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.
What is a 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.
Article 14(1)(a) of the Visa Code states
an applicant for a Schengen visa shall present documents indicating the purpose
of the journey. Further, Annex II(A) (3) (b) of the 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 about 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.
What is a 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.
Article 14(d) of 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 Annex II B (1) of 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:
• The document must specify your name;
• It must clearly show your arrival and
departure dates and times;
• It must show the flight name and a valid
reservation number;
• It must show details of any connecting
flights;
• It is must show a return reservation. A
one-way reservation will not meet the requirement.
• 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;
• 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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