How to fill in the Schengen visa application form when going to several countries?

Question

I will be traveling to France, Italy and Germany with France being my main destination. So I am applying in the French consulate for Schengen visa. I will be traveling on my own and will be staying in hotels.

I had some doubts with regards to filling the application form for Schengen visa.

1. Q22- Member State(s) of destination: Should I fill in all three of my destinations ?

2. Q31 Surname and first name of the inviting person(s) in the Member State(s). If not applicable, name of the hotel(s) or temporary accommodation(s) in the Member State(s) : This field has barely a line of space to enter. Should I just enter the hotel name in France (my main destination) ?

3. Q32 Surname and first name of the inviting person(s) in the Member State(s). If not applicable, name of the hotel(s) or temporary accommodation(s) in the Member State(s): Same problem as Q31. Very little space. Should I just enter address of the one hotel I entered in earlier Q ?

Answer 1

In general, you primarily want to avoid giving the impression you are hiding something so you should rather provide more details than not enough. Importantly, the little “(s)” clearly implies the consulate expects to see a list of all the countries you are going to visit. Definitely mention all three in Q22.

Remember that you can always attach additional documentation to your application. So if you don't have enough space on the form to list all hotels, you could write the name of the first hotel and something like “see attached itinerary” and then provide a full list of the places you intend to stay at on a separate sheet. See Itinerary for German Schengen visa and What does "copy of itinerary" mean when applying for a Schengen visa? for more details on this strategy.

Answer 2

Be consistent, tell the truth and give reasonable answers. You probably stay in a hotel in France for a few weeks but not months. If you list all countries you should provide addresses for all of them. But remember, it's not a problem if you forget a stop or change your itinerary. Once in Schengen, you can travel where you want as long as the Visa is valid.