you must be travelling with them for the duration of this trip and then your visa fees are waivered, that means, the visa costs nothing at all. Spain and France each have a handling agency dealing with their visas so you will need to apply through one of those if you’re spending the longest time there. I suspect you are in gauteng, so see the info below:
For France: http://www.myeuropevisa.com/FR-ZA/
For Spain: http://www.vfsglobal.com/spain/southafrica/
For Portugal: http://www.cgj.org.za/visas.htm
For each of these you need to appear in person to make your application it seems. I hope this helps you!
Hi Nick
I need to apply for a Schengen entering Spain first and it’s difficult to get the embassy in Pretoria. I’ve seen these companies offering to do it for you. http://www.visarequest.co.za/visas/spain_visa_184.html
Is this legitimate or do I need to present myself in person at the embassy in order to apply.
would appreciate your assistance.
Kind regards,
Velda
Hi Velda, I am not aware of visa agencies who deal with the embassy in Pretoria, to my knowledge, all applications had to be lodged with the official handling service “VFS” here: http://www.vfsglobal.com/spain/southafrica/ I would say, if you can make the time to go to VFS, rather do that as they are the official handler.
Hi Nick,
I work for a Swiss Company and stay in South Africa. I will be required to attend meetings with clients in Switzerland over the next year. Is it possible to get a visa without actually booking a ticket, would an itinerary be sufficient? Clients setup meetings at very short notice and I’m worried I can’t get a visa in time. Also is it possible to get a multi entry visa for along periods so that I don’t have to get a visa every time I need to travel for a meeting?
Hi Daryl, thanks for getting in touch. My best suggestion to you is to chat this over with the consulate as it is a fairly unusual situation. To my knowledge, they would need some sort of official letter from your work stating what you’ve said above (on company letterhead with your passport number). They would likely require some prospective itineraries showing costings of the trip that may have to be signed off by your work.
The application process can take up to 12 weeks to complete for long-stay visas, so please allow time. You can reach the Swiss Embassy on:
(012) 452-0662 or pre.visa@eda.admin.ch to discuss this further with them.
Hi Nick, we are travelling to Spain this year. we contacted a few agencies to clarify which is the best means of proof of payment. they all insist that even if you buy foreign exchange and you have well over the required daily amount needed, you will still need to provide 3 months bank statement. Is this true, as we will not be taking our local bank cards with us, as we are purchisng foriegn excahnge which will be loaded onto a travel card at the bank. please can you advise. Thanks
Hi Donald. Thanks for getting in touch. The 3 months bank statements (particularly if you’ve already got foreign exchange) are more about seeing that you’re a stable sort of a person with stable finances, ie, money coming in and money going out of your accounts. So, if you didn’t have a bank account or had an account with R20 in it for the last 3 months, this would show them that you’re not someone who’s financially able to support himself while travelling and has a high chance of becoming a financial liability to the EU.
I hope this helps answer your question.
Hi Nick
Trust that you are well.
Myself and a friend are looking to travel to Switzerland, Italy, France & Spain in June this year. We will be entering and exiting europe through Switzerland as we were invited to stay with some family friends there, while in Italy, France & Spain we will be staying in hotels. We would like to know how to go about applying for our visa’s, to which embassy should we apply, how long in advance do we need to apply and what is the average spending money that is required when we apply?
Hi Gasant,
thanks for getting in touch. I would suggest applying through Switzerland, and I suggest you apply for a multiple entry visa as you “may do daytrips to neighbouring countries” while there, if you get what I am saying. You shouldn’t need to mention that you are going to travel for most of your holiday to other countries when you apply when using an invitation letter from friends. The invitation letter from your host in Switzerland, should be duly signed with a copy of the valid Swiss residence permit or Swiss passport. This letter and copy of passport should be originals mailed (or DHL’d) from Switzerland to your address here in South Africa.
I hope this helps answer your question
Hey Nick**
I am traveling to Spain and France for a private visit to two of my friends. They want to send me invitation letters for my time of stay in each country with them at their residence.
I need these letters to get my Visa, and I want to leave at the beginning of April.
Where do I get the information regarding the Invitation letter ?
- What is the process for my friends’ on that side,where must they go to get the letter?
- what documents do they need to get the letter?
-What documents and information do I need to e-mail them ?
- How long does a letter of invitation take ?
On the Embassy in SA’s webpage – if I search it I don’t find it.
Please help
Hi Stina! Thanks for getting in touch.
According to the info I have at my disposal, for Spain, the host invitation from Spanish Nationals or foreign residents in Spain is available at any National Police Station (allow yourself to apply with a few months in advance of your trip) or through a Public Notary in Spain. In some cases and with the due guaranties such as property ownership, leasing, copy of the host’s passport in Spain, a private invitation could be taken into consideration.
You can find out the most up-to-date info by visiting this link: http://www.vfsglobal.com/spain/southafrica/nonimmigrantvisas_docreq.html
For France they will need to send you an Attestation d’accueil. This form is available at local Municipalities in France. It must be
completed and signed by the friends or family in France, forwarded to the applicant and submitted with the requirements listed above. This “Attestation d’accueil” will also have to be stamped by the Border Police upon entering France.
Click here for more info on this: http://bit.ly/wnuReq
Do south Africans need a transit Via or tourist Visa if they are in Transit in Egypt
Hi Tumelo! You don’t need a visa to transit Egypt if you hold a permanent South African passport. Be sure you have all the necessary visas for your destination though.
Hi Nick,
My mum and dad have arrange a cruise for myself (UK Passport) and my 2 children (SA Passport) from Majorca with 6 stops, Corsica, 2 italy, 2 France, Spain and back to Majorca.
As we only spend a day in each destination do I still need a Schengen visa for the children? (age 12 & 13)
Seeing as Mum and Dad are paying for this…they only pay the balance after I’ve applied for childrens schengen visa’s should they require them. I do I manage this?
Regards
Neil
Hi Neil, thanks for getting in touch.
Since your travel will be to Europe the children will need a Schengen visa each, regardless of whether they are on a cruise or not. This is in the case that they have South African passports. They may be able to get the visa free of charge as they are travelling with an EU citizen to whom they are an immediate relative, though they may still pay the handling agency fee.
I’m not sure where the majority of their stay will be but it sounds like it will be Spain, so you would need to do the applications via http://www.vfsglobal.com/spain/southafrica/
Hope this helps!
Hey. I want to go and backpack France , maybe go to Amsterdam and Belgium. For which visa(s) do I need to apply for, what do I need to apply for the visa(s) and how much will it cost me?
Hi Jacques!
Thanks for getting in touch. You will need to apply for a multiple entry Schengen visa. It allows you entry into almost all European countries (including France, Belgium and Netherlands). You apply through the embassy of the country where you will be spending the most time. From the sounds of it this will be France for you.
The visa costs about R650 and there may be other handling fees involved. You need to go through their official handling agency called Copago who will give you all the details on what is required. Find them on http://www.myeuropevisa.com
Hi Neil,
I need a Schengen visa for Germany on a short visit to my adult son who lives there. On the web I found a Company in Pretoria whom handles the apllication on my behalf for about ZAR500. I wish to take this route as I live in Nelspruit. However, Don’t I have to appear in person? Can I send a company on my behalf with all the needed documentation? Thank You!
Hi Andre, the info I have at my disposal states:
“Applications must be submitted in person and may not be submitted by courier, regular post, fax or email. Only applicants who can prove to have travelled at least twice to the Schengen States within the past two years, may be exempted from applying in person. A third party may represent such applicants.”
It does sometimes happen that visa agents have agreements with consulates/embassies, but I would suggest double-checking this with the German Embassy first before handing over money or your personal documents. Try reaching them on this number: (012) 427- 8999
Hi, Nick
I am attending a 3-day conference in Spain (Barcelona). I’d be coming from Tokyo and is from a country where Schengen visa is required. Although the main purpose of my trip to Europe is for the Barcelona conference, I want to enter through Italy or Czech Republic for tourism purposes, staying at either for also 3 days.
If I apply through the Italian or Czech embassies, I would most likely request for a tourist visa. What do I tell them about my business trip to Spain? Thanks a lot!
Hi Precious, thanks for getting in touch. I would say that you still apply through the Spanish consulate (provided that your stay there is longer than the stay in the other countries). If your stay is identical in both, you will apply through the country you are entering first. They will likely require documentation proving your accommodation etc when you apply. Unless you are being entirely sponsored by a company it may be worth your while to not mention the conference and just apply as a tourist and get the company to pay you back for any expenses linked to the conference.
Hi Nick,
I’m planning a Euro trip for a month from July until August. My return flights are already booked to Milan and I’m staying there with a friend I also visited last year on a Dutch Schengen Visa. I’ll be in Milan for a week doing an Italian language course.
I’m planning on flying from Milan into Paris and taking the train to Bordeaux to meet up with another friend and cycle through to Santiago, Spain over 3 weeks. Question is I’ll most likely spend more than 2 weeks in Spain doing the “pilgrimage” route. How do I show proof of accommodation if I’m not sure how long I’ll be cycling every day? (And therefore I don’t want to pre book the accommodation).
Your help would be much appreciated!!
Hi Marjorie, thanks for getting in touch.
I think the simplest will be for you to use your friend in France (if they are French citizens) to invite you over there and then you use that invitation letter to apply for the visa through France. You don’t have to mention your trip to Spain on that one.
An alternative option is to just to book accommodation in a couple of places in Italy/France for the purposes of showing it for your visa. Then once your visa has arrived, you can cancel the accommodation you no longer need. Most hotels will give you a refund if you cancel more than a couple of weeks before check-in.
Hi Neil
Me and my bf want to go on holiday for a month, we want to travel, italy, spain, portugal and paris. I just want to know if i have to apply for a visa for each of these countries or can i just apply for a Schengen visa and if it is a Schengen visa, at what embassy would i apply for it?
Thanks you!!
Hi Yolandi, you can apply for 1 visa which covers all those countries – the Schengen visa. This visa covers almost all the European countries and all the ones you mentioned above. You apply through the consulate of the company you are spending the longest time in.
Hi Nick
Me and my bf want to go on holiday for a month, we want to travel, italy, spain, portugal and paris. I just want to know if i have to apply for a visa for each of these countries or can i just apply for a Schengen visa and if it is a Schengen visa, at what embassy would i apply for it?
Thanks you!!
i’m in a little of a dilemma. My parents and i are going on a cruise on the 19 May (next friday). Our UK visa took 3 weeks and currently our visa for gibraltar is getting processed. we still need a Schengen visa and we need it for spain as that is our first port of entry. Apparently we need to take an appointment and the next appointmet is on the 15 May. do you know any way we can get it earlier or get the visa processed within 5 days? as they said it takes 15 days:( im so stressed. please help. Thank you Paul.
Hi Paul
i’m in a little of a dilemma. My parents and i are going on a cruise on the 19 May (next friday). Our UK visa took 3 weeks and currently our visa for gibraltar is getting processed. we still need a Schengen visa and we need it for spain as that is our first port of entry. Apparently we need to take an appointment and the next appointmet is on the 15 May. do you know any way we can get it earlier or get the visa processed within 5 days? as they said it takes 15 days:( im so stressed. please help. Thank you Paul.
Hi Paul,
I am currently on a gap year in England , with a south African passport. I have booked a Topdeck tour which will allow me to visit 9 schengen countries. The tour only covers 3 weeks of my 2 month holiday. Would i still need to provide travel arrangements for my holiday plans after the top deck tour? Do i apply for my visa online or do i need to go into London for this ? Thanks alot !
Hi Jason, thanks for getting in touch. You will need to provide travel arrangements for your entire stay in Europe, even if that is just accommodation in one hotel for the rest of the stay, for the purposes of applying for your visa. You can always cancel and rebook accommodation as you see fit once the visa has been approved. Just be sure to apply for a multiple entry visa.
For the application, you can only apply for the UK if you have permission to reside in the UK, eg on a work permit of ancestral visa. If you are on a normal visitors visa, it is very likely that you will have to return to SA in order to apply for your visa for Europe. But it may be worth checking with the consulate of the country where you will be spending the most amount of time there in London before you make arrangements to return to SA.
Hi Nick, So worried. I got my UK visa within a few days. Applied for Schengen visa over a week ago. I am going to be staying in Malta for most of the time, so had to apply through Italian Embassy. How long will it take for my visa to come through? Leaving for UK 16th June 2012. So worried that it will take too long to get Schengen visa. di
Hi Diana, if your application has already gone in to the Italian Consulate, you should be fine for your trip. It usually takes only a couple of weeks, applying a month in advance like you did should be perfectly fine.
Hi Nick,
I’m a South African currently based in Maldives.
I’m planning to travel to Portugal with my boyfriend, what are the requirements and where would I have to apply for my visa?
I think we’ll be flying via Madrid?
Hi Loinice,
thanks for getting in touch. This is a tough one, though I think the answer is going to be the inconvenient one – you’ll need to return to SA in order to apply for the visa for Portugal. There are only 5 countries with Embassies in the Maldives and they are all South Asian ones (eg India, Sri Lanka etc). You could check with the portuguese embassy in Pretoria on geral@scpre.dgaccp.pt or (012) 346 4285