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I first received a rejection for short-stay tourist visa from Swiss consulate. I was going to multiple countries so in my haste to salvage my trip and money I lodged in a new application at the Slovenian embassy a day later. My intention wasn't to take advantage of a loophole, I had purposely altered my plans to not have to cancel my trip and made the stay in Slovenia the longest in the itinerary. Then I came online and found that visa shopping is an issue and is frowned upon. So I immediately withdrew my application by sending in a letter. I got my passport and all original application material two days later without any letter/written-directive from the embassy.

My question is: whether my request to withdraw will be entered in VIS. Do I need to address this scenario next time I submit an application. In New York, where I apply, you do not go face-to-face with an interviewer to explain the circumstances. Rather everything is handled through VFS (the very definition of evil corporation). So at best I can write a cover-letter and am wondering whether the visa-officer will know of this withdrawn application and, as a result, would it need addressing.

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Whether or not it was entered into the system THIS TIME, who knows. The only way to find out with certainty is to request your VIS information.

BUT standard procedure for the consular officer is to update the application file with a withdrawal note and an explanation as to why.

Article 10 Paragraph 2 of Schengen Visa Information System Regulation states:

  1. If an application is withdrawn or not pursued further by the applicant before a decision has been taken whether to issue a visa, the visa authority with which the application was lodged shall indicate that the application has been closed for these reasons and the date when the application was closed.

If you're curious as to what else is contained in this system see: What information is contained in the VIS?

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  • Thanks for that. So would I request info from the Slovenian embassy?
    – Fizi
    Commented Aug 27, 2019 at 1:52
  • I think you would be ok requesting it from either Slovenian or Swiss diplomatic missions, as they see and will report the same information. Article 38.1 says: Without prejudice to the obligation to provide other information in accordance with Article 12(a) of Directive 95/46/EC, any person shall have the right to obtain communication of the data relating to him recorded in the VIS and of the Member State which transmitted them to the VIS. Such access to data may be granted only by a Member State. Each Member State shall record any requests for such access.
    – Ozzy
    Commented Aug 27, 2019 at 1:55
  • It is very vague and says "A Member State". So it seems either consulate should work!
    – Ozzy
    Commented Aug 27, 2019 at 1:56
  • Also, is what I did technically considered visa-shopping? I genuinely changed my hotels to go to Slovenia instead of Switzerland from Italy (my port of entry) and all my application documents were legit
    – Fizi
    Commented Aug 27, 2019 at 2:29
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    Honestly, a consulate may well see it that way. But you withdrew the second application. So I think you are worrying too much! Had you gone through with the processing and have been denied, then I think you may have ran into issues.
    – Ozzy
    Commented Aug 27, 2019 at 2:35

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