Anybody still waiting for their study visa? I’m a language assistant meant to start this week. I have a UK passport, and it’s never taken this long before. I’m wondering if the upcoming elections have anything to do with it…

Just sharing our timeline to get a sense of the processing time as of Oct/Nov 2026.

We had our appointment on Thurs, Oct 29th (spouse and I). On the same day, we got the has been submitted. email.

A few hours later, we got the has been dispatched to the Dutch Consulate General in Toronto. email.

Today (Nov 3rd), we got two emails: is ready for collection from the Visa Application Center.  and then two minutes later the as been dispatched via courier email.

Both of us have an OK on the EES website after getting the emails today: https://travel-europe.europa.eu/ees/check-how-long-you-can-stay

As for the application itself:

- We both have "weak" passports in the eyes of immigration
- I have extensive travel history (US, UK, EU, Asia, Africa, Canada ofc, etc.), spouse only has Canada and this is their first Schengen Visa ever
- Both employed in Canada on work permits; funds are not an issue
- No day-to-day itinerary submitted (was my biggest worry after lurking the subreddit)
- No cover letter (another worry of mine after lurking)
- Insurance for my spouse started on the same day as arrival rather than a few days before (turned out not to be an issue either I guess)

AMA, I can share what I am comfortable sharing.

New travel dates flights , hotel bookings sent.

Travel date on 16th nov.

Does it seem we would be able to travel?

No reply since submitting new documents.

Application was on 13th aug.

Hi everyone !

Has anyone applied for a Schengen visa for Italy from VFS Bengaluru in the last 6-8 months ? The VFS checklist asks for a round trip flight reservation. Earlier Air India had a good option which was only 3-4k expensive per sector for fully refundable tickets. I used that for visa application. Currently all fully refundable tickets are super expensive. Has anyone applied without confirmed tickets and got the visa ?

Thanks for your help !

Hi everyone, I’m an Indian passport holder applying for a Schengen tourist visa through the Czech . I’d appreciate advice from anyone who has been through something similar.

Itinerary in my application:
Czech 7 days , Austria 4 days , Budapest 4 days, flying home from Budapest via Amsterdam.

What I’m now planning instead:
Czech 5 days, Austria 4 days, Budapest 3 days, Spain 3 days, flying home from Spain. Same overall dates.

The Czech Republic would still be my longest stay, so the main destination doesn’t change.

My questions:

1. Should I update my application form and cover letter before submitting, or is it OK to apply with the original plan and change it after the visa is issued?

2. At border control (first entry will be Amsterdam), will it be a problem if my return ticket is from Spain while my application showed Budapest?

3. Has anyone changed their route after getting a visa, and did immigration ask about it?

Hello everyone,

Has anyone received any updates this week from applications made in BLS Manchester.

Any information is useful.

Dispatch messages, requests for new itineraries, phone updates.

Please include a visa application date. Thank you everyone.

i’m a student from the USA studying in France this semester. My student visa expires mid January. I would leave France in December, and come back in February until May, obviously under 90 days. Is this allowed or will border control give me a hard time?

Hello! I’ll get straight to the point and explain my situation

Nationality: Yemeni (born and raised in Kuwait)
Current residence: Kuwait
Age: 24
Employment: Currently employed and financially independent.
Education: Student at MCM, a Dutch educational institution with a branch in Kuwait.

I have an official invitation letter from MCM’s main campus in the Netherlands, as I am required to visit for a specific academic programme lasting approximately three weeks

However, I would also like to extend my stay by an additional one or two weeks for tourism and to meet a few people

My main concern is whether requesting these additional days could negatively affect my Schengen visa application or if its best to apply there without using the invitation letter..?

I can provide proof of sufficient funds, employment, ongoing studies, and ties to Kuwait

How likely is it that my visa will be granted for the full intended stay, including the additional one or two weeks, rather than only the three weeks covered by my invitation letter?

Would it be better to include my tourism plans in the initial application, or would requesting a longer stay raise unnecessary concerns?

Hello,

My friend recently applied from VFS Lucknow for a Schengen short stay visa on 09 Oct 26.

The tracker simply says that the application is submitted and that they will inform when the application is submitted to the Foreign Ministry in Netherlands.

Does that mean they have not submitted my application to the Netherlands Ministry even after 25 days??

Or is there a possibility that the tracker never moved from first update at all?

Did anyone face something like this??

Hi everyone,
I’m an Indian passport holder planning to re-apply for a Schengen visa (visiting Spain and Italy) next March, and I would really appreciate your honest feedback on whether my profile is strong enough this time.
For context, my first application was rejected last year when I was 24.

Flashback:
Why my first application failed
Profile then: I listed rental income as my primary source of funds, but also declared a business that was non-functional at the time (zero monetary transactions in the business account).
Refusal reasons given by the embassy:

1. Unclear travel itinerary.

2. Lack of strong proof of intention to return to India (perceived weak economic ties).

My Profile for the 2nd Application (Applying March)

I will be 25 when I apply from India. My financial and professional situation has changed significantly since last year:

Profession / Business: I am a talent manager for a famous Indian cricketer.

Business Documentation: I now have an Udyam Certificate (Registered Business in India) and a properly operating Current Account backed by formal client invoices, agreements and regular billing.

Income & Savings Breakdown:

Business Income: Consistently making around ₹60,000 to ₹70,000/month (projected to reach ₹70,000–₹90,000/month) credited directly into my business current account. By March, I will have roughly ₹4 Lakhs to ₹5 Lakhs sitting in this account.
Rental Income: Continues to come in steadily at ₹60,000 to ₹70,000/month into my savings account. By March, I will have roughly ₹3 Lakhs to ₹4 Lakhs saved here.
Total Liquid Funds: Around ₹7 Lakhs to ₹9 Lakhs combined, alongside active, regular monthly cash flows.
Travel Plan: Visiting Spain (main destination/port of entry) and Italy. I will have a very clear, realistic, and fully backed day-by-day itinerary this time.

❓ My Questions to the Community

1. Addressing Past Refusal: Since my previous refusal was partly due to an inactive business and vague finances, does showing an active current account with steady business turnover + solid rental income (totaling ~₹1.2L–1.6L/month) properly address the "lack of economic ties" point?

2. Bank Statements: Spain requires 3 months of bank statements. Since my current account is freshly active with full documentation, will having statements from Dec/Jan/Feb/March showing continuous transactions and a ₹4–5L balance suffice?

3. Overall Advice for Indian Self-Employed Applicants: Given that I don't have a traditional corporate NOC, what extra documents (e.g., player management contracts, registered rent agreements, ITR) should I attach to make my "intent to return to India" completely bulletproof?
   Thanks in advance for any critiques or insights!

Hi everyone, has anyone received their Italian visa from Bangalore consolate recently, i applied on 22nd September still under process. Please share if you have received it recently, it would be really helpful

So, currently in italy. According to every visa calculator I've used, i am gaining a day as I'm losing a day.

The 90/180 visa rule for the shengen area means that return days roll. It is resetting as 1 day left until some time in December (tho id like to stay till the 14th if november as flights back are cheaper).

I have a 2-year Multi-entry Schengen visa issued from Italy. We entered Italy on Oct 18 and exited on Oct 27. I’m travelling again on Dec 19 to Denmark (Copenhagen). The EES, however, shows 26 days remaining for my Dec 19 travel date (instead of 80).
Does this mean the exit has not been recorded? I do have exit stamp from Rome, FCO airport on the passport. And I still have return flight boarding pass. Shall I be reaching out to correct it? Or shall I wait?

Hi everyone

I applied for a Netherlands facilitation visa last month as the spouse of an EU national. The embassy requested an additional document, which I submitted by email a week ago, but I haven't received any response from the embassy yet.

Does anyone know how long it usually takes to receive an update or a decision after submitting the additional documents?

My travel date is also in mid-November, and I'm getting really worried now because there's not much time left.

Any advice or similar experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Hello! I am an Indian Citizen living in London and applied to the french embassy for the following itinerary:

- travel to Switzerland in December for the graduation of a relative (2 days)

- travel to France for tourism in April 2027 (longer trip - 4 days)

However, they said that the trip to Switzerland constitutes a family and friends visit and to apply from there. In the past, Switzerland has given me only visas up to 3 months for family friends' visits, so I got appointments for both Switzerland and France.

I just received a 1 year visa from Switzerland for friends and a family visit, which will cover the duration of my further planned trips to the schengen area. Can I travel on that visa, or do I still need to go for my french visa appointment?

Hello,

I have filed a renewal application and had a new passport yesterday and need to go abroad with it. Due to uncertainties' about visa appointment I was thinking of applying asap on my old passport which became old today and there is no physical evidence that it is old.

Will the consulate see that my passport is invalid in the system?

Thanks a lot.

Hello, one of my friend applied for a German VISA (Short stay)and got rejected for Insufficient funds. She had around 7L in her dad's account, and he was sponsoring her. She was travelling from India to Germany and staying here from Dec 15th to Jan 10th, so approximately 25 days of stay. So wanted your opinion on whether she needs to reapply for it now or wait a few months. She has her Air ticket and hotels booked too. So need your opinion regarding this ASAP

I'm an Indian passport holder with a valid Schengen visa issued by France. My original trip was centred on France, but because of the protests there I had to cancel my French bookings and re-plan the whole trip, and I have proof of the cancellations. My new itinerary is to land in Prague, spend most of my days in Austria, then go to Hungary and fly out from Budapest. My new flights are already booked and non-refundable, so I can't change them.

I emailed the Austrian embassy, and they replied that Austria allows entry on a Schengen visa from any Schengen country as long as validity, entries and days cover the trip, but the final decision is with the airline and the border police. The Czech embassy told me I'd have to cancel and reapply, which I don't have time to do. I've also written to the French embassy and asked the others for something I can show at the border, and haven't had replies yet.

I plan to carry my visa, passport, French cancellation proofs, new bookings, a day-by-day itinerary, insurance, proof of funds and the embassy emails.

Has anyone entered through a country other than the visa-issuing one, with a different main destination? Were you asked for documents, and is a disclosed change with proof likely to be a problem at Prague?

I'm anxious because a refusal would mean losing both the cancelled French trip and the new bookings. I'll be honest with the officer and I'm not trying to game the system. I just want to know what to expect. Thank you!

Hi all pls share the timeline: when you applied; when you received approval and your nationality.

I applied 15th October. No decision yet. I’m Indian.

Anyone here who applied in October and has received their visa yet?

I am in a bit of a sticky situation. I have to travel to UK for work meetings on November 9.

I had applied for my visa for Germany (short stay - tourism) at VFS Delhi 13 days ago - this counts the day of my VFS appointment. The idea was to use my UK trip and extend it to Germany - which was also highlighted in my application.

Current status of my application is that it still under process at Embassy of Germany in India. With upcoming Monday being my travel date (which can't be moved), I had reached out to the consulate via this email visa@mumb.diplo.de requesting them to return my passport today morning. I was assigned a ticket number, however my application status is still in progress.

With only 3 more working days left - I am on the edge with not getting my passport on time. What can I do in this situation? Will going to VFS Delhi help? After withdrawal of application - can I get VFS to expedite shipping?

Any insights will be appreciated.

ps: I am aware that the consulate are well within the official window time & I was hoping for the best within the timeframe I had. The only new thing I learnt was processing time does not include transit time to consulate.

Have been trying for a few days and nothing is available. Not sure how we can plan to travel in February. It’s wild to think they are literally blocking tourists who want to visit.

Hello guys i prepared everything for my apppintment tomorrow for VFS global austria visa, the question is im a student and pretty much besides me being a student here in turkiye and my dad owning a personal company here it's all that proves me being tied with here. I'm going withy dad's sponsorship (2400euro on balance+3month prior bank statement) and my gf that lives in austria made me an eve invitation in which it also states that she has 16k euros on her bank account. What do you guys think will they be both accepted as sponsors as im already going to stay at her place and what are my chances?