Those going abroad for the first time, or those who've lost the right to use a green passport, come on in. Let's get the Schengen Visa together, easily. These days most agencies do this for you. But among you there are also those who, like us, deal with every document one by one. Don't get scared straight away when you look at the document lists; after a while you get used to it and it starts to feel quite normal.
Watch out for the questions and requests that'll lead you to wonder whether you're a terrorist, and just when you say 'This time I'll get it in one go', missing documents and new demands again, for the most unexpected reasons.
Since switching from a green passport to a burgundy passport didn't change my trips to Europe, I've got a visa 3 times in the last 2 years. With the first two being 6 months and the last one a 1-year visa, I decided to prepare a visa guide for you by sharing the knowledge and experience I gained in this process.
CHECK YOUR PASSPORT'S VALIDITY DATE
To be able to apply for a visa, first you must make sure there are at least 6 months left before its validity date ends. Otherwise the application probably won't be considered. Don't apply for a visa without checking this part!IF POSSIBLE, APPLY FOR THE VISA 1 MONTH IN ADVANCE
I'm sure there'll be those asking 'Why?'. The reason is very simple; our aim is to get our visa without putting things at risk. You need to keep in mind possibilities like a missing document or an unexpected rejection on the first application. That's why, so that the non-refundable flight/hotel reservations made to keep things cheap don't go to waste, let's play it safe and apply 1 month in advance.FILL IN THE SCHENGEN VISA APPLICATION FORM
Although Schengen is a single visa valid in 33 countries, each country's visa application documents can differ. In short, just as there's one visa, there isn't one form, and you need to fill in the form of the country you're going to. As we said in our earlier post "What to Know Before Applying for a Schengen Visa", you can apply by filling in the form of the country you'll stay in longest.
PREPARE THE DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR THE SCHENGEN VISA
Friends, whatever you do, don't think you'll go with a missing document! You'll be sent straight back.Of course nobody thinks they're going with a missing document, but it can crop up at that moment. Let me briefly tell you about the things that happened to me; The mistake I made on my first Schengen application was the dates of the health insurance. For example, if you'll travel on 20-28 September, your health insurance's coverage dates need to be 19-29 September, that is, it needs to cover 1 day before and after the trip too.
The other incident happened on my last visa application. In the past, a photocopy of the document from the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce for the company you work at was accepted. Now you need to go in person to any İTO office, get the document with a wet signature and take it to the visa application centre.
In both situations I mentioned above, if you complete your documents within the same day, they accept your documents without a new appointment. But if you can't make it the same day, you may need to get an appointment again.
You can reach the Schengen application form from the link.
PAY ATTENTION TO THE REQUIRED PHOTO SIZES!
This is quite a small detail too, but you may end up having to pay 2-3 times the normal price. In some applications, even if your photo is biometric, it doesn't save the situation. In early 2017 every country had set its own size because of the Syrians. That's why you should have your passport photo taken paying attention to the photo sizes.SUBMIT DOCUMENTS PROVING THAT YOU'LL RETURN TO TURKEY
Their main aim with the visa is to understand that we're not going there permanently and to give permission accordingly. So we can attach to our file all the documents we have that can persuade them we'll come back. Showing things that tie you to your country, for example documents like a title deed, a car registration or a photocopy of a bankbook with regular money movements, will make getting the visa much easier.GETTING A SCHENGEN VISA APPOINTMENT
First, an appointment is made with the intermediary agency of the country you're going to, to hand in your documents and give your fingerprints. This appointment can be made by filling in a form on the intermediary agencies' websites or by phone. Appointments are generally made with intermediary agencies, not the consulate. The Slovenian Consulate runs all the processes itself without using an intermediary agency. There are no interview processes like before either. You can rest easy on this.APPOINTMENT DAY
If you haven't given digital fingerprints before, you need to be there in person for the application process. But if you did the above after 2014 and the visa you received says 'VIS' on it, you don't need to apply in person. Applications can be made by people you give power of attorney to. Even if you have an appointment for the visa, when you enter the visa centre in the morning you're given a queue number; when your turn comes there's the document check, the handing over of biometric data and finally the payment. Addresses where you can apply;There's more! What Is a Schengen Visa?