Applying for Schengen Visa in Advance: The Early Bird Advantage!

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” Saint Augustine.

Have you ever thought about how it would feel to travel to your favourite destinations without worrying about taking multiple visas? The Schengen Zone is the world’s largest free movement zone without internal border controls. Comprising 29 countries and featuring vivid landscapes and a myriad of cultures and cuisines, it is undoubtedly one of the most sought-after destinations for travellers.

Securing a visa for Schengen is a daunting task, as it is especially known for its hefty paperwork and documentation! Additionally, the requirements for its visa get updated, not frequently but intermittently, and keeping track of it can be difficult at times. In such cases, it is imperative to understand why applying early for a Schengen Visa will give us an edge while travelling in the future.

Money Matters:

Traveling can be costly, particularly when visiting Schengen Countries, which include some of the world's wealthiest nations like Luxembourg and Switzerland. Due to this, it is important to calculate the expenses one needs to shell out before proceeding with the visa application. Fund management is the most important part, and managing it may take months to accumulate the required funds; hence, it is better to contact the experts and understand the current situation in the country one wants to visit.

Hotels and Air Tickets:?

Air tickets and hotel bookings are essential for travelling. Even if there is a uniform visa for Schengen territory, every Schengen country has a variable economy. While some countries offer expensive accommodations or flights, it is relatively inexpensive in other countries. Applying earlier gives a major advantage to secure the bookings at a cheaper rate as you are booking it in an off-season, but your bookings are secured for the season you will be travelling in!

Benefits for Newly married couples

Newly married couples can also avail of benefits as there are special discounts applicable, especially if they are travelling for a specific period. For example, during Valentine’s Day, many hotels, restaurants, flights, etc. offer discounts for a limited time!?People travelling in groups or families are recommended to prioritise this as they need to manage their group bookings effectively; otherwise, they may be required to modify their plans as per market availability.

Unprecedented Situations:

Political instability, man-made or natural, can sometimes affect the immigration policies of a country. Another critical factor to be considered is inflation, which causes a rise in the prices of goods and services, commodities, etc. Applying early gives us the ability to prepare ourselves financially to tackle such issues.

Rush in Visa Applications:

As soon as the peak season approaches, the embassies witness a surge in visa applications; as a result, delays and refusals also increase substantially. To avail of the best travel experiences, it is recommended to apply for a visa 6 months before the date of arrival, as per the Schengen Guidelines. This gives ample time and space to chalk out travel plans, apply for visas, manage funds, look for and book the best hotels and tickets, create multiple itineraries (to keep plans flexible), etc.

Business travelers and Schengen Visa:

Business travelers should especially prioritise this, as it is observed that, since their travel plans are frequent, they do not get sufficient time to invest in their next trip or are often unaware of the latest trends in the visa process. At such times, in extreme cases, we have seen cancellations of major travel plans and the incurrence of high-scale financial losses. It is recommended to seek assistance from professional visa experts to avert such situations.

While tourism is a highly variable factor, many Global Events, Expos, Exhibitions and Conferences, occur around the year in Schengen Countries, especially in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, France, etc. These Events are witness to the latest technological innovations in their respective fields and offer a stage to promote one’s business to the world. Since many such events are open to all, the volume of visitors coming is significantly high. This in turn means a higher number of visa applications and a rush in the Embassy. Thus, if you don’t want to miss out, you have to apply for a visa early!

Myth about Visa processing times:

While processing visa applications, we have come across one major myth, believed by travellers, stating, "I got my previous visa in 4 days, so I can sit back and relax and apply as per my comfort.”.

While this can be the case for some travellers, multiple factors have led the “said” traveller to believe this, such as the low volume of applications, visas applied in the off-season, the impact of previous travel history, clear and organized presentation of applications and documents, verifiable details, provision of required funds, etc.?

We can state that getting a visa early is a pleasant experience, but generalising it or basing the same experience on the current application can affect the visa process; it can lead to disillusionment if the expectations are not met. Hence it is prescribed that one should seek professional assistance before applying for visas, and applying early has never led to any loss, it will instead reduce the hassles that one might have required to take otherwise.

Myths about Visa Decisions:

A similar myth that we came across was the traveler’s perceptional bias to a specific country.?

This refers to the belief that an X country always approves or refuses visas. Again, this is a subjective opinion and is influenced by multiple factors and cannot be generalized. It can only be understood by studying the reasons for refusals and by not repeating them and applying them in advance.

More Time to Prepare Documents and Plan Future Activities:

Imagine being in the middle of an important occasion, and your Visa Consultant calls you up for extra documents to process your application, which is just 1 month away. Or having booked your tickets but not been able to secure appointments? Or applying for a visa on an expiring passport? Or waiting for approval from your authorities for the trip?

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Imagine a regular day, your documents are ready, the appointments are 2 days from now, and your travel dates are 3 months away. Waiting for visas and bookings, and peace of mind and time!?

To achieve the second situation and avoid the first, it is important to apply for the Schengen Visa at the earliest. Applying earliest also gives you flexibility in modifying the travel, planning out activities for yourself and your family, and traveling in comfort.

The above factors, along with the guidance of professionals, can help in securing Schengen visas on time and create a pathway for a hassle-free and comfortable travel experience!!