What makes an Embassy or Consulate say no to giving you a Schengen Visa?
This is a question that a lot of people ask themselves before they apply for one of these Schengen Visa. When an application for a Schengen visa or any other visa is turned down, there is something unsatisfactory about it.
A lot of people who apply for Schengen Visa get confused and can’t figure out why their application was turned down. That’s why the piece will mostly talk about the well-known reasons for this kind of refusal.
If the consulate officer can’t get all the information they need from the applicant, the visa application might be deemed unsuccessful. The consulate officer will not be able to decide if the applicant is eligible for a Schengen Visa without this information. But sometimes the consular might get information from the application that isn’t okay or goes against the rules. There are times when a politician does things that aren’t right or aren’t honest. For all of these reasons, the officer is led to deny giving the applicant a visa.
1. Criminal acts from the past or present
When deciding whether to give someone a Schengen visa, the consular officer looks at a lot of information about their past and present actions and situations. In this case, the applicant might be turned down because they are seen as a threat to the Schengen Area’s public policy, internal security, or public wealth (for example, because of terrorism, drug abuse, child abuse, addiction, or other major crimes).
2. Fake boarding pass
People who try to lie on their travel papers or use a fake identity to get into an embassy or consulate will all end up with the same bad outcome: they will be denied a visa and face other negative consequences.
3. Not enough information about the reason and circumstances of the planned stay
The fact that the foreign office doesn’t have enough information about why and how you plan to travel and stay is another reason they might not give you a Schengen visa. This is the case of:
- Failure to show proof of work and professional credentials that match the financial situation
- Not having the right papers to prove why they need to travel and stay in the Schengen Area
- Not applying for a Schengen Visa during the time period that matches the trip plans, holiday rights, or income situation
- Not being able to make consistent statements about the reason for the trip or stay
4. Passport damage
Having a passport that isn’t kept in good shape could be a reason for not getting a visa. This can happen when passport pages come loose or are missing, when the cover of the passport is broken, and so on.
5. Passport Not Valid
The consular worker may also turn down your visa application if you bring a passport that isn’t acceptable to the Embassy or Consulate. Cases like these are put into the following groups:
- Displaying a passport that is good for at least three (3) months
- Months left after coming back from a trip to the Schengen Area
- Having a passport that doesn’t have two separate blank visa pages
- Not having a legal passport but showing a Travel Document Booklet
- Having a legal passport that is more than ten (10) years old
6. If You Don’t Check The Travel Plan
Another reason your Schengen Visa application might be denied is that you don’t have a good plan for your trip within the Schengen Area. Some examples are:
- Not being able to figure out the main reason for your trip within the Schengen Area and applying at the wrong Schengen Area Embassy
- Not being able to show that they have a place to stay booked for every night they plan to stay in the Schengen Area
- When there are a lot of applicants, not being able to show a booked flight ticket for each one
- Not being able to show tickets for every place in the Schengen Area that will be visited.
7. Reference letter that doesn’t work
Another reason why a Schengen visa application might not be accepted is giving an official letter of recommendation that has not been signed by the author. In these kinds of cases,
- Not sending a professional letter with an original letterhead that has the address and contact information of the company or person writing it
- Not showing a written letter that was sent no more than three (3) months after the application date
- There is no stamp or signature of the author on the written letter Other
8. Not enough money or other resources to live
One reason the Schengen country’s office or consulate might not give you a visa is if you can’t or don’t have enough proof that you can pay for your stay in the Schengen Area and your return to your home country. In these kinds of cases,
- Not providing financial records that are no more than one (1) month old from the date of the application
- Not having a current account bill (but getting credit card statements instead)
- Not having enough money in the financial records that were given
- Bringing a traveler’s check that doesn’t have their name on it
