You’ve waited for so long, carefully saving up for your ultimate Europe vacation. This is it! Finally you’re going to Europe, congratulations!.

But before you can experience your life-long dream selfie at the Eiffel tower or experience authentic Spanish tapa’s at Barcelona, you need to get your documents in order and acquire a visa if you need one.

Check if you need a visa on this link

I get asked the same question of how to get a Schengen visa over and over again from friends, so I decided to have a written procedure ready to be sent right before the rest of them asked again and if you’re like us who needs a Schengen visa to travel Schengen Countries then the following simple steps will guide you on getting that visa stamp in your passports. 

First thing you need to know “What is schengen?”

It is a treaty which led to the creation of Europe’s borderless Schengen Area. Under the Schengen agreement, transiting from one country to another within the Schengen area is done without border controls. In fact, the Schengen visa makes it possible to visit all the countries in the Schengen area and to cross internal borders without further formalities. But be careful, the European Union and the Schengen area are two different zones!.

*Note that the Schengen area is not the same as the European Union; some EU countries are not in the Schengen region so, it is safe to say that you need to apply for a separate visa to go to Ireland or United Kingdom.

The Schengen Member States:

The list below will enable you to see the difference and check that the countries where you are planning to stay are all in the Schengen area.

Photos taken from http://www.schengenvisainfo.com/

• Austria
• Belgium
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Italy
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Liechtenstein

EU membership Candidate 

• Iceland
• Montenegro
• Serbia
• The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
• Turkey
• Albania

Potential candidates

• Bosnia and Herzegovina

After looking at the list of Countries above, you finally decided which countries you will explore on your first Europe tour.

*If you’ve chosen only one country, you may go ahead and schedule an appointment with your chosen country embassy, yes you can do that and I advise you to do that prior to completing your documents-due to a huge demand and the limited human resources of the visa section, waiting times for an appointment can reach several weeks especially during the main travel season.

*But if you are like me who chooses to travel 5 countries in one trip, then you need to decide which country to apply for your visa. When deciding which country to apply for a visa, this is determined by which country you’re spending the most time according to your itinerary. If you plan to spend an equal amount of time in several countries, you should submit your application to the Embassy of the country you will visit first.

My personal Europe Itinerary was (Netherlands- 6 days, France – 2 days, Czech Republic-2 days, Austria-2 days, Italy – 6 days). Note that I have Netherlands and Italy on both 6 days but since Netherland is my first entry, I applied at the Netherland embassy, luckily I have friends who confirmed that Netherland embassy grants them longer visa. Yehey!

Once you have established which embassy you will go to apply for your Schengen visa. You need to prepare your documents, and if it will cost you money then you might want to do it right the first time.

When can I apply for a Schengen visa?

It is recommended that you apply 3 months before you intend to travel. This will usually mean that they have enough time to issue the visa but please check with the individual Embassy for any delays or their recommendation. I booked an appointment to submit my visa requirements at the Netherland embassy exactly 3 months before my scheduled travel but on the day of my schedule I was asked to re-schedule and come back after a month as it is too early.

How much does a Schengen visa cost?

Depending on the exchange rate between Euros and Qatari Riyals, it can change from time to time. Also take note that once you paid for your visa it is non-refundable!

Short-term visa (90 days) – 60.00 EUR

Kids between 6-12 years old – 35.00 EUR

Kids under 6 years old – FREE

Make sure to have your cash ready with you as most of them accept only cash. When you call the embassy, ask for the exact visa cost and bring the exact amount, most of them doesn’t have change and it can be a hassle.

Schedule an appointment with the embassy

Almost all European Embassies accept online appointment only, no more walk-in’s. Please check at their website. Below are the online appointment links for 3 embassies where I have already scheduled an appointment.

Online Visa Appointment at Netherland Embassy

Online visa appointment at Spanish Embassy

Online Visa appointment at French Embassy

Documents Required for (Tourist Visa)

• Standard Form – Fill out the form completely and with all honesty. (Although, there is a standard form, I was asked to filled out a different form by the Netherland Embassy, so it is safer to check on  the actual website of the Country you wish to apply for a visa.
  

• Two recent photographs (3,5 x 4 cm, light background, no computer adjustments, no accessories, face forward and not older than 3 months);. (standard photo)

• Passport with at least three (3) months validity until the end of your visa’s duration. If you have a visa from another country, please attached it too. Plus, a photocopy of your passport.

• Ticket reservation, a round trip ticket is required for the application. Buy only tickets that are refundable, It may cost you a few extra riyals but they could offer a viable solution to uncertain travel plans in some cases! If you know any travel agent you can have them help you in your ticket reservation so you can cancel it anytime.

• Itinerary – as detailed as possible, and make sure it is achievable.

• Proof of hotel reservation (booking) for the period of stay in Schengen area (not required for an airport transit visa or visit relatives/friends); If you are staying with relatives/friends, make sure to add the following:

• -A copy of their passport and residency permit (if not a citizen)

• -A formal invitation letter. Make them write this one as detailed as possible stating that they are inviting you to their home with warm welcoming hearts. Make sure they signed it with their names in capitals with signatures and date.

 Note* I use booking.com, Hostelworld, expedia, Agoda, Priceline and tripadvisor for any booking requirements. They have the best accommodation site out there with the largest inventory search interface, and widest availability, plus the advantage of booking free cancellation, If things didn’t go well you can always cancel your booking at no cost. 

• -A No objection to travel letter from your employer (you may also attached an approved leave form if you have one. I always do!)

• -Current bank statements (from the last 6 months prior the application)

• Travel Insurance ( I suggest QIC or AXA) you can secure them online,  make sure that the health insurance policy cover expenses up to 30,000 euros, the sum depending on the residing days, and also it has to be valid in all Schengen countries. The health insurance policy must be purchased before picking up the visa and if your visa is refused you can cancel it!”

• A photo copy of valid residence permit for Non-Qatari nationals.
  

Note: When you hand in your application personally during your appointment, make sure that you show them both originals and copies of your papers. Remember: They do not give back your papers once you hand it in! so make sure you have copies of ALL the papers you have.

How long is the visa valid for?

It is normally valid for 90 days (not more). If you intend to travel to more than one country during your stay or you plan to travel in and out of the Schengen zone make sure to fill in the “multiple entry” gap in the application form. The visa is valid for six (6) months so if you are granted multiple entry visa that means you can be in and out of Schengen zone for 90 days within 6 months.

How long till you get the visa?

This highly depends upon many things and no embassies would promise you anything that is why it is advised to give enough time to the processing of your visa. Based on my personal experiences, it never took me more than three weeks.

How much is the risk of my application getting denied?

First of all, no embassies would promise any approval until everything is checked out. Therefore just because you have completed all requirements does not give you a full guarantee that you will be granted a visa. The risk is always there but it is always good to think positive! I have not heard anyone who got denied a Schengen visa so far and what I’ve researched online those who got denied did minor mistakes in their application i.e. not paying attention when making the itinerary and applying to the ‘wrong’ embassy. So be aware that they do check everything so again, check your application and requirements thoroughly and if everything seems fine it should be good. Also, this is why planning your application ahead of time is a major plus in case catastrophe of getting denied happens, you can reapply as soon as possible.

Enjoy Europe!!!