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I already have tourist visa to Germany. I stated I will be staying in a hotel, but I am PLANNING to stay with a friend*. I figured I would cancel the hotel reservation AFTER I go through immigration, just in case the immigration officers call the hotel to confirm my reservation.

Is this a good idea or should I just stay in the hotel instead?

*I thought obtaining a "formal obligation" for Schengen visa application was too much of a hassle (when you want to stay in Germany to visit a friend/relative), so I declared that I'd be staying in a hotel instead.

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Once the consulate has convinced itself that you can afford to keep yourself housed and fed during your visit, nobody cares much what you actually do. Minor changes in plans, such as exactly where you will sleep, are routine and perfectly allowed.

It would probably be better to have been more honest in the application and say something like "I hope to be able to stay with my friend So-And-So, but in case that doesn't work out, plan B is such-and-such hotel, and you can see I'm budgeting to have that as an option." But really, what they're interested in is just whether the story you tell makes more rational and economic sense than the mandatory alternative hypothesis "I'm hoping I can find illicit work in Europe since my long-term economic situation at home is hopeless". If you have demonstrated that you're someone who can spend the cost of a hotel stay without squandering your life savings to a degree that a genuine tourist wouldn't, nobody cares if you actually do that.

In particular, once you're in, all you will really be held to is leaving again by roughly the time you said you would (and in any case before your visa expires).

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  • Well, they are interested if the applicant told the truth. That's why broadly sticking to the itinerary is important. One could argue that changing lodging is not a significant change, if the change came after the application and not before.
    – o.m.
    Mar 21, 2019 at 5:49
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Could you can do it? Yes, you can. Should you do it? I am not not sure, my advice is being honest.

I know that in Portugal, a legal Resident can write a letter saying that you will stay with their and you are their responsibility. I believe the same rule could be applied for Germany.

I will use this approach with my parents next month.

Here there are some explanations: Invitation Letter

One very common reason people travel to the Schengen area is to visit relatives or friends. This is also seen as a visa for tourism in the particular country. So for the invitation letter for tourist visa, family or friends must write it for you. The letter must state that you are the person’s relative or friend and that you are going to visit for a specific period of time.

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  • If one is able to get a visa on the strength of one's own situation, attempting to rely on a resident's declaration of responsibility will make the application less likely to succeed. There is no requirement whatsoever that an applicant who can get a visa on their own must weaken their visa in that way before they're allowed to stay with a friend.
    – hmakholm left over Monica
    Mar 21, 2019 at 11:20
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    Also, you're citing schengenvisainfo.com, a privately-run site which is infamous for giving outdated and sometimes just plain wrong information about the rules and doesn't care as long as their drivel attracts audience for the ads they run.
    – hmakholm left over Monica
    Mar 21, 2019 at 11:21
  • Not sure about Shengen Visa, I have given letter to my friend for Singapore Visa and it was accepted as a proof of accommodation. Also, for Malaysian visa, I got the letter from a friend and they accepted that as proof of accommodation without issues.
    – Anish Sheela
    Mar 21, 2019 at 11:31
  • Also, I received the same instruction from a Lawyer here in Portugal. I am Brazilians and we do not need Visa for Schengen. So, the letter will be used only to guarantee that there is a place to stay.
    – Marcel P.
    Mar 21, 2019 at 11:34
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    If the lawyer said there is a requirement that a private host take responsibility for foreign visitors they host, find a better lawyer.
    – hmakholm left over Monica
    Mar 21, 2019 at 12:15

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