I with my family will be travelling to Europe this december inshaAllah. My wife is a permanent resident in Canada, so she requires a visa to enter European countries. Alhamdolillah, she has just received the UK visa, and now we are applying for France visa. She is on Pakistani passport.
Since France comes under Schengen agreement, I am thinking we might as well apply for it so if we decide to other places we may.
I have few questions:
Do I really have to submit train/plane reservation to France and also hotel reservation to be able to apply for the visa?
What should i take to travel to paris? I will be leaving from London/Birmingham.
Any pointers regarding the hotel/motel/apartments? where should i be looking for them and around how much?
What are the places to see in Paris?
Has anyone applied for Schengen visa from canada before? what are they looking for? How long did it take to process and what documents did you submit?
i can only reply to ure first question... when i applied for a schengen visa, i too applied at the french embassy.. and yes, i had to show reservations for hotel and ticket bookings. and it took a day for them to process and grant me the visa.
oh and so far its the french embassy that grants the longest duration of tourist visas i think...we got a 1 month visa even though our hotel bookin showed a stay of only 2 weeks in france..
other schengen countries strictly follow ure hotel bookings and only grant a visa lasting that number of days... i found it so odd ...
Khawateen: How long ago was it? Also, Let say I get a reservation for both travel and accomodation, can i cancel them and then take some other option in case i find a better deal? I read on their site that you may not be able to change it. Was it the case when you applied as well?
I am going to paris for 4-5 days. However, we may decide to go some other places too once we are there. Should I mention that when we go for the interview? May be ask for double, multiple visa? When it says double, it means two entries in any schengen country i believe?
Where did you stay in paris? Would you recommend the place?
Edit: It also says that once the visa is granted we are supposed to send them a copy of the tix and accomodation as a prove that it has been paid in full. Is that really necessary?
UB: Yea, that's what i am thinking too, and its coming out to be the cheapest option as well.
Khawateen: How long ago was it? Also, Let say I get a reservation for both travel and accomodation, can i cancel them and then take some other option in case i find a better deal? I read on their site that you may not be able to change it. Was it the case when you applied as well?
this was in 2006. **
**u can not make any changes to ure reservations when u hand in the application for a visa.you can however change it once the visa has been issued. you will be asked at port of entry where u will be living and what u will be doing during ure stay in that country. (port of entry being the first country u visit which will be france) as long as you have some sort of reservation at a hotel or lodging, i dont think it should be any problem. but rules may have changed since 2006.
I am going to paris for 4-5 days. However, we may decide to go some other places too once we are there. Should I mention that when we go for the interview? May be ask for double, multiple visa? When it says double, it means two entries in any schengen country i believe?
i dont think they issue multiple entry for tourist visas. you can visit any schengen country once ure schengen visa has been issued. its understood actually that ppl want to travel and sight see other countries in the schengen. you dont have to stay in paris the whole time :) you just have to be out of the schengen before your visa expires.
Where did you stay in paris? Would you recommend the place?
*we stayed in a really nice hotel on the Champs E'lysee and it overlooked the arc d'triomphe and eiffel tower. i would highly recommend it. very very pricey though but totally worth it! it also depends who u are going with :D lots to see and do, you can purchase a sightseeing map and they already have all the important places highlighted and how to get there. *
Edit: It also says that once the visa is granted we are supposed to send them a copy of the tix and accomodation as a prove that it has been paid in full. Is that really necessary?
*yes it is :) i didnt have to show payment for accomodation but i did have to show tickets paid in full.. i got a 1 month visa which i was not expecting... and i had booked my return ticket for a 2 week vacation.. now since i had a month, i changed my return ticket date and added another week to it. (hope that made sense)... so you can always change ure ticket dates once ure visa has been issued... *
*you can visit other schengen countries but dont have to show anything for them.. its just hte port of entry taht you have to show it for.. so since ure applying at the french embassy, you only have to show accomodation for france, and the tickets. *
1) Takes 15 days at least to process.
2) hotel booking required.
3) Return flight / train tickets.
4) 30,000 Euro worth of Travel/medical insurance.
5) Lease agreement or title deed of ur dwelling (with a copy for their records).
Visa will only be issued for the days u have the hotel booking.
Khawateen: How did the inform you of the visa? They have asked me to email them after 10 working days to find out the outcome. Did they call or email to tell you earlier than 10 days?
Like Najim said, I have been also asked to show them a travel/medical insurance for my wife when i go.
They didn't keep her passport, they said they'll give something else, which i found a bit odd. Was it the same case for you?
i got my visa in a day.. handed it in one day and got it the next.. but they did ask me to call in to check... and 2 weeks is what they say.. could happen earlier like it did for me.. what your being told is right.. we got a call from them saying surprise, its here .. come pick it up
they kept my passport though.. rules are changing everyday i guess..
and its true.. u do have to have travel insurance..
kitna asaan hai na.. travel kerna on a paki passport :D (not making fun of u.. i too have one.. ) hehe..
i just read your first post and ifs he has already been able to get a UK visa.. then a schnegen visa should not at all be an issue.. i too had past Uk visas and schengen visas on my passport so its helpful :)
p.s) stop worrying :)
^^ yea thats correct, they are not that bad either.
just a tip, go to austrian embassy or other small schengen states, they are more easier to get visa and have very less que.
they do give multiple visa, as switzerland is not part of schengen , so when i applied for french one for ski holidays in shamonix and was near to geneva, they did give me 6 months multiple entry even though i didnt have any ticket or reservation for geneva. got visa in 1 hour.
they got strict with time next three visa i applied, was for 3 months, 1 month and even to 7 days. after 9/11 they changed the whole thing, as they take longer to issue they dont ask for full confirmation of the travel arrangements, plus appointemnts etc. now i dont require visa for eu since last 3 years, only applied for my wife , spouse visas are free of cost and dont have to have confirmed arrangments.
with a shenghen you can travel within states, there will be no border checks anyway as they dont issue country specific visas
I have just come back from french consulate. They have issued the visa for my wife. I am surprised that they gave multiple, 3 months valid visa for 30 days duration. It took 10 business days.
Thanks all for the help.
I look forward to enjoying the europe trip (inshaAllah).
J!
I can't help you with Visa things since i don't require one.
I think every corner of Paris is worth seeing, it's a wonderful city, you can walk all the way
from arc-de-triomphe to champs-elysees to eiffel tower along the river to Napoleon's Tomb in Les Invalides.
But, be carefull it's not as safe, i witnessed two thefts in my two week stay there, crime often coincide with the closing of the automatic doors on the metro, leaving the victim on the departing train. Also, be careful with the taxis, they over charge a lot.
Better wait for one then calling one, they will start the meter the time you call them, no matter whereever they are coming from.