Main reasons for Schengen visa rejection

Unfortunately, not everyone who applies for a Schengen visa is successful. If you went through the whole application process only to come away with a denied Schengen visa, or if you are simply worried about receiving a Schengen visa refusal, you may want to learn about potential Schengen visa rejection reasons. Read on for guidance about how to avoid a Schengen visa rejection, and what to do if you are sent a Schengen visa rejection letter. And if you have already received a rejected stamp on your application, don’t worry! This post will teach you how to contest the decision by explaining the Schengen visa appeal processing time and all other aspects of the appeal-process. 

Schengen Visa Rejection Reasons

Knowing the typical reasons for a Schengen visa rejection prior to applying can help you avoid making the same mistakes on your application. Here are some of the main reasons people receive a Schengen visa refusal:

Security reasons for Schengen visa rejection

• Your Schengen visa application will be rejected if the authorities think you present even the slightest security risk.
• In this context, a security risk is someone who poses a potential threat to the people or property of a Schengen state.   
• Your name and information will be run through a security database in order to determine if you have a criminal history. If you have previously been convicted of a crime, even if it occurred outside the Schengen area, your Schengen visa application might be in jeopardy. 
• During your Schengen visa interview, you may be asked whether or not you have previously been a member of a terrorist organization. If you have a prior history of involvement with a terrorist group or a past of violent political activities, you should answer honestly, with the knowledge that lying on your application is grounds for rejection. 
• Ultimately, any involvement (or suspected involvement) in terrorist activity is likely to result in a rejected application.

Financial reasons for Schengen visa rejection

• Your Schengen visa will be denied if the authorities believe you cannot afford your travel and living expenses in the Schengen area. 
• In order for you visa application to be successful, you must successfully demonstrate that you can afford food, housing, travel, and all other costs associated with their trip. 
•  Schengen visa applicants must therefore provide financial information on their application in the form of monthly pay slips, bank statements, rental agreements, and other documents/materials that effectively show salary and savings. 
• The amount of money you will need for your trop will be determined in part by the cost of living in whatever country you are going to. In general, consulates will calculate a country-specific daily living expenses rate, which they will expect you to afford. 
• For example, France is relatively more expensive than Estonia, so you will likely need to acquire more funds if you are travelling to France versus if you are travelling to Estonia. 
• The authorities will also assess your projected living costs based on your responses to critical application questions, such as where you are going to stay and what you are going to be doing in the Schengen area. For example, if you state you intend to stay at a friend’s house throughout your stay in the Schengen area, you will likely need less money than if you plan on staying at a hotel every night. 
• Similarly, people who are travelling for the purpose of tourism might be expected to have more funds than those who are travelling for business reasons. 
• If you are judged not to have enough money for the type of trip you plan on doing, you will likely receive a rejected visa application. 

Insufficient proof of return from Schengen area

• Your Schengen visa will be denied if the authorities believe you will overstay your visa (i.e. remain in the Schengen beyond your visa validity period). 
• In order for your visa application to be accepted, you must provide sufficient proof that you are going to leave the Schengen area before your visa expires. 
• One of the main ways you can demonstrate proof of return on your application is to strongly convey that you have important reasons for returning to your home country. 
• A family (particularly a spouse and children) property ownership, and a stable/significant job outside the Schengen area are each considered solid proofs of return; collectively, they would make a strong proof of return.
• Applicants who do not have family, friends, jobs, and other commitments outside the Schengen area are more likely to be considered at risk of remaining in the Schengen area beyond their respective visa period of 90-days, or even claiming asylum. 
• Proof of return can also be established by providing (refundable) tickets out of the Schengen area, demonstrating concrete travel plans, and providing credible reasons for why you need to return on a specific date. 
• For example, if you are starting college courses on a specific date in the future, post-Schengen, this is also something that could go towards establishing your proof of return. 
• If the authorities decide that you don’t have anything keeping you outside the Schengen area (i.e. no significant family, social life, or professional opportunities in your home country) you could be considered at risk of overstaying, and therefore be rejected for a visa.  

Lying on your Schengen visa application

• Your Schengen visa will be rejected if you are found to have lied anywhere on your application. 
• In order for your application to be accepted, your application must not convey any falsehoods. 
• You should be honest about how much money you have, where you intend to go on your trip, and who you know in the Schengen area. 
• The people reviewing your application will double check the information you present. This includes potentially calling up the people you use as references. 
• While it might be tempting to exaggerate or falsify information on your application, applicants who do so are often found out and have their applications rejected. 

Missing documents

• Schengen visa applications require the submission of numerous required and supplemental documents and materials; forgetting to include any of these can result in a rejected visa application, 
• For example, if you do not submit proof of medical travel insurance or another required document, your application could be refused. 
• Additionally, if you present all the necessary documents but some (or even one of them) contains information that is not clear, this could cause your application to be rejected. 

Unpaid Schengen visa application fee

• Please note that your Schengen visa application will not be processed until you have paid your Schengen visa fee. 
• The basic cost of a Schengen visa is €80. For more information on Schengen visa fees, click here. 

Denied Schengen Visa

• If you have received a rejected stamp on your Schengen visa application, you have the right to appeal. 
• While the specifics of the appeal process differ from country to country, the basic appeal process is the same for all: if your initial application is denied, you will likely receive a standard Schengen visa rejection letter, which will contain country-specific, basic information about how to appeal your rejected visa. 
• Applicants who are appealing their rejections should send a letter to the address specified in their rejection letter, indicating why they believe the counselor authorities were wrong to reject their visa the first time. Please do not provide new information in your appeal that was excluded from your original application, as this is not considered relevant to your appeal. 
• The Schengen visa appeal processing time is usually less than 60 days, although it can vary depending on your application. 
• For more information on Schengen visa appeals, click here.