The Schengen visa is considered to be the most popular tourist visa. The reason being that with this one visa you can explore 27 European countries. The Schengen visa is the visa that you need to travel to countries like Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Poland, Croatia, Czechia, and the rest of the countries that come under the Schengen Agreement. Like any other international visa, the Schengen visa also needs the visa applicant to submit a list of essential documents. One such document is the Schengen cover letter. While this is not a mandatory document, submitting a cover letter can add value to your visa application. Here is a comprehensive guide on the cover letter for Schengen visa.
Purpose of a Schengen Visa Cover Letter
As mentioned before, the Schengen visa cover letter is an optional document. In other words, it is not necessary to submit it along with your visa application. Still, visa experts recommend applicants to submit the cover letter. The visa application form gives all your details to the visa officer. But the cover letter allows you to make a direct appeal to the officer. It not only aids in confirming the details mentioned in the application but also helps you in addressing potential issues or problems like discrepancies in documents and past visa rejections that may arise during the visa application process. The visa cover letter is a way to explain your travel purpose and ensure the visa expert that you will abide by the rules of the Schengen visa.
Key Elements to Include in a Schengen Visa Cover Letter
The Schengen visa cover letter is a formal letter written to the consulate or embassy of the Schengen country you want to visit. To make it effective, it is important to ensure that all the key components are mentioned in the letter. Here are the crucial elements that should be a part of your Schengen visa cover letter.
Personal Details: All your personal information should be part of the cover letter. This includes your name, address, passport number, phone number, and email address. This should be the same as the ones mentioned in your visa application form.
Information of the Recipient (Embassy/Consulate): The details of the embassy you are applying for the Schengen visa should also be mentioned. For instance, if you are applying for a French Schengen visa, you must include the address and other details of the French embassy or consulate in your city/country.
Reason for Travel: It is extremely crucial to let the visa official know why you want to travel to the Schengen country. Your purpose should be clear and specific. The reason could be tourism, business, or visiting family or friends. It is important to be truthful about your travel purpose.
Travel Itinerary: A detailed travel itinerary must be included in your Schengen visa cover letter. This should not only include the entry and exit dates but also the places you will be visiting and the things you will be doing. If you are visiting more than one Schengen country, you need to mention the names of the same as well.
Proof of Finance: Your cover letter should state how you would be supporting yourself financially when you are visiting the Schengen country. You need to specify whether you will be supporting yourself or whether your host would be supporting you financially. You will need appropriate proof for the same. This could be your bank statements or a sponsorship or invitation letter from your host.
Proof of Accommodation: Where you will be staying during your Schengen visit should also be a part of your cover letter. This could be hotel reservation or hostel or Air BnB confirmations. If you are staying at a friend or family’s house, an invitation from the person will be required.
Educational/Employment Details: Providing details of employment or your ongoing education is important to convince the visa officer that you have something substantial back home for which you would return to your home country. This could be in the form or employment letter or even a leave letter from your employer or educational institute.
Ties to Home Country: You need to prove to the visa official that you have ties back in your home country. Apart from leave letter from employer or educational institute, family ties, property ownership documents, etc., are also acceptable to prove ties to your home country.
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Step-by-Step Guide to Writing a Schengen Visa Cover Letter
If you are in the process of writing a cover letter, here are the steps that will guide you through the entire thing systematically.
Header: The letter should begin with the details of the visa applicant, i.e., you. You must start the letter by writing your full name, address, contact details, and passport number. The date of writing the letter should also be included.
Consulate/Embassy Details: The next comes the details of the Schengen country embassy or consulate to whom you are going to send the letter. The complete address of the embassy should also be included.
Subject Line: The subject line should clearly mention the purpose of the letter.
Greeting/Salutation: This is a formal letter, so your greeting should be formal too. Starting the letter with “Dear Sir/Madam”, would be the best way to go forward.
Introduction: You must begin the main part of the letter by introducing yourself. This should be followed by the purpose of writing the letter, which would be applying for a Schengen visa.
Main Body: The next few paragraphs should include all the details about your trip. You must state the purpose of your trip, followed by the places you are planning to visit, and the dates you are traveling to the Schengen area. You must also provide details about your accommodation and financial arrangements. You must also mention your educational or employment background. At the end of the letter, you must assure the visa officer that you will return to your home country. You must also mention the documents that you will be submitting to support your claims in the letter.
Closing Statement: You must end the letter by thanking the visa officer and politely asking the officer to review your application. Also, provide assurance that you are ready to submit additional documents if required for the smooth process of your visa application. End the letter with the hope of getting your visa application approved.
Signing Off and Signature: After finishing your closing statement, it is time to sign off in the formal way. It is best to use “Yours Sincerely” followed by your full name to sign off.
Schengen Visa Cover Letter Samples
To make things easier for you, we are providing you with two Schengen visa cover samples. The first is a cover letter for a tourist visa application and the second one is for a business visa application.
Sample 1: Tourist Visa Application
(Your full name)
(Address)
(City, State, Country – Postal Code)
(Email Address)
(Phone Number)
(Passport Number)
Date: (DD/MM/YYYY)
To
The Consulate General of (the Schengen country you are visiting)
(Address of the Embassy/Consulate)
(City, Country)
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am (your name), a citizen of (name of your country) and I am writing to you to apply for a Schengen visa to travel to Italy. I am planning to travel to Italy from (date of arrival) to (date of departure). After this, I will be flying to France, where I will be staying from (date of arrival) to (date of departure).
The purpose of my visit to Italy and France is for tourism. I plan to visit the major cities and attractions of Italy and France. In Italy, I am planning to visit Rome and Venice in Italy, while in France, I will be exploring the city of Paris. I am traveling solo to both Italy and France, and I would be taking care of all my expenses on my own. I have already made arrangements for my accommodation in hostels in Rome, Venice, and Paris.
I am an employee at (name of your company) as a (your job position). I will be returning to my job at the end of my holiday. I have attached a letter from my employer stating the approval of my leave.
I have enclosed my bank statements to assure you that I have sufficient funds to support myself during my holiday. I have also provided confirmation of hostel booking in all three cities. I kindly request you to consider my application and approve my Schengen tourist visa.
Thank you for considering my application. I sincerely hope for a favorable response. I am open to submitting any more information or clarification that you may require from my end.
Yours Sincerely,
(Your Name)
Sample 2: Business Visa Application
(Your full name)
(Address)
(City, State, Country – Postal Code)
(Email Address)
(Phone Number)
(Passport Number)
Date: (DD/MM/YYYY)
To
The Consulate General of (the Schengen country you are visiting)
(Address of the Embassy/Consulate)
(City, Country)
Dear Sir/Madam,
I, (your name), a national of (name of your country), is writing the letter to apply for a Schengen business visa. The purpose of my visit is to attend a business conference in (name of the city, country) as a representative of my company (name of the company).
I am working as a (job title) in (name of your company). I have received an invitation letter from (name of the host company) to attend their annual conference from (start date) to (end date). During my visit, I will be attending the various sessions of the conference and exploring lucrative collaboration opportunities for my company.
I have been working with (my company) for (number of years). My company will be taking care of all my travel expenses, including my flight tickets, travel, accommodation, and daily expenses. I will be staying at (name of the hotel) and my return flight has been scheduled for (date of return flight along with booking reference).
I have attached all the supporting documents like the invitation letter from the host company and sponsorship letter from my employer.
I assure you that I will abide by all the visa regulations and will return to my home country after I attend the conference.
Thank you for considering my application. I kindly request you to approve my business visa application. I can provide any additional information or document if deemed necessary.
Yours Sincerely,
(Your Name)
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Here are some mistakes that you must avoid while writing a cover letter for Schengen visa:
- Do not write the letter in a casual manner. This would be considered unprofessional. Always use a formal tone, even in case of family visa or tourist visa.
- Never give a vague reason for the purpose of travel. You need to be specific about why you are traveling to the Schengen country.
- Do not provide false or inconsistent information or documents. This is the easiest way for your visa application rejection.
- Forgetting to personalize a cover letter template is another common mistake people make. If you are copying a letter sample, make sure to customize it by adding your details before sending the letter.
- Not adding important details like passport number, dates, return assurance, etc., to your letter is another mistake that many visa applicants make.
Conclusion
Writing a cover letter for your Schengen visa may seem like a difficult task, more so because it is not mandatory. However, writing one will surely add more relevance to your application. Hence, you must take out time to write a Schengen visa cover letter.
Frequently Asked Questions
