ANNEX II MAPPING OF VISA PRACTICES
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MAPPING OF VISA PRACTICES
CONTENTS
1. Mapping of visa process 3
1.1 The Review Scheme 3
1.2 The sample 5
1.3 Applying for an Appointment 1
1.4 Use of External Service Providers 1
1.5 The Schengen Application form 2
1.6 Submitting the application 3
1.7 Documents to provide with application 4
1.7.1 Documenting the ability to financial coverage of the
expenses/ certification of subsistence 5
1.7.2 Documenting the purpose of entry 6
1.7.3 Documenting the main destination goal 8
1.7.4 Documenting the intent to return to home country 9
1.7.5 Documenting Schengen Travel Medical Insurance 10
1.7.6 Documenting dependence 11
1.8 Requirement to appear in person 11
MAPPING OF VISA PRACTICES
3
1. MAPPING OF VISA PROCESS
This section presents a mapping of the visa processes as they are described by the issuing authorities
themselves. The visa process was mapped for each origin market to provide information on key areas
on the implementation of visa code as it is made public on the consulates' websites. The most
important procedural aspects include:
Use of External Service Providers
Online and/or meeting requests
Regionalised presence
Timelines stated in information
Accessible information (including online)
Rules for procedure
Translations of forms and other documents
The purpose of the mapping was to identify relevant aspects of the visa application to be used in the
consulate questionnaire. Additionally, it also exposes to what extent information is available for
applicants on Schengen Consulates' websites. This is important as it may affect the ease with
which applicants can complete their applicants.
The mapping was completed through two main sources of data. Firstly, desk research focused on all
available data online for the selected consulates which was identified in section 2.2. Analysis of
quantitative information. Secondly, any information gaps were followed up by the results gathered in
the survey and interviews with consulates, which also served as a validation strengthening the results
or as some measure of uncertainty in cases of direct divergence.
Mapping the processes involved when issuing visa was done with attention towards the heterogeneous
implementation of the visa code from Schengen consulate to Schengen consulate. In practice this
meant that whilst the mapping proposed which visa procedure is the most common, it also pointed to
diverting trends and exceptions to the rule. Meanwhile, it took into account that the practices may also
vary depending on which country the consulate is based in. This approach was mainstreamed
throughout all sections in this chapter. It is important to note that the
It is important to keep in mind that the focus is not (and cannot be) on Schengen visa procedures
globally, but specifically the procedure as it is executed in these important markets of origin.
1.1 The Review Scheme
The review scheme is focused around 24 questions and an option to make remarks. The scheme itself
was developed, piloted and adjusted to ensure that it accurately reflected the application visa
processes and consisted of mutually exclusive questions. To ensure consistency in the coding only
three coders were involved and close contact as well as frequent consultation was a priority.
Table 1 below contains all the review questions which on a more practical level were implemented in
an excel sheet to ensure easy access to the data. Due to considerations of layout the questions and
answers will not necessarily always be listed in their original length in tables and charts.
MAPPING OF VISA PRACTICES
4
Table 1 Review questions
1. Member State or Associate Country
2. Third-country
3. Please paste link to consular website if any
4. Does the consulate outsource services to any External Service Provider?
5. If any which services?
6. Please note the name of the ESP providing the consulate in question with visa
related services
7. Can the applicant lodge a visa application online?
8. Is the applicant required to appear in person at the consulate?
9. Number of C visa applications in 2011
10. Does the consulate require a travel program?
11. Does the consulate state the 15 working days C visa decision deadline?
12. Does the consulate state the 2 week deadline for being granted an visa
appointment
13. Does the consulate require proof of a medical insurance?
14. Does the consulate require that the applicant submits an invitation?
15. Does the consulate require any statement from the applicant's employer?
16. Is the Schengen visa application form available for download on the website?
17. Is the Schengen visa application form available in an official language
18. Does the consulate website clearly state documentary requirements
19. Does the consulate require proof of a flight reservation
20. Does the consulate require proof of a hotel reservation
21. Does the consulate require proof of regular income or available funds?
22. Does the consulate require proof of dependence?
23. To which extent is information available online?
24. Time to complete review (to reflect ease of finding information)
25. Remarks
This review scheme was then applied to a sample of Schengen consulates, embassies and other
diplomatic representations (from now on in general referred to as 'consulates') by reviewing their
websites. This approach cannot verify whether the procedure identified is the one consulates use in
practice i.e. consulates could be demanding fewer or other documents. However, the consular
websites and downloadable material is the way in which many applicants are going to begin their
investigation of travelling to Schengen and begin the application process. The interviews and surveys
with consulates, travel agents and potential travellers will contribute a fuller picture and validate or
refute the findings presented here.
Finally, while the review scheme allows us to draw out some general tendencies amongst the
consulates reviewed, these will be supplemented by examples, exceptions and new initiatives to give
more comprehensive picture.
MAPPING OF VISA PRACTICES
5
1.2 The sample
MAPPING OF VISA PRACTICES
6
Top destination
Consulate
C Visas Applied For
Top destination
Consulate
C Visas Applied For
Top destination
Consulate
C Visas Applied For
Top destination
Consulate
C Visas Applied For
Top destination
Consulate
C Visas Applied For
Top destination
Consulate
C Visas Applied For
IT
Beijing
124,730
CH
Mumbai
54,293
FI
St.
Petersburg
936,620
FR
Jeddah
61,009
FR
Johannes-
burg
22,871
PL
Lvov
168,452
FR
Beijing
91,054
BE
Mumbai
42,410
ES
Moscow
729,066
IT
Riyadh
24,810
DE
Pretoria
21,710
DE
Kiev
105,121
DE
Beijing
89,400
DE
Mumbai
39,930
IT
Moscow
560,768
DE
Riyadh
23,371
IT
Johannes-
burg
17,805
PL
Lutsk
74,822
FR
Shanghai
84,965
IT
New
Delhi
36,657
EL
Moscow
457,699
FR
Riyadh
21,173
NL
Pretoria
10,785
PL
Kiev
60,820
DE
Shanghai
84,555
IT
Mumbai
36,656
FR
Moscow
297,973
ES
Riyadh
13,002
ES
Pretoria
10,725
ES
Kiev
56,561
IT
Shanghai
74,778
DE
New
Delhi
25,396
CZ
Moscow
283,556
CH
Riyadh
8,765
IT
Cape Town
10,594
CZ
Kiev
48,961
FR
Guangzhou
40,490
FR
New
Delhi
24,701
DE
Moscow
246,378
CZ
Riyadh
7,853
DE
Cape Town
10,177
HU
Kiev
48,812
IT
Guangzhou
38,896
DE
Chennai
23,199
FI
Moscow
134,638
AT
Riyadh
7,220
FR
Cape Town
9,146
EL
Kiev
48,801
DE
Guangzhou
35,295
CH
New
Delhi
20,690
AT
Moscow
120,575
IT
Jeddah
6,370
CH
Pretoria
8,330
HU
Uzhho-
rod
46,954
CH
Beijing
34,777
NL
Mumbai
19377
PL
Kaliningrad
112,117
NL
Riyadh
4,569
ES
Cape Town
6,260
IT
Kiev
43,885
MAPPING OF VISA PRACTICES
7
Consulates from Schengen Country top 10 unrepresented in the above:
ES
Beijing
23,200
ES
Mumbai
16,735
AT
Moscow
120,575
SE
Riyadh
2,836
AT
Pretoria
5,960
FR
Kiev
42,586
SE
Beijing
19,863
SE
New
Delhi
12,871
LT
Kaliningrad
61,028
EL
Riyadh
2,351
EL
Johannes-
burg
4,375
AT
Kiev
29,471
NL
Beijing
19,737
AT
New
Delhi
12,494
PT
Johannes-
burg
3,993
SK
Kiev
21,462
NO
Beijing
18,085
DK
New
Delhi
8,136
BE
Johannes-
burg
3,596
AT
Beijing
17,242
DK
Beijing
8,239
Total sample
805,279
Total sample
373,544
Total sample
4,061,002
Total sample
183,329
Total sample
146,327
Total sample 796,708
Total market
1,079,516
Total market
499,954
Total market
5,265,866
Total market
196,327
Total market
184,618
Total market
1,142,732
Coverage
74.5 pct.
74.7pct.
77.1 pct.
93.3pct.
79.2 pct.
69.7
pct.
This strategy has been devised to target the consulates which cover the highest volume of
applications and through this map the visa procedure which a majority of the applicants face. The
average consulate in the sample received 69,735 applications in 2011, whilst one consulate
included received the lowest amount of applications at 4,569 and at the other end of the scale
the consulate receiving the most had 936,620 applications.
Table 2: Total Coverage (based on 2011)
Horizontal
Coverage: on
average 78 pct.
of all applications
for Schengen c
visas in the 6
countries.
Vertical
Coverage: 19
Schengen
countries are
represented in
the sample.
Density:
The top one city in
the third-country
represents on
average
53 pct. of the
respective
national
applications to
Schengen (min.
43.9 pct. and
max. 65.6 pct.)
Global
coverage:
The 6 countries
together
represent 64.28
pct. of
Schengen visa
applications
world wide
1.3 Applying for an Appointment
The review scheme systematized information on the 2 week deadline for applicants to be granted
an appointment to lodge their visa application as stated in the Visa Code. This was done by
examining if applicants are made aware of this 2 week deadline to be granted an appointment on
the consulate websites
Figure 1: two-week appointment deadline
As the figure above shows, most of the consular websites do not actively inform potential
applicants of the 2 week deadline.
1.4 Use of External Service Providers
According to the consular websites 60 out of the 81 consulates outsources at least some services
to an ESP, data is unavailable for 3 and 18 of them do not outsource any services.
2 consulates
74 consulates
2 consulates
It states a deadline different from 2 weeks
No, it does not
Yes, it states the maximum wait of 2 weeks for an appointment at the consulate
VFS.Global was the ESP most used by the reviewed consulates were dominated by one provider ,
which is, which represents more than 50 pct. of the ESPs listed if the two consulates were ESPs
collaborate are included
1
. Other firms worth mentioning are Etimad (services 2 consulates in
Saudi Arabia), Capago (services 3 consulates in South Africa) TLScontact, which is present in the
Chinese market where they supply 7 of the reviewed consulates with services.
An example of a different type of ESP is the Portuguese 'Portal das Comunidades Portuguesas' in
Johannesburg, which is a portal operated by the Portuguese Federal Ministry of the Exterior
(M.N.E.), that deals with administrative tasks only and then transfers the folders to the
respective consular post, who are responsible for making a decision.
Figure 2: Outsources Services
The chart above shows the absolute numbers for which services consulates outsources.
1.5 The Schengen Application form
The visa application form is a basic requirement of the visa procedure for all Schengen states. All
the reviewed consulates have the application form available in a PDF or word-format on their
website with the exception of the Belgian consulate in Johannesburg where an application form
could not be found on the website. Concerning the availability of the application form in a
local/official (local can differs within countries) language, 22 pct. of the consulates have no
application form available online. This is in particular the case for the consulates in Saudi Arabia
where more than half of them do not have application forms available online in the official
language. This information cannot rule out that applications would be available in an official
language on the consulates i.e. in paper copies.
My Europe Visa Capago which is the ESP for both France and Italy in South Africa allows the
Schengen application to be filled in online and then retrieved by the consulates when the
applicant comes in to submit the printed and signed application (including supporting documents)
or later on in the process. The Portuguese consulate in Johannesburg also offers application
1
VFS. Global collaborates with another ESP called INTERSTAMP.
48
2
5
3
19
1
All aspects of lodging the application Both bookings and biometric data
Booking meetings
No available information
Not applicable Collecting biometric data
forms to be filled in online on the Portal das Comunidades Portuguesas and the practice is as
such not exclusive to Capago
1.6 Submitting the application
The review shows that none of the consulates in the sample state on their website that applicants
can lodge an application online. Except for four consulates for which there is a lack of information
on the website regarding whether you can apply online or not, 95 pct. of all the consulates make
it clear that applicants have to lodge their application either in person or by representative.
To examine whether there is potential in facilitating online application, we therefore attempted to
map the extent to which the applicant is required to appear in person as this might be a key
explanation behind the lack of such an initiative. This variable was difficult to examine, since
some consulates are vague when it comes to describing the practical aspects of the process,
potential for using couriers and at times discriminatory in who needs to appear in person. In
cases of the latter, the box was ticked at whichever category which represented the experience of
the average applicant. Some examples of which type of applicant might be exempted are
presented below.
Figure 3: Requirement to appear in person.
The chart above shows the requirements as stated on the websites and at the ESP's. These refer
to when an applicant most appear in person, either exclusively at the lodging of the application,
at the pick-up of the passport, at both or not at all.
At 73 pct. of the consulates the applicant has to appear in person to submit the visa application
after he/she has requested and been granted an appointment to do so. An example of an
exception is the Dutch embassy in Beijing which waivers the requirement to lodge the application
in person (and has no requirement to pick up the passport in person) when an applicant has
made two or more trips to the Schengen Area in the past two years. A similar exemption is
offered by the Austrian consulate in Pretoria if the applicant has received two visas in the past
three years. In general the sample shows no tendency towards certain Schengen states having a
consistent approach in informing about these requirements online, neither internally as in a
national coordination nor externally as a homogenous approach within third-countries.
The Hungarian consulate in Kiev is a helpful example of a more comprehensive exception than
the aforementioned as it on its website states that it accepts applications submitted by travel
agencies
2
, whilst the consulate reserves the right to call any applicant to the embassy for an
2
Seemingly without any further specification.
9.21%
14.47%
2.63%
44.74%
28.95%
No available information
No, the applicant is not required to appear in person anywhere
Yes, the applicant is required to appear in person at the consulate to pick up visa
Yes, the applicant must appear in person to lodge application and to recieve visas at the consulate
Yes, the applicant must appear in person to lodge application at the consulate
interview. Similar practices are in place elsewhere in a more confined form such as the Italian
Embassy in Jeddah allows for visas to be submitted either in person or through a representative
3
.
It is not clear how this works with regard to the implementation of the VIS. The French Embassy
in New Delhi facilitates the visa process by allowing the submission of visa application and
collection of passports to be done not exclusively by the applicant but also by travel agents
authorized by the Embassy. It is not clear how widespread the practice of letting travel agencies
lodge applications is.
Finally, it could be argued that the signature requirement on the visa form, which asks applicants
to acknowledge awareness of data protection rules, is what stalls the development of facilitation
procedures. This could be a consequence either of challenges of a technical nature which inhibit
facilitation or that it is not possible to offer facilitation measures as consulates can exclusively
accept original signatures.
1.7 Documents to provide with application
Two points should be made from the outset. Firstly, it is a possibility that the consulates require
more of fewer documents than those stated on the website. Secondly, it is often unclear what the
exact nature of required documents is i.e. must they be originals, copies or can this be
differentiated by allowing scans with the first submission and then originals later.
Figure 5: fact box - local Schengen cooperation
Schengen representations who issue visas abroad require these core documents (as set by the
Visa Code):
Proof/certificate of legal residence
Original passport, travel passport or equivalent
2 new passport sized photographs
A visa application form
3
http://www.aletimad.com/italy_document.html
Figure 4: example - facilitation for frequent travellers
Facilitation for frequent travellers
Certain consulates have advertised facilitation measures for frequent travellers on
their websites. These often follow the same recipe. If an applicant has had one or
more visas issued by a Schengen/or country specific consulate within a given period
of time then the applicant does not have to appear in person to lodge the
application as they normally would have to. Unlike the business facilitation
measures previously mentioned this is a possibility open to all types of applicants
regardless of their purpose of entry. For example, The Dutch Embassy in Pretoria
has a bona fide facilitation in place for applicants who have had a Schengen visa in
the preceding three years, meaning that the applicant can send the application
through a third party (courier, travel agency etc.). The Embassy reserves the right to
request the applicant to appear in person.
Local Schengen cooperation
The provisions on Local Schengen Cooperation (LSC) aim to ensure the harmonization
of the operational application of the provisions of the Visa Code in light of the
differences in local circumstances in third countries. A 2012 report on the functioning of
the LSC, however, highlighted that the framework is not used optimally and offered
recommendations on how to explore its full potential
1
. As the LSC are adapted to local
context they differ depending on third-country.
Documenting Medical Insurance
On top of this a number of documents can be required and these can be divided into 6
categories:
Previous visas (issued by the United Kingdom, Schengen, and the USA etc.)
Documenting the ability to financial coverage of the expenses/ certification of subsistence
Documenting purpose of entry
Documenting main destination goal
Documenting the intent to return to home country
If the traveller is an unemployed spouse or a minor evidence documenting dependence
on another traveller (or a spouse covering costs).
To provide a measure of whether it is clear or not which supporting documents applicants need in
their application three questions were included in the review scheme to reflect the certainty with
which the coders filled in the review. These were 'To which extent is information available
online?', 'Time to complete review (minutes)' and 'Does the consulate website clearly state
documentary requirements'.
Overall, 59 consulates have sufficient information available on their website, whilst two
consulates have no available information whatsoever and 16 consulates had either some or
limited information available.
1.7.1 Documenting the ability to financial coverage of the expenses/ certification of subsistence
The proof of means category must be clearly delimited from the documents which try to shed
light on the risks of overstaying or conversely seek to prove the applicant's intent to return to the
home country. Therefore statements from employers make up a separate question, because this
often have the purpose of signifying that the applicant has a job to return home to, whilst also
suggesting that the applicant has an income – a fact also covered by bank statements and proof
of regular income which demonstrate that the applicant will be able to cover the expenses
incurred during his/her stay within the Schengen Area.
Figure 6: Proof of regular means
7.69%
8.97%
12.82
39.74%
29.49%
1.28%
No, the consulate requires no proof of means
Unclear
Yes, EITHER salary slips OR a bank statement
Yes, both proof of regular income and bank statements
Yes, the consulate requires bank statements
Yes, the consulate requires proof of regular income
At the Dutch Embassy in New Delhi the documentary requirement for bank statement/salary slips
and hotel booking are waivered if a Schengen referee can write a letter with proof of funds. Some
embassies clearly state the specific reference amounts of euros the applicants are required to
have per person per day.
The Example:
Like a majority of consulates, the Czech Republic in Moscow
requests that the applicant supplies either a document proving
a source of regular income or a recent bank statement.
The Best Practice:
An example of transparency is the Spanish Embassy in Kiev
and consulate in Cape Town which both specify on the
application form the minimum amount of funds required from
applicants, which is 62.40 per day per person.
The Exception:
The Belgian consulate in Mumbai
4
and The Swiss Embassy in
Riyadh
5
accept credit cards or travellers checks as sufficient
proof of sustenance.
The Italian consulate in Cape Town has both reference amounts for a person travelling alone and
then an adjusting costing for two people travelling together
6
, whilst the Italian Embassy in
Moscow has a costing list dependent on total number of days and people
7
. The German consulate
in Cape Town asks applicants to prove a minimum of EUR 40 per person per day for the duration
of their trip. This being said, although the reference amounts may not be available on all consular
websites, they are established by Member States and published on DG Home Affair's website
8
.
In China almost all consulates require both proof of regular income and bank account statements,
which represents half the occurrences of such a comprehensive documentation of means
(requiring both types of documentation) . The second most common type of requirement is bank
statements, a category which the majority of consulates in Saudi Arabia belong to. This is one of
the options under the harmonised lists. Besides these two examples most Schengen states have
different requirements at different consulates in South Africa, India, Ukraine and Russia.
One remarkable difference is what is accepted as proof of funds, for example the Swiss Consulate
in Mumbai clearly states that fixed deposits, credit cards, property documents and demat
accounts
9
are not considered as sufficient documentation of financial means
10
, whilst the Swiss
Embassy in Riyadh (along with several others) accept credit cards as proof of funds. This could
be related to the general level of wealth in Saudi Arabia.
11
.
According to the review, Saudi Arabian applicants face more flexible requirements when it comes
to proving financial means. This is even the case when looking at the LSC harmonized document
list for which the specific version for Saudi Arabia is leaner than others.
1.7.2 Documenting the purpose of entry
4
http://www.vfs-be-in.com/processing_times.aspx
5
http://www.eda.admin.ch/etc/medialib/downloads/edactr/sau.Par.0011.File.tmp/KSA%20LSC%20Harmonis
d%20List%20KSA_en.pdf
6
http://www.myeuropevisa.com/IT-ZA/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=321%3Aminimum-
financial&catid=54&Itemid=177&lang=en
7
http://www.italyvms.ru/en/content/35.htm
8
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/e-library/documents/policies/borders-and-
visas/schengen/docs/reference_amounts_table_en.pdf#zoom=100
9
Demat accounts are accounts which hold shares electronically and from which a statement can be drawn to give evidence of the
possion of shares or securities.
10
http://www.eda.admin.ch/etc/medialib/downloads/edactr/ind/cgmum.Par.0031.File.tmp/Requirements%20for%20a%20To
urist%2012092012.pdf
11
http://www.eda.admin.ch/etc/medialib/downloads/edactr/sau.Par.0011.File.tmp/KSA%20LSC%20Harmonised%20List%20
KSA_en.pdf
A certain portion of the documents required of visa applicants is about documenting the purpose
of entry, which for the short-stay visas differs between several such as tourism, business,
medical treatment and studies. Although the majority of all required documents remain the same
for the C visa, the ones documenting the purpose do not.
This type of documentation is necessary because the applicant has to provide evidence that
he/she indeed does fall under the category of visa applied for. Some 40 pct. of consulates require
applicants to submit a travel programme or itinerary, which describes in detail where and when
the potential tourist will be in the Schengen Area and often what he/she plans on doing whilst
there. More importantly, it can also serve the purpose of determining main destinations. In
slightly more than 50 pct. of the cases the consulates do not require any travel programme or
the like and in the remaining cases it is not clear whether it is a requirement or not.
A qualitative estimate of the most common approach to obtaining proof of the purpose of entry
amongst Schengen states are invitations from either friends, relatives, companies or healthcare
facilities. If the purpose is university studies the diplomatic representation requests a certificate
of acceptance and receipts form fees. These types of documents can often replace hotel bookings
and travel itineraries.
One interesting aspect of documenting the purpose of entry is to look at how embassies propose
to accept an invitation au lieu de a hotel booking. These invitations are generally certified
meaning that they are an official form certified by a Member State authority. 51 pct. of all
consulates make it clear on their website that they either need a hotel booking or an
invitation from someone in Schengen. From this initial investigation, the approaches to
letters of invitation differ greatly in terms of substance and form.
Figure 7: example - facilitation through flexibility
12
Business travellers are mostly required to submit the same documents as tourist travellers, but
must also include an original invitation from the company in the Schengen state they are
travelling to. At the time of writing business travellers are the segments of travellers who benefit
the most from new facilitation initiatives. The box below summarises three of these.
12
Sources: http://www.diplomatie.be/mumbai/media/mumbai/bijlage3fr.pdf;
http://www.italyvms.com.ua/ua/content/30.htm; http://www.vfs-italy.co.in/PDF/Tourist%20visa%20checklist.pdf
Facilitation through flexibility
1. The Belgian Embassy in Mumbai has a form available for Belgians to fill in to act as a
guarantor for an Indian visa applicant
1
. The Finnish embassy in Moscow requests that
if the applicant is going to travel with a friend or a relative who already has got a visa,
the friend’s visa number should be indicated or a copy of the visa attached. In
addition to the more standard requirements the embassy requests invitations and
documentation relating to an array of activities such as fetching a car in which case an
invitation from a car dealer is requested.
2. The Italian Embassies in Kiev and Mumbai proposes several alternative documents to
two of the documentary requirements facilitating the procedure for the applicant and
the Italian consulate in Cape Town lists four options for documents which could serves
as proof of accommodation.
Figure 8: example - business best practices
1.7.3 Documenting the main destination goal
The main purpose of documents such as flight reservations, hotel bookings and travel
itineraries is that they confirm the main goal of destination and thus prevent visa shopping.
Schengen states most often require flight reservations or bookings. It is not always clear what
the financial implication of a flight reservation as opposed to a flight ticket. The flight reservation
serves the purpose of documenting that the visa issuing consulate corresponds to that which the
applicant is scheduled to arrive in first. Applicants are mostly required to submit a copy of their
booking.
Table 3: Does the consulate require proof of a flight reservation?
Third-country
China
India
Saudi
Arabia
South
Africa
Russia
The
Ukraine
Total
No
0
0
1
0
3
5
9
The
consulate
reserves
the right
1
0
1
0
0
0
2
Unclear
0
2
1
1
1
2
7
Yes
15
12
9
13
6
5
60
Total
16
15
12
14
10
12
78
The table above summarises the practice of consulates requesting proof of a flight reservation.
As illustrated 76.9 pct. of all the reviewed representations demand proof of flight
tickets, whilst only 11.5 pct. request no documentation. Of the representations which do not
demand documentation for flight tickets only one is located outside either Russia or Ukraine and
that is the German Embassy in Riyadh.
Hotel bookings, business invitations, private invitations or letters from Educational institutes also
confirm the main destination, while they can also document the purpose of travel.
The Example:
The Polish Consulate in Lutsk, Ukraine, they require that the
applicant either gives evidence by submitting a voucher or a
Business Best Practices
1. If the purpose of a trip is business, a so-called walk-in-procedure spares the
applicant for applying for an appointment to lodge the application at the Dutch
Embassy in Riyadh, who instead can walk in to the Embassy and submit the
application directly. A similar procedure is in place at the Dutch Embassy in New
Delhi and consulate in Mumbai, but exclusively for employees of companies which
are registered with the representations.
2. The Dutch consulate in Cape Town advertises MEVs with 1-5 year duration for
business people who need to travel to companies in the Netherlands frequently
and who have already had three Schengen visas.
3. The Italian Embassy in Riyadh and the Italian consulate in Jeddah have
introduced a new facilitation for Saudi businessmen and investors to facilitated
trade and investment between the two countries. Specifically, applicants who
have a "declaration of invitation" from a firm operating in Italy are exempted
from certain submitting documents including proof of the objectives of the
journey and "the condition of economic-commercial operator". The requirements
to the nature of these documents are described in detail on the website.
letter from a Polish travel agency confirming the 30 pct. paid
hotel reservation if the trip has been organized by accredited
travel agency or a partly (or fully) paid hotel booking.
The Best Practice (in terms
of facilitation):
51 pct. of the sample accept invitations instead of hotel
bookings to facilitate different purposes of travel
The Exception(s):
The French consulate in New Delhi specifies that the
documentation for the hotel must be prepaid.
Another time of documentation is hotel vouchers which some consulates accept and others do
not
13
.
1.7.4 Documenting the intent to return to home country
Proof of employment plays an important role in confirming that the applicant is unlikely to
overstay his/her visa as it helps estimate the risks of the applicant violating the terms of the
short-stay visa. Therefore most consulates require a statement from an employer as evidence
that the applicant is rooted in his/her country of origin. This does however depends very much on
from the characteristics of the third-country in question, which may be used to assess the risk of
illegal immigration. Consulates require the statement from the employer to be stamped and
signed and define it as original by these standards. The exact nature of the documents may
differ, but is not always clearly stated on the website. Therefore this will be further examined in
the surveys and interviews.
Table 4: Does the consulate require any statement from the applicant's employer?
Third-country
China
India
Saudi
Arabia
South
Africa
Russia
The
Ukraine
Total
No
0
2
5
2
5
6
20
The
consulate
reserves
the right
0
2
0
0
0
0
2
Unclear
0
1
1
1
1
1
6
Yes
16
9
6
11
4
5
51
Total
16
14
12
14
10
12
79
65 pct. of consulates require a statement from the applicant's employer which, often,
must specify the length of the contract he/she has with the company. Whilst 25 pct. of consulates
require no such statement, two German representations one in New Delhi and one Mumbai have
a system where they reserve the right to ask an applicant for an employer statement, but it is
not a default requirement.
Besides the flight reservations documenting the main destination goal of an applicant, they also
serve the purpose of providing insight into the probability of an applicant to overstay the visa
conditions.
The Example:
The Italian Embassy in Kiev demands "both sides" ticket
reservation with fixed dates like most consulates for travelling
by plane, bus or train reservation. In case of travelling by car
the following documents are necessary.
The original and a copy of the vehicle registration
certificate
The original and a copy the 'green card' insurance
13
http://southafrica.nlembassy.org/appendices/products_and_services/consular_services/visa/visa-requirements-feb2012.html
The original and a copy of the driver's license
If the vehicle is rented, the original and a copy of the
vehicle rent agreement
The Best Practice (in terms of
facilitation):
The Dutch Embassy in Riyadh requests a print-out of a flight
booking and then if the visa application is approved, the
original confirmed return ticket and a copy of the ticket.
The Exception:
The Finnish Consulates in Moscow and Skt. Petersburg do not
ask for flight reservations (possibly due to the geographical
distance)
14
.
In addition to the above, several diplomatic representations make use of the possibility to check
whether the applicant has had a visa before and whether the conditions where respected. This
can provide consulates with insight into the applicant's prior behaviour and contribute to the
appreciation of his/hers eligibility with regards to the current visa application.
1.7.5 Documenting Schengen Travel Medical Insurance
There are no general requirements on whether the medical insurance should be provided in the
shape of one original and one copy thereof. It is a document which as set by the Visa Code is
requisite when submitted a visa application at all the representations reviewed and is requested
in a standard form including a photocopy of OVERSEAS/travel medical insurance policy.
Furthermore, some specify on the website that it must cover repatriation, evacuation and a cover
equivalent to EUR 30,000. This requirement on coverage is mandatory. The representation also
requests applicants to carry their original insurance card for verification when they submit their
visa application. However, many representations do not specify the nature of the documentation
other than that a presentation of proof that the applicant is the holder of such insurance.
Figure 9: Proof of travel medical insurance
As uncovered by the review procedure and illustrated in the chart above the medical insurance is
almost unanimously required by all consulates in the sample except for six which do not state
clearly what the requisite documents are. There was a third option in the Review Scheme namely
14
Overall it is an exception to not require flight ticket amongst Schengen Countries. Therefore it does serve the purpose of
demonstrating that flight reservations are not always deemed necessary documentation of 'main destination' or 'intention to return'.
The distance argument has its limitations as an explanatory factor, which is why it is in parenthesis. The wavering of flight reservation
requirements is not public on all websites or practiced across Member States in a way which can be explained exclusively by distance.
7.59%
92.41%
Unclear Yes, it is required when the application is lodged
"No, it is not required", but it is not included in the chart since there are no observations on it.
Regarding the 7.5 pct. of consulates which do not provide information on the requirement of
medical insurance, it should be noted that the requirement remains mandatory in accordance
with the Visa Code.
1.7.6 Documenting dependence
As illustrated below, several consulates state no additional requirements for an unemployed
spouse. As a dependent would not be able to give proof of regular income, a statement from an
employer or perhaps even a bank statement, it could make it unclear how such an applicant can
obtain a visa. In turn, this might render it difficult for applicants to assemble their application
correctly as they may have a harder time getting access to information on the standard
procedure for these cases. As for the cause of the lack of specifications in this case, the reason
could be that it is not considered an important segment and that there are only few occurrences
of this making it easier to deal with them on a case by case basis. However, so far no evidence
has shown this to be the case. Our review shows that this type of documentation is time
consuming for applicants to provide the necessary documentation and thus can be a barrier for
travelling families.
Table 5: Documenting dependence
Third-country
China
India
Saudi
Arabia
South
Africa
Russia
The
Ukraine
Total
Proof of Family-
relations/marriage
0
3
0
4
1
3
11
Proof of ability to
cover expenses
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Both of the above
15
1
0
0
0
0
16
None
0
5
7
8
6
7
33
Unclear
5
5
2
2
2
16
Total
15
14
12
14
9
12
In the table above the practices employed when travellers who have their dependents with them
apply for Schengen visas.
An example of this is the French embassy in New Delhi where families have to submit proof of
their family ties, the young adults and/or children's school certificate or proof of employment and
document the supporting documents of the parents' income. In the case of an applicant who is
travelling on the expense of his/her spouse they are required to submit a marriage certificate and
supporting documents of the spouse's income
15
.
In the table above it is clear that the most comprehensive requirements are in for applicants in
China. Two examples of this are the French and Italian representations in China. They specify
clearly in what form the documents should be and demand as proof of the ability to cover
expenses both the original working certificate of the spouse as well as a translation. While
marriage should be evidenced by a notarial marriage certificate certified by the Chinese Ministry
Of Foreign Affairs, the original containing translation and a copy
16
.
Conversely the French Embassy in Jeddah simply reiterates that all applicants must provide all
documentation and does not specify what someone financially dependent on their spouse should
provide.
1.8 Requirement to appear in person
This last section covers the stage of the visa application procedure which is at the submission of
the application or when the applicant picks-up his/her passport after a decision has been made.
15
http://ambafrance-in.org/-Visas,1630-
16
https://cn.tlscontact.com/cnCAN2fr/login.php
The obligation to appear in person at a Schengen diplomatic mission or consulates is covered by
the general rule that an applicant must appear in person. However, the Visa Code allows Member
States to cooperate with external service providers for the collection of applications and delivery
of passports when a decision has been made.
As illustrated by the figure 7, above it is less common that consular websites state that
applicants are required to pick up their passport in person than was the case when lodging an
application. Nonetheless, on their websites 50 pct. of all the reviewed consulates still request
applicants to present themselves in person either directly or indirectly by giving no alternatives.
Figure 10: example - an exception to the requirement to appear in person
An Exception
At the Danish Embassy in New Delhi it is stated that to facilitate the visa application
procedure, the Embassy allows the passport to be both lodged and picked up by a
messenger with a written authorisation, but reserves the right to call applicants to
interviews.
