Applying for a Schengen visa from Sri Lanka

Question

I am planing to travel to Amsterdam on September 20th-25th. I would like to clarify some points regarding the visa process.

First one is: can I show a hotel reservation from booking.com (free cancellation, pay at hotel) as my accommodation?

I am currently an undergraduate. I will be graduating at the end of this year after four years of studying. I can show university letters. Will that be enough as a valid reason to come back to my home country?

Is it required to have properties and deeds? My parents live in Dubai, still all the properties belong to them legally. They send my expenses every month. This time they sent extra money for the trip. Do I need to prove that I got money from my parent as a gift (to prevent illegal mean as a refusal point)?

I currently have 1200 euros in a bank account (1350 US dollars). Will that be enough? Also my friend is paying money for the air ticket as a gift (he is travelling with me). Do I need to provide a letter from him too?

• ticket cost = 372 euro
• hotel cost = 200 euro (twin base sharing one person cost)

Answer 1

You're going to have trouble.

The hotel reservation is not a problem -- if everything else checks out, all that is needed is that you have a concrete and realistic idea of where you're going to sleep and what it will cost.

It's the everything else that's a problem. What you don't mention here that you have a very recent visa refusal from France. And now you're suddenly going to the Netherlands instead. This is most certainly going to raise eyebrows -- it paints a picture of you and your friend "consulate-shopping" in the hope of finding a Schengen country, any Schengen country, that will let you in. And this again will make it look doubtful that your real intentions are just a short tourist trip.

Keep in mind that ultimately what the consular officer is looking for is not a rigid checklist of this or that documentation being present, but convincing evidence that you're not planning to immigrate illegally, overstay, and try to find work in Europe.

Most of what you write will easily support such a suspicion. Your friend (romantic partner? since he funds your airfare) is a software engineer, which is a skill sufficiently in demand that he might hope to find qualified work in Europe even illegally. You're supported by your parents, but they're not where you are (so apparently you have a family tradition of going abroad for work, sending money home!), and you seem to have only quite weak ties to your home country. It would help if you can demonstrate that the undergraduate degree you're about to earn is an exclusive and prestigious one that will significantly increase your chances of a well-paid job in your home country; otherwise it may not be very convincing to a consular officer who has seen it all. (And apparently it didn't convince the French).

Also, being supported by your parents, you need to document their economy with income and bank statements, to make it seem realistic that they would choose to pay for your gallivanting around in Europe as a tourist (rather than considering the outlay an investment in you seeking a better life there).

All in all, it looks likely that you simply are not in a position in life now that will qualify you for a visa, no matter how much you document. Why not shoot for a different holiday destination with fewer barriers, and save Europe for when you're settled with stronger ties to your community?

Answer 2

Henning Makholm's answer is excellent and covers pretty much everything. But being a Sri Lankan Software Engineer myself with Schengen visits on my passport, I can give you some tips to increase your odds:

• Since your parents are basically supporting you, you will need to prove that they send you sufficient funds regularly. Your bank statements will prove that. In Sri Lankan banks, foreign remittances are properly marked as such, so you can prove that it is actually your parents who support you.

• Your friend buying the tickets for you is somewhat a strange situation. A romantic partner buying and sponsoring the trip or your parents supporting you would be the norm.

• The visa officers will consider how likely you are planning to return to the country. If you have previous visits to other countries, that can be a huge favor. From Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, India, and Singapore are some destinations that you can visit with none to least-hassle visa requirements. If your passport says you are a frequent traveler, you are giving a subtle hint that you like to travel, and not care to overstay or violate any laws.

• You mentioned you are a university student. If it is a full time government university, and have had a reasonably good attendance and test outcomes, that can be a big proof of your ties to country.

• If you have properties, they can help you as well (Real estate, vehicles, treasury bonds, etc). You will have to translate them to English (there are many authorized translators who do and costs about LKR 500 each).

• Your previous visa applications are well logged and shared between consulates. Don't try to hide that fact.

• Lastly, be outright open and honest. If you really intend to take a short trip, everything will line up well. Your university vacation dates, your trip dates, itinerary, budget expectations, etc. When you hand over the application, VFS (the agency that handles application processing) will take a thorough look. They are quite prompt (coming from first hand experience). If there is any document is missing, don't bite the bullet and submit anyway. Make sure to have every supporting document.

Answer 3

You have asked many questions, let me answer each specifically. However, the overall conclusion is the same as Ayesh and Henning - you are a high risk applicant and are most likely to be rejected.

first one is can i show a hotel reservation from booking.com(free cancellation,pay at hotel) as my accommodation?

Yes you can. I have used this many times (and for the Netherlands as well). The reservation should clearly state your name and the dates as well. You can print the email that booking.com sends you.

also I am currently undergraduate i will be graduate end of this year after four years of studying.i can show university letters is that will be enough as a valid reason to come back to my home country ?.is it required to have properties and deeds(my parents live in Dubai still all the properties belong to them legally).

You also need a "no objection letter" from the university.

Generally speaking a university letter alone is not proof of ties. "Proof of ties" is another way of saying "things that will make sure you return back". A university admission letter falls short of that.

You mentioned your parents have property in Dubai. This is great for them, not so great for you. If you have permanent residency in Dubai, it might be better if you applied from Dubai.

They send my expenses every month. this time they send extra money for the trip.Do i need to proof that i got money from my parent as a gift(to prevent illegal mean as a refusal point)?.

As mentioned by Ayesh, your bank statements will work here, and you can explain (in the interview) that your parents are supporting you as you are a student. You may want to consider adding a letter from your parents (properly notarized) stating that they are willing to financially support your trip to Europe.

I currently have 1200 euros in bank account(1350 us dollar) will that be enough? also my friend is paying money for the air ticket as a gift(he is travelling with me) do i need to provide a letter from him too ?

There usually isn't a fixed amount that is "enough" - each country is different and depending on what you want to do in the country the amount can change.

Strictly as a guide you should have 50 EUR for each day you are staying as money available to you during your stay.

Regarding your friend paying for your ticket, you don't have to mention this specifically. You can just say that the ticket is pre-paid.