What is Hotel Booking and What documents do I need for Schengen Visa proof of Accommodation?

Arisen by the Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 of The European Parliament and of The Council of 13 July 2009, establishing a Community Code on Visas known as “Visa Code”, Hotel Booking/Proof of Accommodation is a rule of the Schengen Visa application procedure that each Schengen country ought to apply to their foreign visa seekers.

HotelBooking for Schengen Visa application or Proof of Accommodation falls under the list of supporting documents for a Schengen Visa. This piece of document is demanded by the staffers of diplomatic offices to determine that the applicant has accommodation sorted in the destined Schengen country.

This document assures embassies or consulates that applicant is able to sustain himself during the course of his stay in the Schengen Area. Furthermore, Proof of Accommodation also enables diplomatic staffers to determine the applicant’s travel dates and duration of his stay. If the applicant is planning to spend 15 days in the Schengen Area, then he must be able to show that he has accommodation for the aforesaid duration.

The embassies or consulates of Schengen countries testify this through following pieces of documents:

Invitation letter: A formal letter issued by the relatives or friends of the applicant residing in the Schengen Area and attested by the local authorities.

Proof of accommodation: Proof regarding the place of stay. This includes Hotel Booking or Reservation.

In the case of a tourist visa, a visa applicant needs to provide the details of a pre-paid tour along with details of payments to the tour operator.

Documents for Schengen Visa proof of accommodation

Officials at embassies, consulates or visa application centers will require you to provide documentation that can include the following:

•           Evidence you have a place to stay, such as a hotel or hostel booking reservation.

•           Evidence of an invitation from your host (proof of sponsorship).

•           Evidence of a prepaid tour.

SchengenVisa proof of accommodation rules are applied by each country in the SchengenArea as one of the requirements of proving you can support yourself during your stay.

You will be required to submit these documents as part of your Schengen Visaapplication and have them with you for your visa application interview appointment.

Proving you have booked a hotel during your stay

One of the simplest ways to prove you have a place to stay in a Schengen Area country is to provide a booking reservation in the form of email confirmation from the hotel or hostel where you have reserved your bed or room.

You should be careful when checking if your confirmation number is valid, as the authorities will investigate this information and will refuse your application, possibly with a further penalty, if it does not check out. Therefore, you should contact the hotel via email or over the phone to ensure this is correct.