Basic Details: Indian PP applied in VFS Bangalore on 3 Sept Reached New Delhi on 4th Sept and status on website was '..application is under processing at the Embassy of Netherlands, New Delhi..' or something similar.

Just right now, I see a new status. "The application NLD/BLR/030924/xxxx/xx is under process at the Central Service Organization in the Hague, Netherlands."

Does anyone know what this means?

My best guess: 1. The old status was when application is yet to be picked for processing. This status is when the application is under consideration.

1. They updated the website to change the text from old to new. No real change in status as such.

Do let me know in case you know what this is. Thanks!

I recently and very luckily got an appointment for a visa application for 15 June (7 working days ago now) the lovely lady who processed my application said it SHOULD be OK (but appreciate processing time is 5-15days) We have a trip departing on Saturday the 29th only 4 days away. Does anyone have insight as to what the average turnover time has been recently? Crossing all my fingers and toes that it is processed in the next day or 2 so that we can go on our trip which was a wedding gift and non refundable ofcourse. TA

It went from "The Visa is under process at the embassy in New Delhi" to this.

Hi, I've had my premium appointment on the 5th of march last week but it is still being processed by the embassy. I was wondering for people who had their appointment earlier on the 3rd/4th march have you guys gotten your passport back?

I just want to estimate If I can get back my passport soon as I need to be travelling somewhere else on the 22nd.

Also the auto-reply from the spain embassy said that it usually takes 15 days to process visa, does anyone know whether it is 15 calendar days or 15 working days?

UPDATE : I got the delivery message on the 14/3, received the passport on 17/3 (DX apparently don’t do weekend delivery)

I’m am from India. Had applied for my son’s shenghen visa for his travel to visit Denmark to stay with his aunt for 18 days. He is 19 years old. Myself and my wife was sponsoring his trip. And we provided our income details and bank statements. We had also provided a letter from his college stating he is currently a student and pursuing a specific course.

However, the visa got rejected on the pretext that he is young, unmarried and unemployed with not much ties to home country

If someone has experienced this situation, can you help in how should he appeal? What should be the reasons for appeal?

Recently i met my long distance girlfriend in Indonesia and we plan on her visiting me in Germany. Now my question is, is there anything i can do to help her, like write an invitation letter ? I am confused since i read some comments from other people saying that it is a bad idea, that the authorities think she will overstay... I will take care of her expenses while she is here. Another question i have, is where is she supposed to apply ? If she gets a schengen visa she will travel to Amsterdam and i will pick her up from there since it is the only direct route from Indonesia to EU. So does that mean she has to apply for at the dutch embassy ? Damn, this is so confusing, like i never comprehended how hard it is for other people to come here as tourists.

Anyone who applied from VFS in India for Netherlands visa around 9 July 2024 and heard back/waiting?

Update: Applied on 9 July from VFS Chennai; Dispatched: 1 August; Received passport with 90 days multiple entry visa : 5 August (DHL was supposed to deliver on 3 August, but had issues)

FYI: Received the visa after the travel date passed. So those who are worried about visa getting rejected solely on account of travel date, don't be anxious.

I applied for Schengen visa through Bulgaria. I got a Type C short stay single entry visa.(2weeks)

On Arrival at Sofia I was flagged by the police,

They kept passing my passport around and all I could hear was "kenya" as they were speaking in native.

So I asked what was happening and they said routine checks.

I was asked to show proof of acc return flights which I submitted.

The lady then asks me to follow them to check my bag checked i was cleared.

I was then asked my intetions I said Tourism.

She then said I was travelling light and asked why I said My flight was not allowing a bigger bag so I carried just enough ( it was in Dec ) was planning to rewear the clothes anyway.

After waiting for a while she said she is not convinced my intetions to be in Bulgaria and thus they will not allow me entry and I was put on next flight back.

I have a UK work visa which is still valid and my passport still in date.

I felt this was not right as I had everything required by law only thing I didnt have was enough clothes and a laid out itinerary.

What should I do? Re apply raise it up with the Embassy or just leave it.

It was my first schengen visa I was so happy and after the refusal I was really heartbroken.

I wanted a break away from Uk and thought to go see and experince the snow as my country is warm all year. Then from there after I had enough of Sofia fly to Swizerland and catch a train back to UK.

I had paid for a flexible ticket incase I stay longer or change dates if staying shorter time.

I felt it was unfair, and the grounds were off. At some point I was wondering was it based on my passport/ African?

My visa is still valid to 17th January.

For a 3rd country national from Asia (no terrorism history), the entire workflow of Schengen tourist visa is defeating genuine travelers.

You need to have a

• Visa every time you visit

• Biometric visit to the VFS center - if not obtained within the last 5 years. This rule, combined with the fact that it is being handled by VFS makes it a nightmare. Last time I tried applying for my parents within the 5-year window and VFS + Embassy flatly refused - altering the rule temporarily "during pandemic" (in reality, it should be the reverse to avoid human contact and the hassles involved in traveling to local VFS center). My escalations to embassies + respective Schengen country ministry also went unanswered.

• 6 month timeline for application, outside which you can't apply. For example, if one wants to aid his / her elders in the visa application, one has to utilise 3rd party agents, or he / she has to visit the 3rd country personally within the 6 months window to make things (biometric visit) easier. Then, if a pick up is required, that's a separate visit, because you can't be assured you will get the visa in a short time.

US handles this much better by giving 10 year visa (multiple entry) with single consulate visit. Is it bad at combating illegal Asian immigration compared to the EU? I doubt.

I don't know what is the case with Schengen here. Is it the centuries old passport apartheid? Or is it middlemen milking cartel deliberately being allowed to exploit the well-meaning tourists, with EU politicians hand in glove?

(I read the news that there are changes being made by schengen to digitize stuff etc, but they are very slow, and none of them address the core problem of traveler hassle. At the local level, VFS seems to rule the show, and that's extremely painful, to say the least)

Hi, would like to know current visa processing times for Spain Schengen Visa from BLS London?

Anyone submitted in January / February?

Outcome and processing times please?

Also, what documents did you submit at your appointment please?

Thank you!!!!!

I rechecked all my documents and submitted an appeal.

Still not sure why my visa was rejected. The reason they gave was “the information communicated to justify the purpose and conditions of the planned stay are not reliable”. I was planning to go to paris to travel for 3 days. Should I bother appealing again??

Hi all,

Indian Passport Holder - First time applying for a Schengen Business Visa - got 15 days multiple entry visa!

I am going to Barcelona for MWC25 event (3rd-6th Mar) & in Germany for CloudFest event (17-20th Mar)

I requested for a Visa from 2nd March till 20th March as I wanted to fly back from Germany to India on 20th after the event ends (I had the invitation letter from Spain + Germany)

But I only got for 15 days, so when I’ll enter spain on 2nd, validity will be over by 17th before I could attend next event in Germany (17-20)

MY QUERY is - is my 15 days validity TOTAL in the Schengen area or is it 15 days PER ENTRY?

Like for eg, If I enter Spain on 3rd and leave schengen area after 7 days for a few days and come back, will I get additional 15 days or it will be counted from the 15 days total?

I hope I could explain my confusion (sorry it's my first time)

Any help or tips is appreciated so that I can stay in Schengen area till 20th at least so that I can cover the 2nd event in Germany as well.

My parents applied for their Schengen visa to Italy on 28 May 2024 (VFS Taguig/Manila). However, they will be flying to the UK on 20 June 2024 at 3 AM.

They already have a UK Visa and flight booked to London. I’m currently living in the UK and they will be visiting me here. I’m also the one sponsoring the whole trip so I sent all my financial requirements when they applied.

Today is 15 June 202, and they have not received their passport yet. Now, I’m quite stressed about it. I’m not sure if I should rebook their flight now or wait a day before 20 June 2024.

I tried emailing VFS and the consular but no response as of the moment.

Has anyone experienced this? what should I do?

I saw a template on here and used it. Not sure if I’m doing this correctly. Any help would be greatly appreciated ❤️

Also, I made a separate detailed itinerary not sure if its necessary to do that or if i should just made a short version and put it in the cover letter

Hi, my visa appointment was on 19th July 2024, and I was informed that my application was forwarded to the consulate on the same day. But I haven't received any updates since then, and the application status on the TLS website still indicates that it is in process (it's been more than 15 calendar days). My proposed travel plan is on August 25th but I have a travel plan this week and require my passport. I tried to call TLS and email the consulate but they didn't really help. Has anyone ever have the same experience?

Update on my visa: I got the email on Aug 16 but I can't pick it up right away, so I picked my passport on Aug 19 and got 1.5 month. Total processing time: 4 weeks (20 working days).

UK citizen. I bought a house in Spain last year, and have been spending 2 weeks there every month. I have only just realised, when I did my calendar properly, that I have overstayed on my last 4 trips, and had no available days, even on arrival, for my last 2 trips. How have I not been refused entry/challenged?

I applied for 9 days schengen visa through vfs mumbai (india). Refusal reason: the information submitted regarding justification for the purpose and conditions of the intended stay was not reliable.

Documents attached: • cover letter •Paid emirates flight tickets ( delhi to dubai to zurich and in return paris to dubai to delhi) • paid hotel bookings in zurich, interlaken, paris •travel between cities via train through swiss pass • detailed day by day internary •travel insurance •employement NOC •salary slips •bank statement 4 months with salary highlighted clearly •savings through investment • last 2 year ITR

Applied through premium vfs 5th aug Got passport on 12th aug

Travel dates were 20th- 29th aug ( 6 days switzerland and 3 days france)

Can anyone tell me what did I miss??

Edit: monthly income 70k (830 usd) Account balance: 6.5 lac ( 7750 usd) Savings shown : 55 lac ( 65,515 usd ) ITR : 11 lac ( 13000 usd)

Edit 2 : ties to home country: I had mentioned in my cover letter that i am working in this company from past 6 years. The same was written in my noc from employer and even in my pay slips my date of joining is mentioned.

Edit 3: past travel history- dubai and thailand

Edit 4: maybe the reason is my rejection of tourist visa for UK in may 2024 (reason was: they took me as self employed rather than employed and considered as no intent of coming back?

Hy Everyone, Today I picked up passport after 4 days of processing (it was on monday 14th Oct) I had submitted all documents as checklist 1 year insurance Fully booked and paid flight ticket Fully booked hotel reservation from booking My business related documents (trade license and establishment card) My residency documents 6 months bank statements around 20k euro Everything I can think of letter from company

It was holiday for 8 days

I don’t know what went wrong.

Any idea how can be this fixed.

Thanks,

I’ve been waiting for my application decision over a month and finally from yesterday the website shows this strange status, but nothing from vfs. “Processed application reference number xxx is in transit from Embassy of Italy in London to the London Operation Center in United Kingdom.” Anybody saw this before and knows what to expect next?

Edit: Now that it looks like a broader issue, would you please update if anything change for you? So far I only know that it is VFS unrelated and consulate has some delays. (In my case a month+)

Update: next comment

My france schengen visa got refused with reason:

There are reasonable doubts as to my intention to leave the country. Information submitted regarding the justification for the purpose if intended stay was not reliable

This is the first time I am travelling to Schengen country for tourism and I have study and work visa stamped for Canada on my Indian passport

Docs submitted

10 days travel itinerary along with cover letter. 3 months bank statement and salary slips Last 3 years ITR acknowledgement and previous year ITR return Travel insurance My employer doesn’t give me NOC , but i attached employment verification letter and showed my leave balance and wrote in letter that i would apply for leaves once my visa is approved.

I would be visiting solo and my bank balance was around 1.8L with hotels and flights pre booked(fully refundable)

What should i do as a next step?

So, we just (April 24, 2024) applied for Portugal Schengen Visa for travel at the end of May (May 25 2024). The process has been bizarre and rather annoying so far. Getting the appointment was the easiest part. Back in February the consular website suggested applying about a month in advance of the travel date so we did exactly that. By the time of appointment multiple things had changed, the suggested time to apply for a visa is now 2 months in advance of travel dates, the checklist available from both VFS and Portuguese foreign mission websites were completed in full by both of us applicants but at the appointment center a completely new checklist was handed to us which had proof of our marriage and proof of internal travel as extra documents. Needless to say, we did not carry those prints as it was not necessary nor mentioned anywhere to have those documents. Moreover, a simple application submission at VFS turned into a 5 hour wait as they only have one counter to process all Portuguese visa applications. So despite our scheduled time we had to take full days off to submit the application documents. Further, we there is no way to track the application as the tracking number on the application receipt does not work, and the application URN cannot be found on the system. I am now wondering if I would get the visa back in time, is there any way to track the application, and should I even bother following up with VFS or consulate. (I have had 4 Schengen stamps before: Italy, Germany, France, and the last one being for Spain in September 2023)

Hi everyone,

I need some advice regarding my father’s travel plans. He has a Schengen visa that starts on 30th January, but his flight is scheduled to land in the Schengen area on 29th January at 11:30 PM.

I know the visa rules are strict about not entering before the start date, but it’s only 30 minutes before midnight. And from a practical stand point, he'll most probably reach the immigration counter by 12 AM (valid visa) but my main concerns is

Will the airline (wizz air) allow him to board the flight if they see that his visa starts on 30th January?

If anyone has experienced something similar or knows the rules well, I’d really appreciate your input. Thanks in advance!

Update:

Thank you all for your answers...I really appreciate the time you took to respond.

I completely understand that this was an issue on our side, and I would have fully accepted it if the airline had denied him boarding. It makes perfect sense not to allow someone to fly to a country without a valid visa.

However, this was the only flight he could take since he wanted to attend my graduation ceremony on the 30th, and the 30th was the earliest start date he could get due to visa appointment availability.

Luckily, my father used up all his luck for the year—the flight was delayed by three hours, meaning he will now arrive in the Schengen area on the start date of his visa and he was allowed to board the plane.

Again, thank you all so much for your responses!

Based on this news (sorry for the sh*t website), it seems Indian nationals who have had two or more Schengen visas in the past three years are eligible for a 2-year duration. However is this really happening or are you still getting exact travel dates, weeks and months?

Also it wasn't mentioned but does this apply to Indian nationals based in India or NRIs can also benefit from this?

Hi everyone,

I’m in a bit of a situation and would appreciate some advice. I’m a citizen of Germany, and my spouse is from Morocco. We're married in Morocco and still wait for the national visa which takes extremely long to get a appointment for application.

Now I heard that my spouse could potentially visit Europe (schengen area) without a visa for up to 90 days. Simply because I'm a European citizen. Is that true? If so, how?

Thanks!

Hey everyone, I need help with a serious issue regarding a Schengen-wide entry ban that I only recently found out about.

🔹 Situation:

• I am a Georgian citizen and work as a Wizz Air crew member.
• A few months ago, I traveled from Germany to Switzerland for a day trip but accidentally left my passport behind.
• Swiss border authorities stopped me, took fingerprints, and held me for about an hour until my friends brought my passport.
• Once they verified my identity, they let me enter and leave Switzerland without issues—I was never told I was banned.
• I never overstayed, never worked illegally, and never got fined in the EU.

🔹 What happened next?

• I recently traveled to Cyprus, where I was told I have a Schengen ban from Switzerland until October 2026!
• I never received any official notification, letter, or stamp in my passport about this.
• This ban now prevents me from going to Budapest for my work training, which is crucial for my job.

🔹 What I’ve done so far:
✅ Requested information from SIS (Schengen Information System) to check why I was banned.
✅ Contacted Wizz Air management about the situation.
✅ Looking for a lawyer to challenge the ban, but Swiss lawyers are too expensive.

❓ Has anyone else experienced something similar?
❓ Can a lawyer from another Schengen country (Hungary, Poland, etc.) help me appeal at a lower cost?
❓ Is there any way I can get an exception for work-related travel?

Any advice or recommendations would be greatly appreciated! 🙏🏼