What are the reasons not to book your flight and hotel before your Schengen visa is approved?

Booking your flight and hotel before your Schengen visa is approved is generally not recommended.

Here are the key reasons why not book your flight and hotel booking for a Schengen visa before the visa is approved

Risk of financial loss if your visa is rejected.

There is no certainty that your visa will be approved, and it may be rejected or even voided due to unforeseen circumstances such as a pandemic. It is unwise to make such a significant commitment without assurance that your visa will be approved. In the event of an emergency, you can always book a return flight and travel back to your home country. Therefore, it is not advisable to make full hotel bookings solely to provide proof of accommodation.

Lack of flexibility to change your travel plans.

If you book all your hotels in advance, you won’t have the flexibility to travel as you wish. What if you want to spend an extra day in Berlin? You can’t, since you have already booked a hotel in Amsterdam, and so on. From a traveler’s perspective, it makes sense to book only the first three days of your trip and plan the rest as you go.

Impacts your financial proof of funds.

When traveling to Europe, you are required to show that you have at least EUR 80 (preferably EUR 100) per day of your stay. If you book all your flights and hotels in advance, you may not be able to demonstrate this amount, which could result in your visa being rejected. Therefore, it is advisable to make your actual bookings only after your visa has been approved.

Limited ability to travel spontaneously.

This relates to the earlier point: you cannot plan spontaneously when all your bookings are made before your trip. For example, if you wish to extend your trip by five days, you may not be able to do so, as the Schengen visa is typically issued only for the dates specified in your cover letter.

A visa is granted only for the number of days specified in your travel itinerary.

A common misconception is that a Schengen visa is issued for 90 days, which is not true. Your visa will include an expiry date and indicate the total number of days you are permitted to stay, as stated in your itinerary. Therefore, it is advisable to add a buffer of five days on either side of your trip to allow for greater flexibility when planning your travel. Our hotel booking service can help accommodate this flexibility.

Recommended Alternative:

• Use temporary (refundable or dummy) flight and hotel reservations when applying for your visa.

• These are accepted by Schengen embassies and help safeguard your finances until your visa is approved.

However, you should be cautious, as many fraudulent companies deceive applicants by taking their money and personal information without delivering the services they promise.

Therefore, it is strongly recommended to carefully choose a reputable website that is highly rated by users and provides reliable visa consultation services. We recommend Schengen Visa Itinerary, a platform that offers support for most visa requirements, including flight itineraries, hotel reservations, and free consultation via email. Its services are affordable and reliable, and many users have reported positive experiences.

If you are interested in our flight reservation, hotel reservation, and insurance package, please contact us. We would be happy to assist and support you with your visa application.