Noc for Schengen Visa

If you are applying or are considering applying for a Schengen visa, you have likely seen a list of the basic and supplemental documents you must submit as part of your visa requirements. While the Noc for Schengen visa applicants (also called a No Objection Certificate (NOC) is not officially on this list, including it on your application can significantly improve your chances of being approved for a visa. But what is a No Objection Letter, and Is the NOC compulsory for visa applicants to the Schengen area? Today’s blog will provide an overview of this often omitted yet helpful document. In addition to learning about the different types of No Objection Letters and the format of a No Objection Letter, you will also find the answers to critical questions including, “Why do we need a No Objection Certificate?” And, “How do you write a NOC no objection certificate?” And finally, “How to Obtain a Free No Objection Letter?” The answers to these and more questions are available below. 

Overview of Schengen visa requirements

• Applicants for Schengen visas must submit the following documents and materials in order to fulfil a major component of their Schengen visa requirements:
  • Passport 
  • Two passport photos 
  • Schengen visa fee
  • Schengen visa application form 
  • Proof of having obtained travel medical insurance 
  • Proof of accommodation (proof that you have a place to stay in the Schengen area) 
  • Proof of financial subsidence (proof that you can financially afford your trip)
  • Proof of return (proof that you will ultimately leave the Schengen area)
• Please note that the above list is not inclusive of supplemental documents, which are mandatory depending on what type of visa you will submit. For example, if you are applying for the “Visiting Family and Friends” type of Schengen visa, you will have to submit a letter from the family member or friend you are intending to visit in the zone. For a complete list of Schengen visa requirements, including in-person components such as biometric information submission and the interview—click here.

What is a No Objection Letter?

• In brief, a “No Objection” is solicited by the applicant from his or her superior—such as a boss (if you work) or an educational facility (if you are a student) in your country of residence, which testifies that you will return there in order to fulfill whatever professional/educational responsibilities are outlined in the letter. Essentially, your superiors are saying that they have no objection to your trip to the Schengen area on the basis of their complete confidence that you will return to fulfill your obligations. 
• Is the NOC compulsory for a visa? No. As you can see from a quick glance, the No Objection Certificate (NOC) is not included on the above list of Schengen visa documents, which are mandatory for all applicants, regardless of the type of visa they are applying for. 
• At this point you may be asking yourself the following question: if the Noc for Schengen visa is not required, why do we need the No Objection Certificate? Ultimately, the “No Objection” letter falls on the list of non-mandatory, optional documents whose submission—while not required—increases your strength as a Schengen visa candidate. 
• The best Schengen visa candidates are those who are able to demonstrate the following: 1) That they do not present a security/criminal risk to the Schengen area and 2) That they will not overstay their visa. A “No Objection” letter acts as a guarantee of the former.
• How do you demonstrate that you will leave the Schengen area before your visa expires? As an applicant, your goal should be to create a profile of someone who has no intention of overstaying your allotted time in the Schengen area. Certain types of applicants are considered more at risk for overstaying than others. These can include applicants who are the following:
  • Unemployed non-students
  • Unmarried 
  • Childless 
  • Without significant social obligations 
  • Applicants who live alone (i.e. not with a parent, partner, or wife) 
  • Applicants who do not own their own home 
• If you fall into one of the categories on the above list, don’t be alarmed! Being unemployed or unmarried, for example, does not mean that you will be rejected for a Schengen visa. However, the fewer social and professional ties you have to your home country, the more likely you will be to overstay your visa (at least, according to the logic of the official who is reviewing your application). 
• Applicants who live with their parents or who are married with children are considered to have significant, deep-rooted ties to their home country, which they are judged to be less likely to abandon. Similarly, applicants who have steady, well-paying jobs and/or those who are enrolled in school are therefore considered less likely to want to abandon those professional responsibilities for an uncertain future as an illegal resident of the Schengen area.  
• As an applicant, many of your required and supplemental documents will reflect these social and professional ties. If you are employed, the financial documents that you submit toward demonstrating “proof of subsistence” will include evidence of the strength of your professional ties (for example, your submission of bank statements and pay stubs will help you prove that your job represents a significant source of income). 
• Requesting a “No Objection” letter from either your school or your workplace is therefore yet another way for you to emphasize your professional/educational roots in your home country. 

Who writes the “No Objection” letter?

• The “No Objection” letter is not written by you (the applicant), but by the person you designate to write it (a superior). 
• If you are a student, your advisor/professor will write it; if you are employed, your employer will write it. 

How do you write a NOC no objection certificate?

• Keep in mind that there are essentially two different types of No Objection Letters: “employed” and “student;” the one that you submit will depend on whether you are a student (and therefore unemployed) or an employed worker. The contents of the letter will depend on what type of NOC certificate you need.  
• In addition to specifically stating that they have no objection to you traveling to the Schengen area, your letter should include the following information:
  • For employed Schengen applicants:
    • Letter writer’s full name 
    • Letter writer’s position at the company/business 
    • Letter writer’s contact info (email/cellphone) 
    • Company’s address 
    • Applicant’s full name
    • Applicant’s position/role at the company/business 
    • Salary of the applicant 
    • How long the applicant has worked at the company in his/her current position 
    • Statement of the applicant’s travel dates
    • Statement of the applicant’s purpose for travel 
  • For student Schengen applicants:
    • Letter writer’s full name
    • Letter writer’s position at the school
    • Letter writer’s relationship to the student 
    • Year/semester the student is in 
    • How long the student has been enrolled at the school 
    • Student’s coursework/area of study 
    • Statement of the applicant’s travel dates
    • School vacation dates (if they correspond to the applicant’s travel dates) 
    • Statement of the applicant’s purpose for travel 
    • School address 

Format of a No Objection Letter

• Letter should be typed, on official company/university letterhead if possible. 
• Contents of letter should be concise; avoid adding unnecessary information and stick to the facts. 
• The tone of your letter should be formal; address letter either “To Whom It May Concern” etc. 
• Letter should be manually signed by its author. 

How to submit your “No Objection letter

• Submit your “No Objection” letter along with the rest of your basic and supplemental documents as part of your complete Schengen visa application. 

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Please note that your submission of a “No Objection” letter is no guarantee that you will be approved for a Schengen visa. For more information about how to obtain a free No Objection Letter and for help assembling a winning Schengen visa application, contact us here.