Schengen Requirements: What You Need to Have to Get a Schengen Visa

A couple of years back, some countries in the European Union decided that it would be a rad idea to come up with a uniform Visa that will allow tourists to travel each country without having to apply for visas individually. And the idea did work because tourism skyrocketed in the countries that are a part of the agreement. This agreement led to the birth of a Schengen Visa, and having one means you can stop by Paris for coffee, visit Italy for some wine, and tour around Legoland in Denmark, without having any problems whatsoever with immigration.

Before you even apply for a Schengen Visa, you need to know what are the countries included in the Schengen agreement. For a complete list of Schengen union countries, follow this link and find out if your destination is included. 


If it is, then you should be ready with all your requirements. The list of requirements for a Schengen visa includes:


1. A travel insurance
The Schengen Union is very strict about this. You need to have a travel insurance that allows CASHLESS SETTLEMENTS and you need to be covered for at least 50,000 Euros. In pesos, that is 2.5 million and various companies such as Blue Cross are accepted. However, I find that purchasing a travel insurance online such as from www.axa-schengen.com is a lot cheaper and the process only takes about a minute.


2. Financial documents
You need not be super rich to be granted a Schengen visa. You only need to be able to have a budget of at least $50/30 Euros for each day you are staying in a Schengen country. You can show them a bank account or latest 3 months billing statement of your credit card.


3. Rootedness
This is something that cannot be seen in a single sheet of paper. You need to show as much proof as possible that you are coming back home after your trip. Employment certificate with approved Leave of Absence and your latests Income Tax Return is required if you are employed. Other documents may be submitted such as domestic bookings in the future, after your travel date.


4. Host Documents
If you have a host, then it's a lot easier to get a Schengen Visa. Ask your host for an invitation letter (formal) that includes details such as the host's name and full address, your name, full address, birthday, and relationship. It would also help if the host would provide an employment certificate together with IDs.


5. Booking Certificate
Now, a booking certificate does not mean that you should already purchase the ticket even before the decision is out. NEVER do that. Instead, a booking certificate is basically a printout of your flight reservations. A tip, though, KLM charges a fee for booking certificate ($100 but is fully deductible from the total amount when you purchase although it is non-refundable) while Qatar Airways does not. So, even if you're flying KLM, it would be ideal to make reservations with Qatar Airways so you need not shell out anything. Some embassies also require that you pay for your hotel reservations in advance before they even give out a decision if you do not have a host. That's a good thing because most likely, your application will be approved.


If you have any other questions, do not hesitate to contact the numbers in the websites of the corresponding agencies.


Good luck and see you in Europe!