The visa is valid for maximum 6 months and may be granted for single visit or multiple visits. One important thing to keep in mind is that with the visa, we are only allowed to be in the Schengen area for up to 90 days every 6 months period.
With this visa, there will be virtually no border control when traveling in the Schengen area. Currently there are 25 European countries included in the Schengen area. Not everyone needs this visa, for example U.S., Australia, European Union member states, or Singapore citizens. Indonesian passport holders are among those who are required to have this visa.
To be able to get this visa, we only need to apply to one of the embassies of those 25 member countries. If we apply at French embassy, what we will get is French Schengen Visa; if we apply at Italian embassy, what we will get is Italian Schengen Visa; etc. General rules to determine which embassy we should apply at are:
- If visiting only 1 country, apply to the embassy of that country of destination
- If visiting more than 1 country, apply to the embassy of the main country of destination (or the country in which we will stay the longest).
- If visiting more than 1 country but no main country of destination, apply to the embassy of the country of the first entry.
There are some requirements for the visa. Incomplete application will most likely result in refusal for the visa. Below are some items required, both in original and copy. Check with the relevant embassy for full list of the requirements.
- Application form duly filled and visa fee of €60
- Passport, identity card, and recent photograph(s)
- Transportation (flight, train, boat, etc) ticket(s) reservation for all legs of the journey
- Accommodation (hotel, hostel, etc) reservation for the whole duration of the stay
- Bank statement, financial guarantee proof, and travel insurance covering the whole trip
Processing time is normally 5 to 10 working days, but for Indonesian passport holder can be 15 to 20 working days. So, apply in advance, but no sooner than 3 months before the planned departure date. Remember that visa grant is subject to approval and we don't have any legal right for the visa. By providing complete required documents and clear itinerary, and as long as our application show that we have the sufficient money during the stay and that we intend to get out of the Schengen area when the trip ends, the road to visa approval will be smoother.
Hi stewart
ReplyDeleteumm,, about the bank statement,financial guarantee proff and travel insurance, would u explain it more to me? i really interesting to travel to france, hope u could help me :P
thanks before
Hi Sella, here are the details of the things you asked:
ReplyDelete1. Bank statement: we have to provide the last 3 months bank statement, original and the copy. This is so that the embassy can verify our savings and our salary credited to our bank account.
2. Financial guarantee: if we are not working, we have to provide other means of financial proof that can guarantee that we can cover all our expenses in Schengen Area. This is usually in a form of bank statements of our sponsor (maybe parents, family, etc).
3. Travel insurance: we have to have travel insurance that covers the whole duration of our trip (either a single trip travel insurance or an annual travel insurance). The travel insurance should be able to cover at least 30,000 euros for medical evacuation and repatriation.
But again, the requirements depend on which embassy and in which country you will apply to. I applied from Embassy of France in Singapore, so it might be different if applied in other embassy or in other countries. Even so, the requirements might change, so it's best to confirm with the embassy directly.
I hope my answer can clarify your questions.
Hi Stewart,
ReplyDeleteStumbled upon your blog by chance. I am also an Indonesian living in Singapore and am about to apply for Schengen visa via French embassy. I'm supposed to go there by end of this month. May I know how long did it take for your visa to be approved? And was there any difficulty in the application process? Thanks in advance!
Hi Amelia. Mine was approved in 13 working days (inclusive of 3 days where they held my passport for final approval). It all depends on the completeness of the application. As long as you have a complete itinerary, tickets, and booking, as well as all other required documents, there shouldn't be any difficulty in getting it approved. Good luck!
ReplyDelete