Mistakes To Avoid When Applying for a Schengen Visa in 2024

Applying for a Schengen Visa in 2024 is not an easy task The application process involves gathering numerous documents, attending an interview, and paying a stipulated fee.

Getting a visa can be made easier for many, if they only pay attention to some very common mistakes that usually result in the rejection of an application.

Most of the time, these mistakes are made due to lack of knowledge, or the applicant not understanding the importance of the documents meeting the criteria set by the Schengen country they wish to visit.

Here are the some mistakes to avoid when applying for a Schengen visa. Following these tips can help you improve your chances of getting your Schengen visa approved.

1. Collecting the Required Documents Based on a Random List Provided by a Friend

Many travellers, in particular first-time Schengen visa applicants, make the mistake of taking advice from family members or friends who have obtained Schengen visas in the past, and apply it word by word throughout the whole procedures.

All Schengen visa applicants are advised to collect the documents based on the list published by the embassy of the country where they will file their application. Better still, consult a certified travel agency like Triplonia.

2. Passport Does Not Meet the Requirements

Having a passport that has some several more months of validity left is not enough, and some travellers have learnt it the hard way.

The EU has specific and strict passport rules for those applying for a Schengen visa, as follows:

• The passport must be valid for six more months beyond the date of their planned trip to the Schengen Area.
• The passport must have been issued in the last ten years on the date the passport holder plans to leave the Schengen country he or she is visiting.
• The passport must have at least two blank pages, but they must not be added later to the passport. Those who fail to meet any of these rules, are rejected from getting a visa.

Those who fail to meet any of these rules, are rejected from getting a visa.

4. The Applicant Doesn’t Have (the Right) Travel Insurance

Refusing to buy travel insurance with the idea “nothing’s gonna happen to me” is a huge mistake. The embassy does not care whether you are a person that never gets sick, or is very careful of accidents. Schengen travel insurance worth €30,000 coverage that cover repatriation in case of death, is a must for every person.

In many occasions, people obtain travel insurance for a shorter period of time than that they are planning to spend in the EU, or buy it with a lower coverage than required.

In cases when insurance does not cover repatriation in case of death, no matter how much it covers other accidents, the requirement of having travel insurance is considered unmet.

4. Submitting an Application Too Early or Too Late

Like every other thing, the time when an application should be filed is also regulated by the Schengen Visa Code. According to it, the earliest that you can file an application is six months before your intended trip, and the latest is 15 working days before your intended trip.

Trying to file an application i.e. one year in advance, is not going to end well, not even at super crowded embassies.

The same with filing an application late. People who have previously gotten a visa in a very short period, i.e. five days from a particular embassy, and think that filing the next visa application late will not be a big deal risk getting their visa application delayed, or even not accepted at all.

Thus every traveller must make sure that he or she is submitting the application well in advance, but not earlier than six months before their planned trip.

5. Not Bringing Cash to Pay the Application Fee

This one is not a mistake that could get you your visa rejected, but could cause you some unnecessary trouble.

On the day of the interview, many people do not bring cash with them to pay the Schengen visa fee under the idea that they can pay with card or online. This is not possible, as all embassies, consulates, and visa centres require travellers to have the exact amount required for a visa in cash.

Trying to pay with big banknotes might also be a problem, in particular if you are amongst the first applicants of the day. It is best for every applicant to have the exact amount, in order to avoid any headaches.