Tourism is an essential part of the growth of economies worldwide. But most people who go to other countries as tourists need to apply for a tourist passport/visa. Planning a trip and applying for a tourist visa is relatively easy if we compare it to other categories of visas. However, the documents submission requirements remain the same as of other visa categories.
Tourist visas are official travel papers given to people from other countries who want to visit for fun. For example, if you are applying from a third world country and want to visit the Schengen areas, you must apply for a tourist visa and submit travel insurance for Schengen visa. Every country has its rules about tourist visas, and their embassy and visa consultant can help you get one for a short trip.
Tourist Visa Guidelines For Schengen Visa
It is important for the applicants to understand the procedure of applying for a visa, documents requirements and book any supporting document like a dummy flight itinerary or hotel booking before submitting the visa application.
When you plan to apply for a Schengen tourist visa, you need to remember the rules that you have to follow, once you enter the Schengen zone. They are as follows:
- With a tourist visa, you cannot work.
- You cannot do business under a tourist visa.
- If a child is travelling on a tourist visa, he cannot go to school.
- Lastly, with a tourist visa, you cannot stay there for additional purposes like overstaying.
How To Apply For A Visa For Tourists?
To get a tourist visa, you need to go through the following steps:
- Find the visa consultant or consulate. If you plan to apply through a visa consultant make sure that he has experience and has a profile of successful clients. In this way, you save yourself from any fraud and receive the visa within less time.
- Gather the necessary papers.
- Pay the fee needed for a tourist visa.
- Go to the interview for the visa.
- Find an office or a consulate.
It would be best to find a nearby embassy or consulate of the country you want to visit that can give out visas. Remember that an embassy and a consulate are not the same thing. No matter what, once you find the right visa office, you must make an appointment to submit your application.
Documents Requirement For Tourist Visa
- Gather the necessary documents.
- To get a tourist visa, you must have all the correct documents. If your documents are only written in your native language, you must translate them into the language of the country you are applying for the visa. Apostille stamps may also be needed on civil papers like birth and marriage certificates.
- Pay the fee for your tourist visa.
- To get your application processed, you must pay the necessary visa fee, depending on where you want to go. Some embassies want you to pay the fee before your visa application, while others may ask you to pay the same day.
- Go to the interview for the visa.
- After you have your application materials ready, you can go to the interview. You will be asked about your trip, why you are coming, what you plan to do, and how long you plan to stay in the country. The government needs to see you in person to make sure you don’t plan to stay longer than you should.
What You Need To Get A Tourist Visa?
In general, you need to have the following documents ready to apply for a tourist visa:
- Form to ask for a tourist visa.
- Passport that is good for three or six months.
- Passport pictures.
- Valid travel insurance.
- Proof of the ability to pay.
- Proof of travel insurance for visa.
- Proof of a round trip flight reservation.
- Visa fee paid receipt.
- Invitation letter.
- Civil papers (marriage certificate, birth certificate, etc.)
- Any other pieces of evidence.
How Long Can You Stay In The Country With A Tourist Visa?
Most of the time, a tourist visa is good for 30 days. But some countries may give you a tourist visa that is good for a year with multiple visits, but you can only stay 30 days in each country. Most requests for tourist visas take two weeks or more than that to complete. But it could take less than two weeks or more than two weeks to process, depending on where you live, the time of year, and how busy the office is.
Once you decide to spend your summer vacation in the Schengen areas, start collecting your documents and prepare to apply for the visa application. When your visa application is undergoing the process of inquiry and approval, meanwhile you can pack your bags and book your seats for flying.
