schengen visa question.

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IamMe18

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My mate has decided to travel to Italy late next year and has asked me to tag along. I've never travelled abroad before and I've heard getting your visa approved is the biggest hurdle for some after doing my research.

I do currently have a job but I make around 9k(not much, I know), I don't own property or a car. I have no wife, no descendants and both parents are dead.

I feel like my profile does not paint me in a good light that I have strong ties with my home country or that I want to return.

What are the odds of getting rejected/approved if I get my return flights, accommodation and itinerary in order. Plus my friend did say he doesn't mind paying for my accommodation for the trip.
 
gregmcc said:
If you have proof of return flight, proof of accommodation and can show you have enough money in your account for however long you are saying there should not be a problem.
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Flights, accommodation and money to spend won't be a problem if I'm honest, I was just concerned about my salary because I'll be spending x2.5 times more than I make in a month on a 6 day trip.
 
IamMe18 said:
Flights, accommodation and money to spend won't be a problem if I'm honest, I was just concerned about my salary because I'll be spending x2.5 times more than I make in a month on a 6 day trip.
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It's not really about what you earn, it's about the available funds you have and whether they think that is sufficient for your length of stay.
 
DrJohnZoidberg said:
It's not really about what you earn, it's about the available funds you have and whether they think that is sufficient for your length of stay.
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Also avoid large deposits into your account without proving where they come from.

the Means of substance is the thing to prove. A lot of people get rejected on those grounds. Your current salary isn’t a negative.
 
Priapus said:
Also avoid large deposits into your account without proving where they come from.

the Means of substance is the thing to prove. A lot of people get rejected on those grounds. Your current salary isn’t a negative.
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I don't know if this has changed recently but 5 - 10 years ago this was something my parents did when they traveled. As they're pensioners they didn't have large enough amounts of money in their bank accounts so they would have a lump sum transferred to their account in advance which seemed to always work fine.
 
DrJohnZoidberg said:
I don't know if this has changed recently but 5 - 10 years ago this was something my parents did when they traveled. As they're pensioners they didn't have large enough amounts of money in their bank accounts so they would have a lump sum transferred to their account in advance which seemed to always work fine.
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As long as it’s clear where the funds came from, it’s fine.
 
IamMe18 said:
Flights, accommodation and money to spend won't be a problem if I'm honest, I was just concerned about my salary because I'll be spending x2.5 times more than I make in a month on a 6 day trip.
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You just really need to provide as much evidence of two things.

One - Substance for your travel.
- proof of pre paid accommodation (not just a reservation)
- proof of booked confirmed return tickets (not just a reservation)
- proof of travel funds that you have had for longer 3 month, if you open a second savings account with the required amount and say that is your holiday fund when you apply.
- medical Insurance if you have medical aid they normally cover you and will give you a letter to that effect

Two - Ties to South Africa
- Letter from employer stating you are full time employed and have leave for the trip.
- letter of good character three or four from friends and extended family if possible to effect of you follow rules you intend to return and they excited to heart about your trip on your return.


If you put in the effort they see you are serious they tend to be very understanding and accommodating.
VFS tend to be box tickers more than anything else but you can ask to put more supporting evidence the letters and statement from you etc.
 
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IamMe18 said:
My mate has decided to travel to Italy late next year and has asked me to tag along. I've never travelled abroad before and I've heard getting your visa approved is the biggest hurdle for some after doing my research.

I do currently have a job but I make around 9k(not much, I know), I don't own property or a car. I have no wife, no descendants and both parents are dead.

I feel like my profile does not paint me in a good light that I have strong ties with my home country or that I want to return.

What are the odds of getting rejected/approved if I get my return flights, accommodation and itinerary in order. Plus my friend did say he doesn't mind paying for my accommodation for the trip.
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Difficult but not impossible.

Things you will need for a Schengen Short Stay Tourist visa (I did this for some family last year for an Italian wedding):
- Passport with longer than 3 months validity
- Passport photos
- Proof of return tickets
- Proof of accommodation in Italy
- 3 months bank statements showing sufficient income
- Proof of your employment
- Proof of travel insurance
- If your mate is covering anything, you need a letter from him like an affidavit saying he's covering the accomodation along with the proof mentioned above.
Also very good to have an itinerary.

Then you book online with the VFS Global Italy office in Rivonia and pay online. There's also Premium addons to assist like a Digital Document check where you upload all your docs before the appointment so they can say whether you have everything or not, before your appointment.
Appointments are a bit tricky to find, but the staff are friendly and actually answer phonecalls.
 
Visa just gets you to the border customs officer. He still decides if you enter or not. So have your docs with you too when you arrive in Europe. I pitched up last week and couldn't show my return ticket on my phone, not sure why it wasn't loading - so yes, have a printed copy! - so the guy asked if I had any money, just showed him a credit card and that was good enough.
 
DStvNothingOn said:
You just really need to provide as much evidence of two things.

One - Substance for your travel.
- proof of pre paid accommodation (not just a reservation)
- proof of booked confirmed return tickets (not just a reservation)
- proof of travel funds that you have had for longer 3 month, if you open a second savings account with the required amount and say that is your holiday fund when you apply.
- medical Insurance if you have medical aid they normally cover you and will give you a letter to that effect

Two - Ties to South Africa
- Letter from employer stating you are full time employed and have leave for the trip.
- letter of good character three or four from friends and extended family if possible to effect of you follow rules you intend to return and they excited to heart about your trip on your return.


If you put in the effort they see you are serious they tend to be very understanding and accommodating.
VFS tend to be box tickers more than anything else but you can ask to put more supporting evidence the letters and statement from you etc.
Click to expand...
By medical insurance, do you mean travel insurance? Because if so, I have a Standard Bank Credit Card that has automatic travel insurance if you purchase tickets using said card.
 
IamMe18 said:
By medical insurance, do you mean travel insurance? Because if so, I have a Standard Bank Credit Card that has automatic travel insurance if you purchase tickets using said card.
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Yup, like discovery covers for 90 days from leaving South Africa if you are a member of the scheme, just remember to print/upload out the policy/travel letter to included in the application. (with the member states having different systems some let you upload all the docs others you need to submit the docs In person)
but very important.
You just need to make sure the insurance received covers the minimum requirement, as I remember reading on one of the applications that not all CC insurance did, but its not a problem as you can buy top insurance for not very much I seem to remember allianz does it for like 200 or 300 bucks.
Medical insurance for a Schengen visa from South Africa must meet the following criteria:

  • A minimum coverage of at least €30,000.00 or Rand equivalent
  • Coverage in all Schengen member states.
  • Coverage for all expenses related to urgent medical treatment, evacuation for medical purposes, or repatriation from Europe to South Africa.
 
IamMe18 said:
By medical insurance, do you mean travel insurance? Because if so, I have a Standard Bank Credit Card that has automatic travel insurance if you purchase tickets using said card.
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always worth taking the topup insurance.
 
Candystore said:
Can we apply directly to the Italian Consulate?
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Nope I think that only applies in extreme emergencies life and death kinda stuff not tourism.

Apply as soon as you can never leave it till the last moments.
 
Up to a couple of years ago the Germans had a well hidden public portal for bookings where one could bypass VFS Global. Would save on the outsourced costs as it was free and one could always get an appointment immediately.
 
Cage Rattler said:
Visa just gets you to the border customs officer. He still decides if you enter or not. So have your docs with you too when you arrive in Europe. I pitched up last week and couldn't show my return ticket on my phone, not sure why it wasn't loading - so yes, have a printed copy! - so the guy asked if I had any money, just showed him a credit card and that was good enough.
Click to expand...

That’s how all visas work. It’s not a guaranteed entry. The entry clearance office border control have ultimate decision on letting you in or not.
 
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