Why does the Visa Consulate Need to see Proof of Accommodation before Travel and Why Is Proof of Accommodation Required?

 

The Visa consulate wants proof of accommodation before you apply for visa application. Having a solid proof of accommodation helps the consulate determine one thing:

So proof of accommodation is used by the consulate know if you can sustain yourself in Europe for the duration of your stay.

You need to also mention the same in your personal cover letter to help the consulate determine the purpose of stay.

What this means is after you have submitted the proof of accommodation it is easier for the consulate to determine if you have enough money to sustain the duration of the trip.

Why Is Proof of Accommodation Required?

Part of the Schengen visa requirements is that you should have a well-defined itinerary and a clearly defined purpose of the trip.  You should also apply at the appropriate consulate based on your itinerary.

Providing proof of accommodation helps the consular officer make sure that you have applied at the appropriate Schengen embassy/consulate as well as the purpose and the duration of your trip is consistent with what you have mentioned in your application form and with rest of the documents.

Hotel Reservation

A hotel reservation proves that you have your accommodation arranged in the country you are planning to visit. It also proves that you are able to sustain yourself financially during your trip. In addition, it confirms your travel dates and the length of your trip. Embassies and consulates take this information into account when deciding whether to approve your visa application. For example, if you have mentioned your trip will last for 10 days, you need to be able to show that your accommodation also matches the same number of days.

This can be done in 3 ways:

•        Provide an invitation letter from a friend or relative residing in the country you are visiting

•        Book a reservation with a hotel or hostel and use the confirmation letter as proof of accommodation

•        Get a dummy hotel reservation through a verified agent

Any of these three documents will be accepted by the embassy or consulate as proof of accommodation and will ensure maximum chances of approval. However, you might not be visiting a friend or relative and if you book a reservation with a hotel or hostel, this will cost you money, which might not be refunded if your visa gets rejected. So, that leaves a dummy hotel reservation through an agent.

For most people, it would mean that they would need to show the proof of a hotel booking or reservation. Compared to the flight itinerary for Schengen visa, it much easier to get the proof of hotel booking or reservation.

You can directly visit the hotel website, ask a local travel agent, or go to the travel web sites. You can book the hotel for your entire stay. It can be either in one city, multiple cities, or even in multiple countries. 

Verified travel agencies like Schengen Visa Itinerary can do this for you at a very nominal charge and can even handle multiple hotel reservations at a time. There is absolutely no need for you to feel stressed when we can take care of everything, leaving you to enjoy planning your trip!

We also offer Flight Reservation and affordable Travel Insurance to complete your visa requirements.