A “Cover Letter” for a Schengen visa is an essential document to present to a visa officer along with your other required documents. A short-term uniform visa requires an applicant to prove the genuineness of the tour along with all possible information and documentation.
When you write a cover letter for your Schengen visa application, the visa officer finds it easy to understand better your situation, work/business, financial status, family, ties with the country, tour details, flight itinerary, hotel bookings and if you would be able to finance your tour easily. A cover letter also contains information about your previous visas, any refusals, and travel history.
In this article, we will help you prepare a cover letter for your Schengen visa application. This can be used for all purposes of travel, such as tourism, business, medical, family/friends meetings, and sports events etc. It will be useable for all 29 Schengen countries.
We will also provide you with a downloadable link to a PDF and Word file. But the important factor is you learn the way to write it yourself so that you can present your details (personal) to the visa officer so that he can have an overview of you, and your trip in a single or double-page cover letter. We have arranged this article with the help of a professional visa and immigration expert from a Schengen country, so be rest assured about the simplicity and authenticity of the document.
Why should you write a cover letter for a Schengen visa application?
It is important to understand that it is indeed not mandatory to include in your visa application. The checklists of many Schengen visa countries do not ask you about this document. But in our point of view, the Schengen visa form does not have enough space to mention all of your details. You cannot mention there all of your intentions and personal declaration regarding visit intentions and details.
Making a cover letter and travel itinerary a part of your visa application can help the visa officer better understand a summary of you and your intended trip.
Step-by-step instructions about writing the cover letter
Follow below the details and get an idea of how to prepare the cover letter:
Personal details
Start the cover letter by stating your name and address.
Travel details
In the second step, mention the details about your travel. Write about the flight itinerary and the country name you intend to travel to. You are allowed to travel to more than one Schengen country on a uniform visa, so state the details of how would you travel to more than one country by airplane, bus, or plane. It is also important to mention if you are traveling alone or with family, groups, or friends.
Please make sure to apply for a visa in a country where you want to stay most of your time. If your stay will be of equal duration among many chosen countries, then choose a country where you want to travel to first. You must also submit the flight itinerary but you should not pay for the return ticket and use only reservation. Many airlines and third-party apps help you reserve a return ticket.
Where would you stay?
Write down in a short way where would you stay in the intended Schengen country. If you are going there for tourism, write the name of the hotel and the address. If you are going to stay with family members or friends, write their address. Do not forget to present the proof of the hotel bookings as well. You do not need to pay in advance for the booking, many websites offer you a free booking offer such as Booking.com or Agoda.
Write about your job or business
Precisely mention your current employment status. You should write about it and also mention your employer’s address and name. It is better to submit a reference letter from the employer that you are having vocations and traveling to Europe. They should also mention that you would join the job after the end of the intended period. Secondly, if you have a business, then mention details about it, and if it is in a profitable mode. Do not forget to attach all important documents that represent your business.
Financial details
Up next, write about your financial details. You must show this by stating how much money you have in your bank account. You can also include details if you own any shares or property. Don’t forget to include proof of these with the visa application. For any Schengen country, you should be able to cover the cost of the trip. You should mention that you have enough money in your bank account as proof of readily available money. Please note it should be extra money that is after covering your monthly expenses, and business or job costs.
Your trip costs
In the next step, write about the estimated cost of your trip to and from the intended Schengen country. These are the expenses:
- your return flight ticket;
- your hotel or accommodation stay costs;
- travel costs of your trip such as fares of busses or trains in the Schengen country;
- expenses for food;
- any expenses of events such as tickets or passes you would buy; and
- Also, mention how much overall your trips cost you and how much set-aside money you have to cover these expenses.
Ties with the country of origin
You must mention your ties with your country of origin. These can be your family, business, property, stocks, or investments originating in your country or citizenship.
Travel history
You should also write about your previous travel history. This proves if you are a genuine tourist or not. Don’t worry if you are applying for the first time. Otherwise, mention your tour details, countries you have visited, etc. It is also better to include visa copies or ticket copies to and from these previously visited countries.
Conclusion
In the end, mention that you will abide by the rules and regulations in the Schengen zone. Mention that you will come back to your country of origin after the completion of your trip. Write your name, and date, and do not forget to sign the cover letter after printing it.
Download the Free Cover Letter for the Schengen Visa
You can download here a free version of the cover letter for your Schengen visa application. Download, fill, print, and sign it to include it with the visa application.