[bond_bhai]

Guys,
I have a few question reg Schengan Visa - We are travelling to Europe this July (France, Switzerland and Italy). We are a group of 4, 2 People will be travelling from India and the other 2 from USA.
We have booked Hotels/Apartments together (There are a few Hotels which the guy in USA has booked and a few Hotels which i have booked from India). Because of this, Some hotels are booked in my Name and some on the other name.

My Questions are -

1. When i apply for a Visa, Do i have to mention there are 2 other people traveling from USA in the Cover Letter?
2. Would it be a problem if the hotel bookings are not in our names?
3. If it is a problem, what is the solution for this?
4. France Embassy requires - Employment Letter and "Leave" Certificate. What should i do if my company does not provide this?

Any suggestions/answers/help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
BB/Ash

[volkman10]

Answers to your queries:

1. No need to mention about other's travel.
2. Not a problem ( assuming your arrival coincides with the others)
4. Employment letter is needed - Don't you have this? A must , if employed with current date is a must.

Cheers!

[babhishek]

#4 is required. since you will be on leave while you travel, just ask for a letter confirming this from your employer. the leave certificate should be enough since it mentions you are an employee

make a special request, your company should not have an issue providing this.

1,2,3 - don't worry about it!

[bond_bhai]

One question - What do they mean by "Tax Returns", I have Form 16, Intimation U/S 143(1) from the IT dept. Is this ok or do we need anything else?

[mjothi]

Originally Posted by bond_bhai

One question - What do they mean by "Tax Returns", I have Form 16, Intimation U/S 143(1) from the IT dept. Is this ok or do we need anything else?

It means the SARAL form with acknowledgement. ITR1 or 2.. depending on your slot.

If you have filed it online, then the printout of that PDF file + acknowledgement will do.

[mayankk]

Guys, how much time does a schengen typically take?
I am traveling to paris on friday, next.
planned to stay for a day, hop over to brussels for a day,and the onwards for 4 days to UK.
Now, the UK visa has taken too long, and if I am lucky, I will have it on monday.
Does it make sense to even put in an application for Schengen?

I read up that if you have a UK visa its slightly faster ()
Also read that transit visa is not required if you have UK/US visa in paris.
I may probably have to bypass the Paris and Brussels stay, and take a flight from paris to london, then.


Help,plaise!!

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by mayankk

Guys, how much time does a schengen typically take?
I am traveling to paris on friday, next.
planned to stay for a day, hop over to brussels for a day,and the onwards for 4 days to UK.
Now, the UK visa has taken too long, and if I am lucky, I will have it on monday.
Does it make sense to even put in an application for Schengen?

I read up that if you have a UK visa its slightly faster ()
Also read that transit visa is not required if you have UK/US visa in paris.
I may probably have to bypass the Paris and Brussels stay, and take a flight from paris to london, then.

Help,plaise!!

Too little time available. The SLA is 2 working weeks.

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by mayankk

planned to stay for a day, hop over to brussels for a day,and the onwards for 4 days to UK.

When you land at Brussels airport? I have a transit back to India via. Brussels on next to next Sunday

[mayankk]

Originally Posted by mobike008

When you land at Brussels airport? I have a transit back to India via. Brussels on next to next Sunday

I was taking the rail to brussels, but have now rescheduled to bypass the continent this time around.
next to next sunday, it was.

In a world of trouble, too!
Whats with women and paris???????

[2500cc]

Originally Posted by mayankk

Guys, how much time does a schengen typically take?
I am traveling to paris on friday, next.
planned to stay for a day, hop over to brussels for a day,and the onwards for 4 days to UK.
Now, the UK visa has taken too long, and if I am lucky, I will have it on monday.
Does it make sense to even put in an application for Schengen?

I read up that if you have a UK visa its slightly faster ()
Also read that transit visa is not required if you have UK/US visa in paris.
I may probably have to bypass the Paris and Brussels stay, and take a flight from paris to london, then.


Help,plaise!!

As Shankar mentioned, though the SLA is 2-weeks, it really doesn't take too long. I used to get it in 2 days flat. When you go to embassy show them the confirmed Air ticket and they will honor your request.

There was a guy from Hyd at Bangalore french embassy once, with all the right docs, he requested the person there and she asked him to collect the visa the same day evening with Visa stamped.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by mayankk

Whats with women and paris???????

The eternal question my man!
Haute couture, Haute Cuisine and everything else as cold as ice. Very very expensive too.
But a lovely city all the same, architecturally and otherwise. Baron Haussman really did a beautiful, proportionate job of the buildings and layout.
Definitely one of the cities to see before one dies as the book says!

[mayankk]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

The eternal question my man!
Haute couture, Haute Cuisine and everything else as cold as ice. Very very expensive too.
But a lovely city all the same, architecturally and otherwise. Baron Haussman really did a beautiful, proportionate job of the buildings and layout.
Definitely one of the cities to see before one dies as the book says!

Hmmm. ...then this gives me a bit of hope -

Originally Posted by 2500cc

As Shankar mentioned, though the SLA is 2-weeks, it really doesn't take too long. I used to get it in 2 days flat. When you go to embassy show them the confirmed Air ticket and they will honor your request.

There was a guy from Hyd at Bangalore french embassy once, with all the right docs, he requested the person there and she asked him to collect the visa the same day evening with Visa stamped.

Let's hope it happens. Lemme see.
Thanks a ton guys!

[drmohitg]

Guys I had a multiple entry 10 year visa for the USA which expired this may. Initially they gave me a 6 month visa back in 1998 and then made it into a 10 year one on applying again. In this time I have been to the USA for 4-5 times. Now I am planning to get the visa again. So do I again need to appear for the interview? Or they would be satisfied with my credentials ( as having been travelled there many times) and skip the interview part? I am asking because someone told me that I can just use there drop box facility but If I am not wrong they discontinued it long time back.

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

Guys I had a multiple entry 10 year visa for the USA which expired this may. Initially they gave me a 6 month visa back in 1998 and then made it into a 10 year one on applying again. In this time I have been to the USA for 4-5 times. Now I am planning to get the visa again. So do I again need to appear for the interview? Or they would be satisfied with my credentials ( as having been travelled there many times) and skip the interview part? I am asking because someone told me that I can just use there drop box facility but If I am not wrong they discontinued it long time back.

I'm pretty sure you skip the interview only if you are renewing before your visa expires. As soon as it expires, you need to go for another interview.

[amitoj]

Yup. Also keep in mind that your initial visa was before 9/11. Getting a visa became a lot more difficult post that. So, yes, you will need to go for visa interview. And please prepare well for it. They will not cut you any slack only because you've been to the US before.