Introduction
A flight booking and travel itinerary are key documentary requirements for a Schengen visa.In this article, we discuss the relevance of these
documents in an application for a Schengen visa. Depending on the purpose of
your visit, your visa may be refused if you fail to submit either of these
documents.
Travel Itinerary:
An itinerary is simply a document that details your travel plans. It
usually provides details of hotel bookings, flight arrangements, and daily
activities or schedules for the duration of your stay. An itinerary is only
required for journeys undertaken for tourism or private purposes. It must
usually specify the places you intend to visit by way of schedule of
activities.
The Visa Code states an applicant for a
Schengen visa shall present documents indicating the purpose of the journey.
Further, Code states that for journeys undertaken for tourism or personal
reasons, the applicant must submit documentation relating to their itinerary. The
Visa Code describes itinerary to include “confirmation of the booking of an organized
trip or any other appropriate document indicating the envisaged travel plans.”
Bookings on organized trip or tour guides, and tickets for entry into tourist
sites could be submitted as evidence of itinerary.
A key requirement of an itinerary is that
it must be plausible. The schedule of activities must be arranged in a manner
as to make your plans credible. For example, it may be more reasonable to visit
tourist sites that are in close proximity to one another on a particular day,
rather than a disjointed schedule of visits that are miles apart from each
another and lacks coherence. If your itinerary is implausible or disjointed,
this may raise doubts on the credibility of the purpose of your visit and may
cause your visa to be refused.
Another requirement is that the duration
of the itinerary must be consistent with your travel dates. Specifically, it
must be consistent with the travel dates as shown on the visa application form,
flight booking, hotel reservation, and travel medical insurance. If your
itinerary shows discrepancies with travel dates shown on other documentation,
your visa may be refused.
Flight Booking:
A flight booking is a document that shows that
you have booked a place on an airline to travel at a future date. It specifies
your departure and return dates, and any connecting flights, if applicable. You
must submit a flight booking regardless of the purpose of the visit. You can
make a flight reservation either by yourself or through an agent.
The Visa Code states that an applicant
shall present information enabling an assessment of their intention to leave
the territory of the Member States before the expiry of the visa. And the Visa
Code lists “reservation of or return or round ticket” as one of the documentations
that may be submitted in proof of intention to return. A flight booking is therefore a key documentary requirement for a Schengen visa. You must consider this
information when making a flight reservation either by yourself or through an
agent:
o The
document must specify your name;
o It
must clearly show your arrival and departure dates and times;
o It
must show the flight name and a valid reservation number;
o It
must show details of any connecting flights;
o It
is must show a return reservation. A one-way reservation will not meet the
requirement.
o Your
travel dates must be consistent with the dates on your visa application form or
other supporting document. If there are discrepancies, this may lead to a
refusal;
o Do
not buy a ticket unless the Embassy specifically requests you to do so.
Conclusion
A Schengen visa is generally a documentary
application. However, it is not sufficient to provide documentation merely
because they are required. Keeping these details in mind may save you time and
unnecessary expense that may result from a refusal.
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