Materials required for European visas+processing procedures-Guide to European tourist visas

Dozens of European countries form a euro body, namely the European Union, and a group of Schengen countries. Therefore, friends who want to travel to Europe must understand and pay attention to the issue of European visas, the materials and conditions needed for visas, which are very crucial. Here, I would like to share with you a detailed European visa guide.

Europe is the birthplace of modern civilization. With a long history, high degree of modernization, good order and unique natural scenery, it is very suitable for romantic travel.

What is a visa?

visa

A visa is a document issued by a country's entry-exit administration (foreign consulate in the country) to express approval to foreign citizens; It is a license for sovereign countries to allow foreign citizens or their own citizens to enter or leave the country or cross the border.

Schengen visa

Schengen is a small town on the southeast border of Luxembourg. From 65438 to 0985, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France and Germany signed an agreement in Schengen, Luxembourg, aiming at unifying the national security and refugee policies of European countries. Twenty-six countries signed the Schengen Agreement.

According to the Schengen agreement, a visa issued by one Schengen member country is also considered valid in all other member countries, and you can go without applying for another visa. Schengen member States cancel routine border inspection at internal borders, but reserve the right to conduct spot checks or resume routine border inspection in a short time when necessary.

Schengen visa member

The 26 Schengen countries are Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Greece, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Malta.

Visa FAQ

Which country should I apply for a visa to go to many countries?

First, list all the Schengen countries you have been to, calculate the total number of days in each country, and choose the longest Schengen country as the applicant country. If several countries have the same length, the first country of entry will be chosen for acceptance.

For example, if you choose to enter France for 3 days and Italy for 6 days before flying back to China, then you can apply for a visa from Italy; If you stay in France for 3 days, Italy for 3 days and Germany for 3 days, apply for a visa to France.

Which country is easy to sign?

Regarding the handling of Schengen visas, the efficiency and strictness of accepting Schengen visas in different national visa centers are different. Compared with the most popular three countries, France, Germany and Italy, the processing time is faster, but it is unstable in the summer peak season. Only by following the submitted consular materials as strictly as possible can the visa issuance rate be improved.

How long should I apply in advance?

It can be processed 90 days before the travel date at the earliest, and the normal processing time is 15-20 working days. It is impossible to estimate the time for the applicant to prepare the materials in advance. If it is handled by a travel agency, the time is counted from the time when the complete materials are received. After receiving the materials, we need 3-5 working days to prepare the materials (including all materials translation, English application form filling, air ticket reservation, hotel reservation, travel itinerary reservation, insurance purchase, etc.). Some consulates need to make an appointment, and the specific time needs to be based on the time given by the consulate at that time. After the visa is delivered, it takes 5- 10 working days for the consulate to review the visa (individual cases may extend the processing time), so the whole process takes 10 working days. (for reference)

Do you need an interview?

You don't need an interview, but you need biometric fingerprints. According to the new regulations of the European Union, from 20151June 12, all Schengen visa applicants over the age of 12 must provide their biometric data (commonly known as entering fingerprints) at the visa processing center (or in special cases at the embassy or consulate).

Take pictures). The biometric data of Schengen visa is valid for 59 months, and the obtained visa page will be marked with the word "VIS".

Tips:

After submitting a visa application to any Schengen country, if I have collected biometric data and successfully obtained a visa, I don't need to collect it myself in subsequent applications, even if the country I applied for is not the last Schengen country. You can choose others or travel agencies to submit it on your behalf. When submitting a new Schengen visa application, you only need to provide the visa number and a copy of the visa page as proof. However, there are exceptions to everything. Even if some Schengen countries have successfully entered their fingerprints, they still need to be present when applying for a Schengen visa again. What materials need to be prepared?

Europe is a relatively complex material. Here is a brief introduction:

Passport, 2-inch photo with white background, copy of ID card, copy of household registration book (full information page), work certificate (retirement certificate

Certificate of study) marriage certificate, bank account, property certificate, travel certificate, overseas medical insurance, etc. The above materials are provided according to the actual situation.

In case of the following two special circumstances: additional notarization is required.

1,1minors under 8 years old

Situation 1: Materials that both parents need to supplement:

Notarization of children's birth medical certificate/certification of kinship certificate.

Situation 2: When walking with children, only one parent needs supplementary materials:

(1) notarization of child's birth medical certificate/certification of kinship; (2) Notarization and authentication of the custody power of attorney of one parent.

Situation 3: Both parents need supplementary materials from different industries:

(1) notarization of child's birth medical certificate/certification of kinship; (2) Notarization and authentication of the power of attorney of both parents (the client must be an adult).

2. No financial resources (18-year-old student freelance housewife)

1) Employment certificate of myself (spouse, parents, etc.). Who pays for your travel and original bank account?

2) The original notarized certificate of my (spouse, parents, etc.) kinship. ) Who provided you with the travel expenses?

How to handle notarization and authentication?

1. Bring your household registration book, ID card, etc. (Due to different local policies, it is recommended to call for the required materials before going, so as to avoid a trip in vain) Go to the local notary office for notarization. Notarial certificate templates are available in notary offices, and the time required for notarization is generally 5~7 working days.

(2) If authentication is required, please bring the notarized certificate with you to the foreign affairs office of the local government (full name of foreign affairs office, such as Beijing Foreign Affairs Office) for authentication.

What are the more important bonus points? (gold pentathlon)

1, employment certificate. A stable work situation determines whether you are bound at home and whether you have a stable source of income.

2. Current payroll. Judging your income level and spending power through the transaction records of the statement, because a trip to Europe requires at least 20,000-30,000 yuan per person, the bank statement is low and may be rejected. Especially on the last day, you can't deposit large amounts of cash. If you plan to travel to Europe, you must have a good bank flow. Now Ma Dad's Alipay is so convenient that many friends have encountered problems ~

3. Peer personnel. If you are traveling with family or friends, the probability of endorsement is relatively higher than that of applicants traveling alone with a white visa (that is, a visa that has never been issued in China). In the opinion of visa officers, it is more reasonable for applicants, family members or friends to travel to Europe and America together for the first time.

4. Proof of assets. Such as real estate, driving license, etc. It is binding to prove that you have a large amount of property in China, which will increase the probability of signing the contract.

5. Exit the record. It will be easier to get a visa if you have a good exit record, especially in developed countries such as Europe, America and Australia.

I need a hotel on the tour, but I haven't got the visa yet. Where is the ticket office?

According to the requirements of Schengen visa, applicants need to show their planned air tickets for this trip, and the hotel can provide reservation forms. Pay after signing. Ps: Our agent will prepare a full set of air tickets for you.

Travel route. But it's best to suggest a real hotel itinerary. Therefore, it is best for everyone to have a general itinerary before applying for a visa. Never say that you plan to go for a month or two. The untrue travel itinerary provided in this way will also affect the signing of the bill ~

How to improve your check-out rate? Do you have a packing visa?

The key to whether to issue a visa is the final judgment made by the visa officer based on the materials submitted by the applicant, which has nothing to do with the agency (no agency can guarantee the issuance of 100%, and the issuance rate can only be judged based on the material experience. Complete and perfect materials submitted to the applicant). The key to success is to convince the embassy VO that you will definitely not stay illegally and will definitely return to China. In fact, all the materials prepared are to prove this point, so be sure to know what you want to achieve.

And prepare all visa materials for this purpose. Provide more binding force for returning to China. The fourth item of this article mentions it.

In short, plus points:

1, with a stable income of 8K per month.

2, on-the-job personnel

3. There are colleagues.

4. Good exit record

5. Married people with assets

Submission process

After the materials are processed, they are submitted to the visa center. When you hear this name, you will think that this is a place of power center. In fact, it is only an intermediary agency, which collects the handling materials and visa fees for the consulate and conducts pre-trial. At present, many cities have visa centers, so you can choose the nearest city to handle it. Ps: I want to share some points with you.

1. The visa center is only responsible for collecting materials, not representing the consulate, and has no decision on the visa results.

2. The visa center is also a profit-making organization, and there will be various excuses to collect fees (real case: 1). It is said that there is something wrong with your materials and you can't accept them, but it is also said that as long as you pay 260 yuan for a VIP, the material problem will be solved.

2. Your photo is unqualified, so you need to take another photo. You must choose the express service. The cases received are all real cases, welcome to add ~

How to handle it: in this case, you can reconfirm with the visa center, or ask the other party to produce written regulations for preservation as evidence. Judge whether to pay the money according to the situation.

Telephone spot check

Arrive at the consulate after the visa is submitted. When VO has questions about the materials you submitted, it will conduct a telephone survey to confirm the credibility of the materials. The visa officer's questions are trivial and even wonderful, such as salary, income and holiday arrangement.

Company personnel, itinerary, accommodation, what means of transportation to use that day, etc. Telephone survey will call many people to ask questions, so the information provided must be true and reliable. And tell people around you.

And the recent visa application of the unit. Make sure the phone is on and the questions and answers are correct.

After successful signature

Be sure to check your personal information carefully after you get the visa. And the period of validity, the length of stay, the number of times of entry, etc. So as not to be inconsistent with the actual itinerary or personal information.

Passport number is wrong. Ps: During the peak season, the consulate will also have some small oolong time. Be sure to take insurance policies and hotel orders with you when traveling. For immigration officials to check when entering the country.

Read the Schengen visa page in one minute.