r/SchengenVisa

Hello everyone!
I’m an Azerbaijani citizen, and I’m currently preparing to apply for a German national visa for vocational training (Ausbildung).
I have a few concerns about my application and would really appreciate advice from people who have experience with German visas.
Last year, I applied for a German tourist visa, but my application was refused. At that time, I submitted documents confirming that I was studying at the National Aviation Academy in Azerbaijan.
Now, I’m applying for an Ausbildung visa. My current Lebenslauf mentions that I worked in construction, but I never actually worked in that field. I also haven’t included my university studies in my CV, although I’m still officially enrolled at the academy.
I have a few questions:
1. Can the German embassy or consulate access my previous visa application and see the documents I submitted last year?
2. Will the visa officer be able to see that I previously declared myself a university student?
3. Could the inconsistency between my previous application and my current Lebenslauf negatively affect my Ausbildung visa decision?
4. If I correct my CV and provide accurate information about my education and work history, could that help prevent further problems?
5. Has anyone experienced a similar situation when applying for a German national visa after a previous Schengen visa refusal?
I understand that providing false information can have serious consequences. I’m trying to understand the situation before submitting my application and would appreciate honest advice.
Thank you!

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Hi everyone,

I'm Indian women preparing my documents for a Schengen tourist visa application. To avoid spending money on a flight before approval, I bought a flight reservation/itinerary from an onward ticket website.

However, when I try entering the 6-character PNR and my last name on the airline’s official website ("Manage Booking"), it returns "Booking Not Found."

The weird part is that the PDF ticket has a QR code, and scanning it opens the vendor's own website showing the flight as "Confirmed." It looks like it's just an internal confirmation and not an actual GDS hold with the airline.

A few questions:

Has anyone submitted a ticket like this to VFS/the embassy? Does the consulate actually look up the PNR on the airline portal, or do they just check the printed PDF/itinerary?

If this is a red flag, what is the best low-cost way to get a flight reservation that actually pulls up as active on the airline's official site?

Appreciate any advice or recent experiences!

PS: this is my first time applying for visa.

I have my flight on 9th Oct night. Appointment from VFS Bombay on 10th Sep. No communication yet.
What methods do I have right now to get any comms? Emailed, but no satisfactory response.

Date of travel is November 26. I had my visa appointment on September 10th, and it has been 25 days since. I don't see any update on the visa status and VFS is of no help either.

I had emailed the consulate on October 1st, but got an auto generated reply stating the obvious.

How long does it generally take to process visas in the Bangalore consulate ? I am getting worried as i have used some dummy bookings in the application and i need to book the real ones soon.

PS: one caveat here is, i pursued an agent who booked VFS appointments via his company Mail ID ( i wasn't aware of this rule, neither was he), so after explaining- VFS guys asked me to write an affidavit stating email is mine and i used it to just book. Will that affect my chances of approval ?

Finally wait is over

Does having a 5 yrs validity passport newly issued have any impact on getting a visa? I mean do the embassies look at a 5 yrs passport negatively?

Hi everyone,

I attended my Spain Schengen visa appointment at BLS Manchester on 24 August. I hold an Indian passport and this is my first time applying for a Spain/Schengen visa.

It’s been quite a while now and I still haven’t received any update or decision. 😕

We’re currently planning to travel on 10 October 2026, and we’ve already booked our flights and hotel.

My hotel booking is free to cancel only until tomorrow, so I’m a bit confused about what to do.

If I cancel the hotel and rebook it for a later date, and also change the flight to a future date, could this affect my visa application or approval? Or is it better to keep everything as it is until I get the decision?

Has anyone been in a similar situation recently, especially those who applied through BLS Manchester?

Any advice or experience would be really appreciated. Thanks! 🙏

Hi everyone! I’m a fresh graduate from the Philippines and recently passed my nursing board exam this 2026. I’m planning to visit the Netherlands for a vacation and stay with a close friend and her partner. I also have a history of traveling abroad for vacations, although my previous trips have only been to other countries in Asia.

My friend is willing to sponsor my trip, including my accommodation and possibly some of my expenses. However, I’m not sure how the Schengen visa application works or what documents I need to prepare, especially since I’m a fresh graduate and currently don’t have a long employment history.

For those who have successfully applied for a Schengen visa from the Philippines, what tips can you share to increase my chances of approval? What documents or proof of ties should I prepare to show that I have a genuine reason to return to the Philippines? I’d really appreciate any advice, especially from Filipinos who have been in a similar situation. Thank you!

Appointment date: 21st September (Premium)
Sent to consulate: 22nd September
Travel date: 9th October
I didn’t get it yet but I have emailed them today hoping I can get it early next week 🙏
I will keep you all updated

I am 31 years old and i need a france vida my salary is 55k month and i have total 5L in my savings account but I don’t have any travel history and my itr is nill but i have last three years ITR so if anyone have any idea please help me..

Conditions
31 age
Single
Working in private company
5 lakh in savings account
No sponsor

Friends in france they are french citizen

I’ve been applying for a Schengen visa for France in London since 2023, and my passport is now turning into a France Schengen visa collection book…

2023 - 6 months validity
2024 - 6 months validity
2025 - 1 year validity
2026 - 6 months validity
2026 - 6 months validity

I have been a housewife since 2025 so I have no income, but I have high savings and investments.

Previously, I submitted both my partner's and my statements and included a cover letter requesting a longer visa validity period, but I still seem to be getting 6 months. Any idea?

I'm an Indian passport holder and recently my company offered a business trip to its HQ based in Belgrade, Serbia. As they announced it in short term, we were looking for the best option to get the VISA at the earliest.

As we came to know that the Serbian VISA might take 35-40 days and high rejection chances, and we were finalised to opt for an multiple entry Spain Schengen VISA.

We have applied through BLS International and after giving all the documents and requesting for multiple entry (since you can enter freely if you have valid multiple entry Schengen/UK/US VISA), we have received it in 5 days and got Type C multiple entry with 3 months validity at maximum stay of 20 days per visit.

Also, when applying for Spain Schengen, we took cover letter from the office located in Barcelona. Though we used this Schengen VISA to enter Serbia via Munich with no immigration happened here. We have got only stamp of India and Serbia.

Now, we are back to India and we haven't travelled to Spain while coming back as well, so wondering that any consequences occurs if we haven't travel to Spain at once when we apply for the Schengen VISA next time (as I've plan to visit to different Schengen regions).

Will there be a question asked by Consulate of Spain that why we haven't travelled previously?

Any guide or help would be appreciated on what can be done in this situation? I'm ready to travel to Spain on my own expenses as well.

Hi all, applying for a Czech Schengen visa from India for a Prague trip, Oct 31 - Nov 8. First application. The cheap combos I'm finding (~₹56k) are mostly non-refundable, and I don't want to risk the money if the visa is rejected.

Three questions:

1. How do you actually find refundable tickets - book directly on airline sites, filters on booking sites, or a specific fare type?
2. Does booking non-refundable flights hurt my approval chances?
3. What are the realistic rejection chances for a Czech visa from India right now? My accommodation is already booked with free cancellation.

What did you all do? Thanks!

Hello, seeking help from an agent who processes visas in VFS Kolkata for Iceland.

PS: For a tourist visa type

Sharing my timeline in case it helps anyone applying from the UK.
Visa type: Tourist Schengen
Applied from: Birmingham, UK
Nationality: Pakistani
Travel dates: 2–5 November 2026
Requested: Multiple entry
Timeline:
📅 15 September 2026 – Submitted application at VFS Birmingham
📅 16 September – Application dispatched to Dutch Consulate General in London
📅 30 September – Received notification that passport had been dispatched by courier
📅 2 October – Passport delivered 🎉
Result: VISA GRANTED ✅
Visa validity: 30 October 2026 – 4 April 2027
Duration of stay: 30 days
Entries: Multiple entry (MULT)
I was honestly expecting a shorter validity, so I’m very happy with the result.
Hopefully this timeline helps someone else waiting for their passport. Good luck to everyone currently waiting! 🇳🇱✈️

Me along with my 2 friends applied for Schengen Visa for France from VFS Jaipur all 3 of our documents were strong but it still got rejected sighting intend to return not clear .

I have feedback from other agents that France visas are getting rejected .

Did anyone had similar issues and reapplied to different country What was the time gap ? how soon can I reapply to different country

Next year, my friend will need to apply for a Schengen visa from the UK. Other friends have suggested it's impossible to get appointments, and has been for many years. Slots get snapped up 6 months in advance, etc.

Is this really true?

No fixed travel plans exist for now, and if (for example) France is impossible, then she would travel to the Netherlands instead. Aware of the "main purpose of visit" requirement, just saying that main purpose is flexible as the whole continent is uncharted territory for her.

Hi, I have my appointment at the Bangalore Spain BLS centre in a couple of days. I have been staying in Bangalore for a couple of years but all my identity documents reflect my hometown as my permanent address. I have a broadband connection (utility bill) which I am going to show as my proof of residence for bangalore. The only catch is, that my surname in the broadband bill only has my initial and not my full surname. The first name is the same. What should i do to correct this? The broadband people are saying they cannot change the bills already generated. Any advice would be helpful please.