Schengen Visa Guide: Documents and Application

What Is a Schengen Visa?

The Schengen visa is a short-term visa that allows travelers to stay up to 90 days for tourism or business purposes in Schengen Area member countries. With a single Schengen visa, you can travel freely to all member countries such as Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Greece. There are no customs controls between countries within the Schengen Area.

Which Countries Are in the Schengen Area?

Most of Europe is included in the Schengen Area, primarily Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Greece, Portugal, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary. You must apply to the consulate of the country where you will stay the longest or enter first.

Required Documents for a Schengen Visa

• Valid passport (at least 3 months validity from the end of your trip)
• Biometric photo
• Bank account statement and proof of income
• Social security records and employer letter for employees, tax certificate and trade registry documents for business owners
• Hotel reservation and flight ticket reservation
• Travel health insurance covering all Schengen countries with minimum 30,000 Euro coverage

Fingerprint Requirement

According to the decision taken by Schengen countries, all applicants must provide fingerprints during the application. Applicants who have given fingerprints once do not need to provide them again for 5 years.

Details That Increase Your Approval Chances

• Getting long-term travel health insurance increases your chances of receiving a long-term visa
• Having sufficient balance in your bank account strengthens your file
• Travel dates on all documents must be consistent with each other
• Company letters must be written on stamped and letterheaded paper
• If you are applying for the first time, it is important to apply for the visa of the country you will visit

If You Have Never Had a Visa Before

Not having a previous visa does not mean you cannot get one. Even without any visa history, your application can be approved with a properly prepared file. We also provide file strengthening services for applicants who have received a refusal.

Schengen Visa Application with AIG Tourism

As a TURSAB-registered A-class travel agency, AIG Tourism manages your application on your behalf through authorized visa application centers including iDATA, VFS Global, Kosmos, AS Visa, BLS and TLS. Your documents are checked by two separate visa experts, your forms are filled out correctly and your application is tracked from start to finish.

For your Schengen visa application, you can reach our visa consultancy line at +90 216 330 80 90 or +90 553 237 92 87.