gulffamily asked:
We hold Indian passport and have residance in UAE. Now living in UAE also. Planning for a trip to Europe during March end. Can any one help us / guide us with the visa formalities and how to get visas? Will the travel agencies booking for the tickets arrange for the visas too?
We hold Indian passport and have residance in UAE. Now living in UAE also. Planning for a trip to Europe during March end. Can any one help us / guide us with the visa formalities and how to get visas? Will the travel agencies booking for the tickets arrange for the visas too?
We will visit Germany, Netherlands, swiss, France, UK as part of the visit. We know that Swiss and UK are not part of Shengan Visa. We need guidance and we are just starting to plan for the trip. Thanks in Advance.
For those destinations you need 3 visas. A Schengen visa for France, Germany etc. A UK visa and a Swiss visa.
For the Schengen visa you need to apply to the first destination in the Schengen zone.
Then apply to the Swiss and UK embassies. You’ll need hotel bookings and possibly travel insurance valid in all areas.
The travel agencies might be able to help you to get you the visas, but it is still difficult.
You’ll need to show proof that you can afford the trip (bank statements, letter from your employer) and that you intend to return to the UAE (owning real estate in the UAE, leaving the children with a baby sitter in the UAE). This is easy if you have a good job and earn enough money, but most people don’t.
These people need an invitation for the Schengen visa. The best way is to ask friends or relatives who hold residency inside the Schengen area for an invitation.
BTW, March is too close. You’ll never get the visa on time. 3 months is minimum to get a Schengen visa. The website might say 10 days, but this is after you got all the papers together!
Whatever it is, your first step should be to contact one of the Schengen embassies. Below is the adress of the German one
Tel (0097 12) 644 66 93
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, P.O. Box 2591, Abu Dhabi, UAE
The form for visa application at the German embassy:
Visa fee is 60 EUR. You want a C Schengen visa.