Some countries which have Schengen Visa have certain curious properties when being applied from certain "third world countries". This curious points I see relates to the requirements for applying the Visa. For applying for the visa, there are four main things required, to my understanding, on top of the traditional documents:
- Proof of Accomodation
- Proof of Plane Reservation
- Proof of Health Insurance
- Proof of Financing
I am entirely confused on what the point of 1. and 2. is actually. After one submits all the above information, and they get the Schengen Visa, the Visa is given for fixed time like 90 days. In this ninty days apparently one can have any travel to Schengen countries with trouble given that they stay mainly in the particular country from whose Embassy they took the Schengen Visa. Furthermore one has to give only a reservation. So, the issue is not even financial because anyone can cancelled a reservation whether they get a reservation or not.
If once one has the Visa all this information of the actual technical dates or reservations is forgotten inside the Visa, what was the point of giving it? Clearly this opens up a lot of chance and areas for abuse which is being used by some Tourist agencies by creating a provisional hotel booking/ aero plane ticket which is cancelled immediately after the ticket.
I have read in some site that this illegal/ legal grey area and some site where people say they have done for life long without any issues. I also have visited some Travel Consultation places where their whole premise is that they will find a provisional stay for the sake of making the Visa and would later be cancelled.
If the above was truly an abuse/ illegal, I am pretty sure the Schengen countries could have found out about it by now.
So, again, What on earth is the point of giving the technical dates and proof of bookings? Is this all just a formality?
