We recently applied for a Schengen tourist visa for our Paris and Rome trip at the France embassy VFS Global office in WAFI Mall, and it only took us 3 days for our visa to be approved. This post aims to share our experience to help those who are also planning to travel to European countries and need to know how to apply for a visa. VFS Global in Dubai handles the visa procedure of many Schengen countries.
Dubai is a really great place for expats who want to travel to other destinations in Europe, Asia, Africa and so on. Dubai has busy airports, you can basically choose among many countries to visit with the UAE as a starting point. We hope this guide will help you as we tackle our experience applying for Schengen visa so we could visit France and Italy during our 9-day Europe trip.
Contents
How to Process a Schengen Visa in Dubai at VFS Global in WAFI Mall
Please be advised that the information here is based on our experience applying at the WAFI Mall for a France tourist visa. Other country offices (Italy, Greece, etc.) may have a different processing time of approval.
What is a Schengen Visa? Before anything else, you might wonder what a Schengen visa is.
Certain European countries have made an agreement/treaty which eliminates border checks between Schengen states. The following are the countries part of the Schengen area: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
This makes it easier because of you are travelling to these countries for a holiday, you can apply for a Schengen visa and be granted to visit them using that visa.
Step by Step Guide in Getting a Schengen Visa in UAE
1. Choose your main country of travel. Choose the country or countries you want to visit. This will determine which VFS application center (or other assigned office/agency) you will need to go. In our case, we were travelling to 2 countries, France and Italy, but our first point of entry and main destination is France, hence we needed to apply at the France VFS Global center.
Note on Travelling to More than one Schengen country: In the event that you will travel to different countries in the Schengen area, the embassy that you need to apply for the visa will be based on the country where you will spend the most number of days. But if you will spend equal amount of days in 2 or more countries, you will need to apply for the embassy of the first point of entry.
Also, make sure you go to the office assigned to handle the country. While many countries are under VFS Global, there are some countries where the visa is handled by a different agency. If your main country of travel is Italy, the agency handling it is Cox & Kings handles Italy, If your main country of travel is Spain, the office that handles it is BLS Intl. So make sure to decide which country so you can go to that specific office.
2. Book an Appointment online. After choosing the country, you should set an appointment where you will submit all your documents and your application. You should book an appointment based on your main country. For France, we scheduled an appointment via VFS Global France site – you need to sign up for an account to log in.
Tip: Kindly make sure that you book an appointment early (maybe 2-3 months before your trip) as the processing for approval may take time and to save you worry. When we booked our schedule, we realized the next available schedule was already less than 2 weeks before our actual date of travel. This caused us a bit of stress and worry because we’re not sure if our visas would get approved on time.
3. Prepare Your Documents. Now that you have a date of appointment for appearance, you need to prepare your documents. Make sure they are correct and complete. Below are the documents we’ve gathered:
– Filled-out Application Form – download the Schengen visa application form here.
– short-stay visa checklist – download the checklist here
– 2 passport photos – please make sure the photo is taken in the last 6 months as this what they asked from us during our appointment.
– passport – valid for at least 90 days
– UAE residence visa – valid for at least 90 days
– NOC from employer – stating purpose of travel, position, monthly salary and begin date of employment in the UAE.
– copy of 3-months personal bank statement
– copy of itinerary (if the trip is prepared by travel agency)
– copy of medical insurance – we bought the cheapest travel insurance from AXA Gulf (around 62 AED for 10 days)
– copy of airline tickets
– confirmed hotel booking – we booked a hotel via BOOKING.COM
It took some time for us to create our itinerary (as this is a DIY Europe trip for us). But we were able to complete everything as requested which was great.
4. Go to the Appointment at VFS Global Office. On the date of our appointment, we went to WAFI Mall to the VFS office to submit all our documents. There’s a bit of queue even if you’ve already booked a specific time. We probably stayed about less than an hour while waiting for our turn. Your documents will be scanned by the rep and they will assess what else may be lacking from the checklist. Once everything is good, you will line up for the fingerprinting and snapping of photo (to be used in the visa stamp). You will then be given a receipt to claim your passport once you will
5. Wait for the status approval. The VFS Global process will send an SMS message on your registered phone about the status of your application for every update. So you will be updated when the application is received, when it’s sent to the Consulate, when it’s sent back to VFS, and when it’s ready for pick-up. This was a very nice touch so you stay posted on the procedure. It took only 3 business days overall (including the day of appearance) for us to get our passports with our visas which was really nice.
waiting for our turn at the VFS Global office – France
Schengen Visa Fees
How much is the cost of the Schengen visa application?
The fees for the application may vary per country. Based on our France Schengen visa fees, we paid the following:
92 AED – appointment schedule booking at the VFS Global site
245 AED – visa processing
30 AED – Courier Service (Optional) – the passport will be delivered to your office workplace instead of picking it up back at WAFI Mall.
250 AED – Premium Lounge Service (Optional) – The VFS office has a premium lounge which is basically a much better service area while you wait for your turn in submitting your documents, you will also be given priority while you submit your application. However, this will not guarantee that the approval of your application.
The required payments were just the appointment and the visa processing which totalled to about 337 AED.
Status Approved – 90-Day Multiple Entry Visa
Overall, we were glad to have processed our application swiftly. We were very happy upon seeing our passports with stamped visas with Multiple-Entry valid for 90 days (even if we only applied for a Single-Entry).
This means that after our trip, our Schengen visas are still valid so we could travel to other Schengen countries.
Please be advised that this may differ from every applicant so it’s really helpful if you have all documents required and completed. Also, try to make sure you have enough ‘funds’ in your bank statement to pay for the trip.
Schengen visa stamp – approved – multiple entry for 90 days
We hope you find this guide helpful as you try your luck in processing a visa. To get a more updated list of requirements and procedure, visit the France visa application center in Dubai website: http://www.vfsglobal.com/France/UAE/
For inquiries in your France visa application, you can also contact this number – +971 4-2055999
VFS Global France
Address: 2nd floor, WAFI Mall Level 2, Falcon Phase 2 – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Website: www.vfsglobal.com
Phone Number: +971 4 205 5666
Google Map Location of VFS Global in WAFI Mall
Below is a map to provide directions on how to get to VFS Global office in WAFI Mall.
Hello. Me and my husband are planning for europe tour in december. Do we have to prepare separate papers for the visa application? or can we apply together? I’m just concern with the show money on both of our bank accounts. Thank you.
Hi Desiree, I applied with my wife, mother-in-law and I. We are under my wife’s sponsorship. The application/appointment is considered as one, so you can apply together. But in our case, we all presented separate documents/papers. So it’s good that you and your husband both present your bank statements…
Hey! Thanks for the detailed blog. My husband, daughter and I just submitted our France visa application. However, a fees of 60 euro/245 aed per person was not charged at the time of appt booking. VFS only charged their service fee. when will the visa fees be charged?
hi sonia, im not sure when the fees will be charged in your case. good luck in the application though!
HI ED
i applied from frnace embassy in abu dhabi,
I showed 56000 aed annual salary,
20 000 aed bank balance
I received the message from vfs stating passport is ready for collection within 2 days,
Is that means visa refusal???are they processed so faster?
I will be collecting passport on sunday??
Anyone has experience visa approval within days of processing in abu dhabi???
Hi Milan, This is the process of the VFS (they will send a text message to update you on the situation, much like a lot of Dubai government processes – medical exam, UAE visa application, etc.) This just means they are processing it. i think the best option is for you to contact the VFS to follow up with them about this.. —
Is that means visa refusal?? — no, it just means that you can collect the passport in 2 days. we don’t know yet if it’s approved or not.
Anyone has experience visa approval within days of processing in abu dhabi??? — maybe somebody can answer this, but in our case in VFS Dubai France embassy, we were lucky it was processed quickly, like 3-4 days.
this is good that you are receiving updates now, so i guess you can wait for the text message to collect when it’s ready or you can contact VFS to verify your text message 🙂 good luck!
Hi Milan,
Did you get your visa approved? I’m just wondering since I am in the same situation now. I’m really worried lol thanks!
Dear Team,
I would like to travel Spain I am currently working in Dubai my basic salary is 2000Aed I can apply or no ?
best regards,
Azat
Hi Azat, it would be up to the embassy to approve it in terms of your basic salary. There are other financial documents (banks statements) that is also required, so it would depend on the situation. In my case, I don’t have a ‘monthly salary’ as I am a dependent of my wife. However, I still presented bank statements with funds, and also applied together with my wife. Would suggest you contact the embassy for further inquiries.
In my opinion only, it would be good that you show proof when you apply that you can ‘afford’ to travel to the destination through these documents. Good luck.
HI ED, IF YOU DONT MIND WHAT YOU THINK HOW MUCH BALANCE I SHOULD BE HAVING IN MY ACCOUNT WHILE APPLYING.
THANKS REGARDS
Hi Umar, I think that the balance should be enough for you to cover your expenses when staying in the country based on the number of days there. I think I had about 6000 aed in my bank account at the time, and we already paid for everything. I travelled with my wife and mother-in-law. This is not a guarantee though, if you check the thread, somebody had around 16,000 aed in their bank, but they did not get approved. it’s really a case to case basis. good luck
Hello. Thank you for this blog. I hope you don’t mind me asking some questions.
I applied for Schengen VISA via Italian Consulate and my application was refused.
Now, I want to try my luck applying for Schengen via French Embassy.
Thanks in advance and here are my questions:
1. Is there specific amount needed in the bank account?
2. Did you use dummy tickets for application?
3. May I have a copy of your DIY itinerary?
4. How many days were your travel plan?
THanks so much.
Hi Mark. Sorry to hear about the denied application. Hope my answers help.
1. Is there specific amount needed in the bank account? — i can’t answer that. they didn’t require any specific amount, but it would be good that your bank account shows that you have regular monthly income, and that you have funds enough to cover the costs of your trip.
2. Did you use dummy tickets for application? no, we used tickets that could still be cancelled the last minute should our application get denied.
3. May I have a copy of your DIY itinerary? trying to look for it. lol. my apologies, i think we lost it. it was a simple itinerary. like 2 columns – date – tourist attraction
4. How many days were your travel plan? i think it was 9 days. as we travelled also to Rome (we stayed 5 days in france, and 4 days in rome.
good luck!
Thanks bro for your response. May God bless you.
Hi Ed,
Your blog is so helpful. I want to ask some things,
1. From france to Italy you already booked a ticket?
2. Is your hotel confirmed or just reservations?
3. Your plane ticket is confirmed or just reservations? Which airline? What if i will take 3 countries like France – Italy – Germany, do I need to go back to France to return to Dubai or I can do France- Italy -Germany -Dubai?
4. Do you have other travel history before France?
Thank you and I really appreciate if you could help me with my questions
Hi, Thanks for the message.
1. Yes, we had flight tickets ready from France to Italy (we got it via RyanAir)
2. We had confirmed bookings via Agoda (would recommend you
3. We got confirmed tickets via Emirates.
— you don’t have to go back to the same country where you applied for the visa. But make sure you apply for a visa in the country where you stay the longest (or if it’s equal number of days, the first entry point). in our case, we spent 5 days France and 4 days in Italy. Hence, we applied a visa in France. Yes you can go directly to Dubai after Germany.
4. Yes, but only through Asian countries and some countries in the Middle East. I have not visited USA and this was my first European country.
Hello Mr. Ed,
I applied this last Feb 18 on schengen visa to Netherlands, and I only received sms which is my visa application has been forwarded to The Kindom of Netherlands what does it means? and after that no more sms or emails.
Thank you
Dear Mr. Ed,
I would like to ask you after submission of visa application in Schengen visa in Dubai Wafi mall, What kind of msg I will receive? Because I only received was ” Your visa application has been forwarded in The Kingdom Of Netherland.” what does it means?
Thank you
Jasmine
Hi Ja, As what I understand, your application has been forwarded to Netherlands embassy, because basically, the office in WAFI mall will just screen your requirements and papers. It is still up to the embassy (in Netherlands, because I believe you are travelling to Netherlands), to approve it. It just simply means your application is now with the Netherlands office. Please try to wait for days/weeks and you should get another SMS or email that you application results are ready. So now, you just have to wait.
Thank you for your reply..
How many days did your visa in holland approved? This is not my first time applying in holland but yet this is my first time i waited too long.. previously i waited only 3 days….
Hi. Lucky to find your blog. Me and my husband is planning to travel to paris and rome also this end of march for 4 days. We are thinking of 2 ways to get to paris and rome 1. Diy 2. Package tours from agency. My question is can we Present a confirmed dummy booking for air and hotel booking just for the purpose of getting schengen visa and once we get the approval , we’ll proceed to package tours from agencies? Your thoughts please. Thanks
Hi Erika, not sure what you mean by ‘confirmed dummy booking’ — a dummy booking means it is not real, right? basically once you have the schengen visa approved, you can surely get a packaged tour from an agency (as it may seem more convenient), so long as you will still enter in the same country where you’re applying…
Hi Ed. What is a good amount of funds in the bank. Just a rought idea.It’s going to be three of us. Me, my husband and daughter. However, im the only one required to get a visa since they’re both britiah citizens. Would be grateful for your help
hi Sana. oh that sounds good. for me i think the good amount of funds is based on the ‘average’ daily spend in the country, that you have enough budget to spend in the place (for food/transport/etc.). since in our case, we already had ‘booked flights/hotels/tours’. maybe 100 usd per day? i’ve heard some who have above 5K AED (traveling solo) who had visas approved. so just make sure you can cover a daily expense. hope my answer can help.
Is it necessary to show train bookings if i am travelling to different cities. Germany requirement list asked us to show air ticket
I don’t think it’s necessary to show train bookings since you will be in one country only for the duration of your stay. i think it’s best if you show to them your itinerary and the bank account should have sufficient funds that you can afford your whole travel… good luck.
Hi Ed,
Well documented accurate process, thank you.
Regards
Mark
Thanks Mark! tried to write this as detailed as possible.
Hi, I’m planning to travel in Italy this coming July, but I don’t know how to do an online appointment, and except for the visa application fee, appointment fee, courier fee, is there other fee we need to pay there, like is there an amount to be paid aside from those, answers are highly appreciated.thanks
Hi Marie, the appointment is done via Cox and Kings Italy website. If you are having a hard time, I recommend you try to ask a travel agency for their service if you don’t want to process the requirements by yourself. So far these were the only fees we paid in terms of the visa application. good luck!
Hi Ed, your blog is very helpful. I have some questions and hope you can advise/answer as I am planning to go to France this year(preferably ber months) but my residence visa expires on 11th of February(I heard the validity should be 3/6months? Not really sure :((
1. What month should I need to apply my visa? And which month need to get an appointment?
2. Is it fine if I’m gonna apply with the help of travel agency?
3. How much money should my bank has if I travel for 5days?
Your response is highly appreciated.
Hi Jaz, please see answers below. this is based on my knowledge only… the Schengen visa, i think the visa should be valid for 3 months — it should be in the application form/requirements from VFS.
1. What month should I need to apply my visa? And which month need to get an appointment? — i think earliest is 3 months before the flight. so you can get an appointment the soonest by then.
2. Is it fine if I’m gonna apply with the help of travel agency? — yes, they can process the papers for you, you pay them for the service.
3. How much money should my bank has if I travel for 5days? — it should have sufficient funds based on a 5-day budget when you stay in France. like how much you’re going to spend for each day should be what’s in your bank account (that’s our educated guess only).
Hi Mr. Ed…your blog is very helpful. I’m planning to travel to France on June 14 to 18 this year. I want to ask some questions.
1) If do you think 8 thousand aed will be a good fund in my bank account after hotel bookings and ticket for 5 days travel there? based on your experienced how much should be the budget per day?
2) Do you think I still have the time to process my visa application for the date of my travel?
3) Do you think it is okay for me to deposit more amount now to my bank to show more as I have only 8 thousand?
4) you mention that you travel with your wife and mother in law, How much was your budget for 3 of you per day?
Hope to hear from you the soonest.. Thank you in advance. ?
Hi Joanna,
1. i think the amount is fine for 5 days given that you already have hotels and tickets already. basically you just need to feed yourselves and do daily transport. imagine if you budget in Dubai (which is also an expensive city). how much you budget for food. 8K for 5 days is more than enough. cannot really say how much the budget per day, maybe 100 usd is more than enough?
2. i think so. earliest you can process is 3 months before the flight, then the latest is 2 weeks before the flight. you still have at least 6 weeks. they only need around 3 business days to approve it or not. Maybe a week even.
3. Yes, i believe that would look much better that you have more money to spend in their country.
4. apologies, but i don’t have this information, i think it was maybe 150 usd per day (think of it like a ‘meal’, let’s say 20 euros per person per meal x 3 meals a day x number of days you’re going to stay there). the point is to make sure that you don’t become ‘beggar’s in their country. that you can ‘afford’ to travel and stay there.
Good luck!
what a relief to hear your answers Ed.. Thank you so much.. So I think I’m gonna really do this since it’s my birthday on June.. big help,your answers are much appreciated. ?
you’re welcome. good luck in your trip! please do try to contact VFS Global in WAFI if you have any other specific questions as they can best answer for you 🙂
Hi, I just want to ask regarding visa processing. I have appoitment on May28. I’m a little confused on what will I submit. For the application form. I also fill out all the necessary question on VSF Global site. Should I just print it or i need to hand written it?
Hi, print the application form and then fill it out with your details.
hi Mr. Ed… I have some more questions regarding the flught ticket and hotel booking. So I book a hotel in booking.com.. But that is like a reservation only since they didn’t take an amount from my card yet is that okay with applying the visa?
And also regarding the flight ticket did you and your family book and paid a flight ticket? what if i will not get the visa? any suggestions for flight ticket? I got an appointment to vfs on may 15. hope to hear from you again. thanks..
Hi Joana – im not sure what’s the status of that reservation, but is it a ‘confirmed’ reservation? so long as you have proof that you are already booked with the hotel (showing that you have accommodation during your stay), i think it’s fine. As for flight ticket, we booked confirmed flight tickets that we could still cancel in case we don’t make it. that would be the risk if you don’t book a flight ticket that cannot be cancelled, so try looking for a travel agency or airline that you can book but can still cancel.
ohw yeah it’s showing confirmed. only the flight ticket is my problem now. I didn’t try to go to travels yet to ask, i’m checking online but the tickets that are refundable are too expensive. hehe… thanks for your reply again..
no problem. good luck!
Hello can anybody please guide me how much bank statement require for schengen viza . Am only one person and i want visit for 3 days in france and 2 days in spain . i shall be thankful if someone tel me that how mininum much bank statement i required at the time to apply viza . Thankyou
Hi Faizan, it would be best that you contact the embassy or VFS where you’re going to apply for the visa for assistance. as what i understand, bank statement should show that you have enough funds (coming in regularly) and that you can ‘pay’ for your travel. just try to think of a budget per day based on the country where you’re going to stay multiplied by the number of days. again this is just an opinion and would be best to contact authorities.
I have an appointment on 17th May.
Exit date is 30th June. My Sharjah visa expires on 15th Aug. I have processed my visa renewal today. I doubt my visa renewal will happen before 17th. Should i rebook an appointment once i get my visa renewed. As it states 90days from the date of exit from France visa shud be valid while applying.
Please advise..
hi jayesh, i don’t understand your question, but please try to contact VSF france for assistance regarding your inquiry.
hi mr Ed… do you have any idea how i will appeal for my visa application rejection? my visa application was denied i don’t know if it’s bcoz of my fund..but i am applying for 5 days only and i have 16 thou aed in my bank.. do you think isn’t it enough? my passport will expire on november and visa on october. my travel date june 14.. is it bcoz of it? but it says in the requirements that 90 days validity is fine. i’m sad about the rejection ?
Hi Joanna, sorry to hear about it. I don’t know what to do to appeal the rejection. it would be best you contact VSF for advice. that’s their rules when we also applied for it (re: 90 days), but i could not really tell why they rejected it. i hope you get advice from them so they can also share what you can do.
Hi Joana, it is possible that the reason of rejection sf because your visa will expire soon. I have the same problem before so i waited for my visa to be renewed then applied for Schengen Visa.
Hi Ed, We have an appointment for Schengen visa by end of this month. My husband is under my sponsorship but he is currently doesn’t have a job. Do you think this will affect our application? We have separate bank statements. Do you think we should provide additional documents for my husband?
Appreciate your response.
Thanks,
Hi Liz, i really would not be able to answer for VSF if they will approve it or not. I think it’s good to provide additional bank account for your husband (providing that he has funds in it), but this is just my opinion. We also included our marriage certificate as an additional document. But best to really contact VSF.
Hi Ed,
My travel is quite different from yours. Planning to visit Prague – Vienna – Bratislava – Budapest for 15 days and my questions are
1. Is it ok if i will book 2 different Airlines? Like flydubai from DxB to Prague and different Airlines fron Budapest back to Dxb, so it 2 separate tickets
2. Upon checking I’ll be going by bus or trains going from country to country, do I need to book in advance the bus/trains tickets together with my documents when i submit it?
3. I am quite new to my company, 10 months upon applying for my visa and exactly one year of my intended travel dates, is there a concern with this matter?
I really appreciate if you could give me some advice base on your experience. Thank you very much
Hi HA, Please be advised that these are just my OPINIONS and for further consultation, it’s best to contact VSF directly.
1. It should be fine so long as you have flight tickets (they’re not picky on airlines so long as you really are coming back to Dubai)
2. i cannot answer for this as we didn’t ride any trains between countries (but i think if you book in advance, the better as this shows a clear plan for them to see, but again, this is still a case to case basis).
3. i don’t think it’s a big factor. so long as you fulfill the requirements needed and you have the capacity to pay for your trip.
Good luck!
Hello
what about long stay visa processing time?
Thanks
Hi Sajed, I would not be able to share my insights on that. Please contact VSF for further questions.
Hi Ed,
Your blog is really helpful. Please keep it going.
I’m planning to go to France, Rome and Norway. Do i have to apply for a separate Visa for each country? And do i really have to get a Medical Insurance? because base on what I have read in the internet it costs €3000 only for 9 days and that would be more or less 120K AED. Please advise.
Hi, Thanks for the message. No you don’t need to apply for each visa for each country (so long as these countries belong to one Schengen estate) — you only need to apply for a visa for the country where you’re going to spend the most number of days. — please verify this with VSF.
As for the other question — re: medical insurance — please double check with the company where you got that information. Try to say “Medical Insurance for TRAVEL Purpose” or just simply say “TRAVEL Insurance” — tell them it’s good for 90 days. we paid ours via AXA Insurance for less than 100 AED. or you can try asking other insurance providers. Please check with an insurance agent that offers “Travel Insurance” and also, please check with VSF
Thank you so much for your response Ed. Helps a lot. More power to you.
hi mark, would like to ask if what month you applied for the shengen visa in vfs france dubai? because we got our appointment at vfs abu dhabi and it is less than 2 weeks before our travel dates. Got really worried about it.
Hi Marie,
Were you able to get the visa before your travel dates even you applied less than 2 weeks? Having the same problem as yours. 🙁
Dear Mr. Mark Thanks in advance for your help.
I want to apply Schengen for Lithuania visa, Spain embassy is looking after Lithuania visa. May I know how to get appointment and what are the steps to apply.
also please suggest if this is a good idea as I heard they have the highest acceptance rate.
Regards
Noman
Hi Ed,
I want to know if am allowed to apply for France tourism visa,am working in UAE Since 2008, my position as a office assistant, and my salary is 3200dh please help me with my answer, thanks you
Hi Sumon, I think anybody is eligible to apply for a Schengen visa (France) so long as you are able to submit all necessary documents. It will be up to the embassy to approve your application or not. They did not say any ‘minimum’ amount of salary, but in a way, it should help that you are able to ‘afford’ your planned trip. Would suggest you contact VFS for more details.
Hi Ed, Do you have an idea if its possible for a German National to sponsor my trip to France? If he sends me an invitation letter, would that be sufficient and acceptable to the France Consul? Do you have an idea? Please advise.
Thanks in advance.
Hi, I would not be able to advise on this as it is best for VFS to answer this question. In terms of sponsoring, are you referring to accommodation? – I think if you are going to stay in a house/apartment of another person, it should be a resident of the place (France in this case). I think it’s good that your sponsor will definitely take responsibility for your stay and to provide a letter for that — this is what other people are doing if they have ‘friends/family’ who are residents of that country and will vouch to take care of your ‘accommodation’. But it’s still best to verify with VFS.
Hi Ed! I just wanna share my experience last year with the Austrian embassy. I was planning to visit my BF in Austria. My BF had to collect a few documents as well coz he sponsored me. He submitted his Bank Statement, payslip, electronic guarantee letter or EVE which has been approved by the Federal Ministry of Austria, title deed etc. On my appointment day I submitted all my docs in VFS. Everything went well after a few days they sent me a mail saying my application has been sent to the Austrian embassy in Abudabhi. After a day they sent me another mail saying my application is on process. After a few days a representative from the Austrian embassy sent me a mail. She sent me an attachement where it shows the checklist. My documents had all check mark except my Bank Statement. She asked me a stupid question where and how i took the 11k aed?! So I replied her. I told her that those were my savings from very long time ago and salary, I was depositing money every month. Then the next day she put a checkmark on Bank Statement list. BUT! he put a crossmark to my BF’s EVE! which was a checkmark before! and take note, it has been already approved by the F. Ministry of Austria. My BF got pissed, so he wrote back to the representative and asked what does she wants more if it has stamp by the ministry. The representative replied and told him to go back again to the office and ask for a letter of approval. My BF had no choice but to go back again. After a few days we sent it to her. Then after a day we got replied from her, the EVE has already checkmark BUT! She put a cross mark to my NOC! which has a checkmark before! She said the format should be like this blah blah blah. So I went to my company and asked the HR staff to change it, and I scanned it and Submitted to her the next day. And then you wont believe what happened next. She told us that all our documents should be translated all in german and whenever we write her it should be in German language only. So I freaked out! She should have told us at the beginning that it should be like that including my Bank Statement, NOC, etc. I dont know if thats really a requirement? I just speak a bit german and if she wants me to reply her in german and my docs all in german then i will really have a hard time! she really gave us a hard time and i think shes just playing with us and no intention of approving my application. Since my vacation was almost over and i ran out of time, my BF and I just decided to back out. We did everything but still the representative was being unreasonable.
so sorry to hear about your experience, hope that others reading this will get an idea about your situation.
Hi Ed, is the short stay visa checklist a mandatory document we need to carry when we go for the appointment? As this document was not listed on the vfs website.
Hi JM, i don’t remember anymore if this is mandatory. i think the guys at the desk have a copy/checklist as well and will confirm your presented documents anyway — but please don’t take my word for it and contact VFS offic to verify.
Hi,
I just want to ask if its okay to have a show money only as I only have a saving accounts from my country of origin? I only have a current account here in Dubai which is basically used only for Salary Transfer. More or less I will carry around 35,000 AED as I am planning to visit France,Spain and Italy?
Sittie: the requirement from the VFS office doesn’t indicate a ‘show money’ so better to deposit your money in your Dubai bank account. I believe you can still deposit your 35K AED back to your current account. Please contact VFS for more details though.
Hi Ed,
Is it possible If we will apply together for Schengen Visa, I do have a 2-years visa here in UAE and my husband do have a 90 days UAE tourist visa. TIA.
Hi Wendy, I don’t think it’s possible for your husband to apply, because the requirement they need is a ‘UAE residence visa’ — and your husband only has a ‘tourist visa’. So it needs to be converted to a residence visa. Pls contact the VFS for clarification though.
Hi Ed,
I am planning to apply for a schengen through czech republic and got an appointment for 5th August the thing is that I am willing to travel in 21st August and after my appointment on 5th i am hardly getting 16 days for processing is that enough time to get it done ?
How much time it normally takes for normal application roughly I mean …
Hi Uzair, I would not be able to advise on that. Please check with the Czech Republic consulate/embassy/VFS office. I think the latest is 2 weeks before (based on our experience with France VFS office). We got our visa in 3-4 business days after we applied. Again, the best people to answer that would be official reps handling these applications. We got lucky during our application. Good luck!
Hi ,Ed
Iam working in Dubai I want to tourist Portugal
But my salary not come bank it’s come on exchange so don’t have account I have my salary slip I can apply for the tourist visa
Hi Pandi, I’m not sure if you can apply for Schengen visa using salary slips. I believe the embassies need a bank statement aside from making sure that you regularly get your salary, that you have official ‘savings’ stored in your account under your name. Why not try to open a UAE bank account and from there you can deposit your salary after getting it from the Exchange center? But please try to contact the office to clarify this info.
Hello Ed,
Just want to ask my husband and I are planning to on Europe tour FRANCE-ITALY-GREECE-UAE, however there is one problem his UAE visa is from Abu dhabi coz he’s working there and mine is here from Dubai. They said you should apply where your UAE visa is registered. Does it mean that we won’t be able to apply together, it would be separate? he will be applying in abu Dhabi and me here in dubai? so much hassle.
Hi , it does sound like a hassle if you have to apply in separate places just because of your visas. Would recommend that you try to contact VFS Dubai or Abu Dhabi because technically, I believe all applications will be forwarded to the same embassy. So better to contact VFS directly. Good luck!
Hi Ed,
I hope you’re doing great.
Upon reading your page, I had a bit of chances for expecting that our visa will be release soon. Same as what happened to yours. We applied visa last August 16 and our expected departure will be on the 30th. We never expect that it will be 3 weeks as what they are telling and with the VFS site as well. I was just somehow bothered and hoping we can get it despite of this EID breaks. 🙁
Hi Marie, Yes it is bothersome due to the time and the holidays. It really depends on them, good luck!
Hi Ed
More power to you mate. Your response is a great help to many like me.
My concern: I have applied for me and my family’s Czech Republic tourist visa on 30th July 2018 at VFS Dubai.
Since 31st July it shows the same status as “Your application is under process at Embassy of Czech Republic, Abu Dhabi on 31st July 2018”.
My flight is on 31st August and I am very much worried now as it is more than 23 days and the status is still the same.
Do you have any idea what best can I do in such situation? I have already sent email to VFS as well as to Consulate 3 days back and Consulate asked me to contact VFS. Waiting for response from VFS on this since it was holidays the next day after I sent the email.
Please advise the best step I should take to avail my visa asap.
Thanks,
Mohsin!
Hi Mohsin, Yes I understand the feeling. Based on the timeline, it seems like you still have a few days before you get your result. I guess it’s due to the Eid holidays which adds to the delay. I cannot speak for VFS or the Consulate, so please try to wait for the holidays to be over and contact them the soonest for advice. Good luck!
hello! I applied already for the visa. we called the vfs and they said we should apply separately since our visas are registeres under diff emirates. however, I am a bit anxious because I put Paris instead of France in our 1st entry and the agent was insisting me to put 13 days when in fact our intended atay os only for 8 days. so i followed her. know I am anxious about my visa .
Hi, i see then we have to go through their process. good luck with it, hope you get it. 🙂
hello, I have uae visa but the validity is less than 90 days from my return ticket to Dubai, Is there a possibilites that my visa will approve?
Hi, i don’t think it’s possible because what they advised ‘last time i checked’ is that it should be more than 90 days. please try to contact VFS to clarify.
Hello, we applied last August 19 and got a refusal letter August 30th. We re applied again last sunday Sept 20, and still under process to france embassy. Last time, we did not submitted a cover letter, and we requested a bank statement 1 week before our appointment date to VFS. And right after we request for a bank statement, we made a withdrawal in our account. Is it possible that’s one of the reasons why we got refusal letter, saying insufficient means of subsistence.
it’s been 3 working days now since we re applied last sunday. I’m praying we will get it this time. We made a cover letter, we increase our money in our bank account and we are not withdrawing any amount right now in our atm.
Hi Rich, it is possible but please don’t take my word for it. it seems like that’s the reason, because they might feel that you are not capable of funding your vacation if the bank statement shows that you don’t have money in your account. yes, until you get the statement (with enough money in your account), don’t withdraw yet.
sorry, when you re-applied, did you request for a new bank statement with enough money in it?
Hi , my friend and I , applied together as a group in VFS dubai for france visa on last thursday but I got a message to day , 1 Oct that my passport is ready for collection, however my friend application is still in process as per the tracker? is this normal that i got earlier but we applied together. I am a bit worried.
hi, im not sure about this. can’t really share any feedback on this. we applied with my wife and my mother-in-law as one. and we received messages from our phones each.
Hi ed can you please advise me to prepare the travel itinerary? Can we prepare it by our self? Is it fine to prepare our self or we need to go to the agency for that?
Hi Umesha, we didn’t hire an agency for our trip. We prepared our own itinerary (but we didn’t include it as part of our submitted documents when the agent at WAFI mall checked). but still good to prepare one. Our itinerary was simple. it had 3 columns – DATE – LOCATION – ACTIVITIES/TOURIST SPOTS – which described the things we were planning to do within the day. hope this info helps 🙂
Hi Ed!
DO you have any idea what time is the passport collection time in France VFS in Abu Dhabi?
Thanks!
Hi, sorry, I don’t have that info.
Ed thanks for your urgent response your blog is really helpful who ever people going to apply for schenegen visa , you are doing great job really appreciate it keep it up??
I try my best! thanks Umesha!
thanks for this blog kabayan 🙂 just want to ask what if i can’t provide NOC only employment certificate. is that okay? hoping for response. 🙂
Hi, I’m not sure how if it is okay or not. This is one of their requirements. and the NOC shows that your sponsor is aware of that you will be travelling to a different country because they are responsible for your visa stay. If you only have an employment certificate (because that is the format in certain government/public entities), I believe it also has your salary info and years in the company and position? — I don’t remember much but my wife didn’t present an NOC because of this situation. Best to contact the VFS in WAFI for much updated info.
Hi,
Is it required to purchase also train or plane tickets when i will go from paris to venice to florence and finally to rome?
I am planning to show plane tickets
dubai to paris
rome to dubai
but not the train tickets
hi, i don’t think it is required. but best to contact VFS for this.
Hi, my basic salary is 5000aed. I have 6000aed in my salary account, hope it enough for a 5days trip to Lithuania??
hi emmanuel, good luck with the application. I think you just need to also show that you actually have enough money (savings) to show that you are able to afford your 5-day trip.
hi Mr. Ed ,
with due respect to your blog find it helpful i just want to ask is there somebody here lodge their application in VFS abu dhabi(visa for Netherlands ) last March 5 is there any update as it now 9 days since i lodge my application the waiting is nerve wracking please advise how many days usually the Netherland embassy reply thanks and good luck to all of us waiting to our visa its my first time to apply actually.
Hi Grace, apologies but I don’t have that information. best contact the VFS Abu Dhabi for Netherlands for this. good luck!
Hi Grace;
did u get visa? I wanted to ask you how many days it took for you to get the Netherlands visa?
Hey Ed, your travel blog has cleared a lot of doubts. thank you so much! You are a ray of hopes for many! I have a few questions to ask (little confused)
1) I, along with my wife, am planning to visit UK, France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy & Vatican City (12 Days tour) – what do you feel should be the reasonable amount in AED in our accounts each? (roughly)
2) We both will be applying together but don’t have internationally valid/recognized marriage certificate and also we don’t have each others name mentioned in “spouse name” on our passport. you think this will be an issue for getting rejected. does it make any difference if we apply individually or make a common application?
3) We will be applying for visas from Dubai but will be travelling from “Mumbai – to the countries of visit – Mumbai” during our annual leaves. what do you think ? is it possible?
Kind Regards,
Many Thanks
Hi Brijesh,
1) Really cannot say for certain what is reasonable. But let’s try to make sure that you have an itinerary that can cover your accommodation/hotel plus food/transpo plus other expenses (tickets, souvenirs, etc.)
2) My passport doesn’t have the name of my wife, and when our passports were still in “SINGLE” status when we applied. It’s better to make a common application (as you will be going together), still better to show your marriage certificate as proof. the marriage cert can be attested in Ministry of Foreign Affairs though just to ensure that it can be accepted by UAE authorities (but the marriage certificate, I believe, is not a requirement — still we presented it for added proof).
3) The Schengen visa stamp is for your Entry to the Schengen country so I feel it’s alright and possible so long as the visa is valid.
Good luck.
Hey Ed, its really nice to see such a wonderful info about schengen visa. i m pakistani national living here since 20years. travelling is my passion. i had travelled on Schengen visa ( Italy- france- holland & swiss). last year travel Australia & NewZealand ..NZ is a beauti , people must visit that part of world . last just want so say ur artical awesome helps a lot for the people on process…:)
Hi Mohammad, thanks for the kind words. glad that my article has helped guide others looking to apply for a visa 🙂
hi Ed …..i got my second schengen visa july 26, 2019… invisibley y r helping lots of peope…..any artical for UK visa …..?
Hi Mohammed congrats on your visa! For UK we haven’t tried yet but will surely update this blog in case we do!
Anyone here applied for schengen visa in netherlands and received their visa before 15 days? I submitted my visa application 4-April-2019 till today still i have not receive it.
I wanted to ask you how many days it took for you to get the Netherlands visa? i submitted my visa application 4-April-2019 till today still i have not receive it.
Hi we processed it via France VFS. took us about a week.
Hello Ed, my name is Jiji. I submitted all my documents last Sunday and waiting until i get notification from my phone. I completed all my documents and my sponsor’s documents plus i submitted some proof of our relation (my boyfriend). I just want to ask, are they strict when it comes to relationships since this is a muslim country (Dubai). Hopefully they approve it.
Thank you
Jiji
hi jiji, i can’t really say if they are strict or not. it’s still up to them to decide even if you present all docs. good luck with your application!
Thank you for your blog kabayan..
My wife And I with our son are planning to toue also Paris and Italy..Is it ok if we have a joint account for the bank requirements?
hi jeffry, i think that should be fine, the bank account is (most likely) used to check if you have money sufficient to fund your trip. whoever is employed should present their bank statements. but if you have more than one bank account (with money saved) the better. good luck!
Hi Ed,
Very nice blog and i really like It.
Me and my fiance are travelling together to Italy this june for 7 days.
My fiance has 5k on her salary with good bank balance.
But to be honest on my side my salary is only 3000 aed with below 10k bank balance.
And we were advised by the agency who is faciltating our docs that I have to request an NOC which has 5000 aed as basic salary to have a better chance of approval.
Can you confirm if this is really necessary? Becauase the person is pushing us to request NOC and payslip that declares I have a 5000 aed basic salary.
To add she also told us that below 5k salary has a 50/50 chance of being approved.
hello john, i cannot say for sure if this is a ‘necessary’ process. but the guys at the travel agency may have a more experience and insights especially when applying for visas.. good luck on that!
Hi Ed,
Greetings!
Me and my wife (house wife under my sponsorship in uae) had applied swiss tourist visa for 7days (14th june to 21st june) on 29th April 2019. We paid for the sms charges but did not received a single sms yet for successful submission of our application and biometrics. As per the lady at the counter of vfs abu dhabi. She told us that we are applying for the visa with the 11 days of time period to our planned flight (confirmed flight) but basically, we applied 16 days before our arrival date.
Question is:
1. Which date is to be considered for swiss embassy for considering the application (29th april) or today as its a working day because 30th april was the day off for swiss embassy)?
2. We fulfilled all the correct/valid documents means for the application specially i attached 6months of salaried account bank statement along with the credit card and its statement as well – being noted i have more then 20k available in my account where my salary gets transfers and the CC (copy) attached along with its statement has also 40k limit without a single dirhams outstanding.
Kindly let us know your thoughts to decrease the level of our stress in order to the visa to be granted!
Thanks in advance Mr. ED.
Hello Essa. Just my thoughts on your questions.
1. As what I understand, government agencies/banks mention only ‘business days’ or ‘working days’ so weekends/holidays are not included in the counting.
2. If you’ve shared all the documents and information (seems like your bank profile has more than enough funds for your 7 days stay – actually our funds were lesser compared to yours) then there is a highly likely chance your visa will get approved. But we cannot really be 100% sure that it will be automatically approved as it’s still a case to case basis and ‘enough finances’ is just one of the factors they will check.
The processing time really depends on the embassy and the office. In our case, our Schengen Visa (via France VFS) we really got lucky as we got it earlier than expected. So I’m afraid that the waiting part is really part of the things we will worry about.
Please note that these are just my opinions as a previous applicant of a Schengen visa, it’s still best to contact the official team processing it. But good luck on the application!
Hi Ed,
This blog is really helpful! I am planning to go to France for 5 days and 2 days in Amsterdam. My question is, do I need to mention Amsterdam in my France visa application form? Would it impact my visa in case my application was approved? I mean, if I can go to Amsterdam and come back to Paris without any hassle? Could you please advise as I am a bit confused, and of course it would be easier for me if I will prepare only Paris necessary requirements for visa application. Many thanks and would appreciate all your insights.
Hi Gyombs, i actually forgot what to include in the form. It’s best to mention the places where you will be visiting. You will definitely need to apply at the France VFS since most of your time will be spent in France. In our case, we spent 4 days in France and 3 days in Italy. Although our flight was back from Italy to Dubai. Once you have a Schengen visa, you are free to travel to Schengen countries (France and Netherlands included) so answering your question, yes you can travel to Amsterdam from Paris and then back so long as you have the visa approved. good luck!
Anyone here try to apply for Austrian Schengen visa?
HI ED,
I prepared all the documents for france schengen visa, unfortunately visa appointment not available even 45 days still there to onboard. i booked flight on 12 th aug but appointment date available on 2nd sep. I contact VFS, they told me keep monitor their website may be embassy can reopen the slot for july. I prepaid everything. You have any idea to overcome the situation. If i walk in VFS, they can help me to get appointment?
Hi Mohammed,
Thanks for the message. That doesn’t sound good that they don’t have available appointment. I am not sure what else to do but just keep checking the website for schedule availability (if somebody has cancelled their existing appointment) so you can take that slot. In terms of walking in, I do not think they will let you inside VFS unless you have a scheduled appointment. But I do remember that they have VIP areas for those who want to pay a premium but again, it’s only for those who already have schedules in the system. Maybe you can try calling VFS and ask them if there is a premium service that you can pay extra — I’m still not confident they have this option though.
Good luck and hoping there’s a vacant slot that will open up.
i applied for Neatherland visa 09july 2019 just today received its take more then 15 days ….but its good to have visa Thankd God… its my second Schengen visa… for pakistani national its hard to get Eurpoean visa…due to dubai resident its done…:)
Congratulations to you Faisal. Thanks as well for sharing your experience. Hope other readers will be able to read your comment for their reference 🙂
hi Ed….can u please advice i have recived my schgen visa from netherlands embassy valid up to 07/11/2019 , will go in september for 5 days… after that i have to go italy 25/11/2019 so its possible can apply in mid september for italy visa ?
1- if one schengen visa is valid can apply second as date is beyond first validity of visa?
Hi Mohammed. yes, if your visa expires by July 25 and you have another trip. you need to apply for another Schengen visa (for Italy)
If you’re schengen visa will expire in a later date like let’s say December 2019, you don’t have to apply for other Schengen visas anymore as you already have existing valid one available.
But as always, please clarify with VSF or the embassies.
hi Thanks Ed it will help …:)
Hi Ed,
The earliest that I can book for an appointment is on the 11th of September, my flight is on the 29th and this seriously bothering me. I was wondering how long was the waiting time for you? Thanks!
Hi Kat, In our case, we only had a week before our flight. But our visas were approved in about 3-4 days. We were lucky but I think you have enough dates available. Still it’s dependent on the processing by the embassy. Good luck!
Me and my wife had applied 2 days ago a visa to italy after 28 days.
In my judgment all our documents are fine except bank statement. Bank statement show literally 32 dirhams balance in my account.
I explained in the cover letter that I don’t keep any money in my account as im cash person and my savings are already in cash which the reality.
I have high salary more than 25k per month. I have good history visa to USA (2 times)
I even have visa to italy 2 years ago but I didn’t use it as they rejected my friend’s visa at that time and I didn’t want to travel alone.
I justified all those matters in the cover letter. I already have confirmed flights on snd hotels and trip plan. I have NOC crom my employer which is government btw.
Im a bit nervous about bank statement issue.
I hope they will grant me the visa. I will share update and results here for others to get benefit of my case.
Hi Asem, Thanks for sharing your story. If I were in your shoes, it would also be a concern for me but I think it’s good that you wrote a letter explaining that. Good luck in your application. Do let us know of the result!
As expected
They sent me today that my application is on hold until i provide financial sufficiency approve ((
Do you think 18 thousand AED for 18 days trip are enough?
Hi Asem, I guess you should try to deposit the money back to your bank and request for another statement. As for the question on 18,000 AED. Are you planning to travel elsewhere and is your accommodation is already paid for? For me, I think that is enough. I’m not sure how much Euro per day they’ve assessed as an average pay per tourist. But let’s say you just stay in one country. I think 1000 aed per day is more than enough for two people (in case you still need to pay for hotel). This is just my own calculation. Like in Dubai, you can find 250 AED rooms per night for two people, let’s say you also eat twice per day for 300 AED for two people (150 AED for lunch and 150 AED for dinner). – That adds up to 550 AED per day x 18 day = 9900 AED for 18 days (in Dubai), I think costs in France is a bit higher. So yes, this shoul be enough given you have 18K AED — but again please do NOT take my word for it. good luck!
Hi ED
The 18k is my budget for everything.
I booked all my staying of 17 nights for around 8k. So i am left with 10K.
I found this from a website but its confusing I can’t understand it
“11-20 days – The overall amount is 51.64€ per person and 25.82€ per two and more persons, plus the daily amount is 36.67€ per person and 22.21€ per two and more persons”
Hi Asem, yes that looks really confusing. but just basing it off the ‘per person’ amount for the overall (51.64 euro or 210 AED) 18 day = 3780 AED x 2 persons total = 7560 AED — if we base it from this computation, you should be good to go. when you think about it, would you spend 210 AED for yourself per day in Dubai? let’s say you’re not working, and you just want to eat outside (in cheaper areas), i think 210 AED is more than enough. so equivalent to that in France, I think it’s okay as well.
also you may check i think the minimum wage per day for France workers as I read somewhere that this is their basis (??) anyway. still better to wait now after submitting what they asked. good luck!
Hi ED
I received my passport with visa on it today ?
Hi Asem, congratulations and happy trip!
hi…
myself Neeraj.
I went to italy two times in 2018 on a business visa and again applied a visa in july 2019 but couldnt go as i became sick….same business visa…
This time i am applying a tourist visa of italy and my appointment date on 13th november 2019.
so My question is that would it be a problem that i am applying a tourist visa after getting three business visa of the same country..
Will counsalte think that why am i going to italy again on a tourist visa…?
possible to get a tourist visa of italy after having three visa?
Hi Neeraj. I would not be able to speak on behalf of the Italian embassy/consulate. They might think that, but if you have proof that you are there to visit as a tourist, then for me, it should be fine.
People who don’t have visas in a country usually apply for visas beforehand so it’s normal to always apply for a visa (3 times, 5 times, etc…) every time you visit a country that needs it. good luck!
Good evening Mr. Ed.
Your travel guide is really helpful and inspiring.
Just wondering if you can still see my concerns and appreciate if you could also advise me of the below:
I am a Filipino working here in Dubai and will submit my application single entry tourist Schengen visa in French Embassy for approx. 20 days tour.
My concern is when doing the Itinerary, it is okay if I will mention that I will also visit Netherlands and Belgium via train and stay there for at least 4-5 days each as part of my trip?
Will this affect the success rate of my visa approval in French Embassy?
Or should I stick to indicate of my travel itinerary that I will just visit France only?
Thanks and appreciate your response on me 🙂
Hello Lorraine, I’m also a Filipino. 🙂
I think it’s okay to mention that you will be visiting other countries so long as the majority of your visit is in France (given you will apply in the French embassy). During our trip, we travelled to Paris (France) and Rome (Italy). Would suggest to include it but really it’s better to contact the VFS Global for updated information. Good luck!