When you travel as a family the visa application becomes a family matter too, but the system does not see it as one application. There is a separate form, a separate fee and a separate decision for each person, even for an infant. A parent who is not ready for that faces a missing document at the last moment. Below I have written how to build the family visa package properly.
What is one and what is separate in a family visa application
| Separate | The form, photograph, passport, fee and decision |
| Can be shared | The hotel booking, flight booking, route and insurance |
| Coming from one person | The financial documents, if they are paying everyone’s costs |
| Additionally required | Marriage and birth certificates, to confirm kinship |
If one of the family members works and pays everyone’s costs, their bank statement and letter from work become the main document. For the others a short letter showing that person’s sponsorship is attached. Without the kinship documents that connection is not proved.
The appointment and biometrics question
The appointment is booked separately for each person, so slots have to be found for the same day and the same hours. There is sometimes a facility in the system for linking family members to one registration, but the number of places is still counted per person. In the summer months this is the hardest step.
Biometrics are not taken from children below a certain age, so a small child’s attendance at the centre is not required in some cases. Clarify this in advance, because the rule varies by country. For adults who have given fingerprints before and whose data is still in force, the requirement to come in person may also fall away.
Read more: A visa for a child: documents, notarised consent and the fee reduction
Typical mistakes in a family visa package
The first mistake is an inconsistent route. The dates and addresses on the family members’ forms must be exactly the same; even one day written wrongly on one form raises a question. Fill the forms in at one sitting, with the same information.
The second mistake is incomplete names on the hotel booking: every family member’s name should appear on it. The third mistake is not being ready for the case where one person receives a refusal, because the decisions are individual and one of them can be refused. In such cases it matters that the ticket and hotel terms are flexible. To assemble the package in one place, getting visa support for family trips simplifies the process.
The fee and the reductions
The fee is paid separately for each person, while for children a reduced tariff may apply and those under a certain age are exempted entirely. The age threshold varies by country, so check the current list. The service charge, though, usually carries no reduction.
If the family is large the total comes out a serious figure, so work out the budget in advance. In the event of a refusal the fee is not returned, and that is a separate loss for each person. Official information on the Schengen visa rules is given on the European Commission site.
In brief
A separate form and fee for each person, but a shared route and shared bookings. Attach the marriage and birth documents, make the dates on the forms identical, check that every name appears on the hotel booking. To prepare the family package together, fill in the application form.
Note: the children’s age threshold and the reductions vary by country, so read the consulate’s list before applying.
