Unlock Europe: Expert Schengen Visa Assistance for South Africans

A single-entry visa allows the holder to enter the Schengen area once and a multiple-entry visa is granted for several visits to the Schengen area for as long as it is valid. A single-entry visa becomes invalid as soon as the holder exits the Schengen Area and if you want to travel again after some time, you need to apply again.

Tourist Schengen Visa – Traveling to Europe for leisure or recreational purposes.
Scenarios where you may be eligible to apply for a short-stay visa for tourism purposes:

• Sightseeing and Touring: If you’re planning to tour cities, countryside, natural attractions, landmarks and cultural sites for leisure and recreational enjoyment
• Participating in Events or Festivals: If you’re attending festivals, concerts or other cultural events as a tourist
• Relaxation and Recreation: If you plan to engage in activities like spa retreats, beach vacations or recreational sports during your stay
• Exploring Cuisine and Dining: If you’re interested in experiencing the local cuisine, dining at restaurants, and exploring culinary traditions
• Shopping and Souvenirs: If you intend to indulge in shopping for souvenirs, local products, or luxury items during your visit

Visitor Schengen Visa – Traveling to Europe to visit family members, friends or relatives.
Scenarios where you may be eligible to apply for a short-stay visitor visa:

• Visiting Family: Planning to visit relatives, such as parents, spouse, siblings or cousins
• Visiting Friends: Intending to visit close friends who are residents of Schengen countries

Business Schengen Visa – Traveling to Europe for business purposes. It permits activities such as attending meetings, conferences, trade fairs, negotiations, and other related engagements.
Scenarios where you may be eligible to apply for a short-stay business visa:

• Attending Business Meetings or Conferences: If you need to attend trade fairs or negotiations related to your business
• Exploring Business Opportunities: If you’re exploring potential business opportunities, partnerships, or investments
• Negotiating Contracts: If you need to negotiate agreements with business partners, clients, or suppliers
• Attending Training or Workshops: If you’re required to attend business-related training sessions or seminars
• Visiting Branch Offices or Clients: If your company has branch offices or stakeholders you need to visit for business
• Participating in Exhibitions or Trade Shows: If you’re participating in promotional events to showcase your products or services
• Attending Business-related Activities: If you need to participate in product demonstrations or product launches

Student Schengen Visa – Traveling to Europe for study purposes. It permits short-term studies up to three months, like summer courses, language classes, or short-term exchange programs.

• Students can freely travel within the Schengen Area, allowing them to visit various countries and experience diverse cultures.
• This visa isn’t suitable for long-term academic pursuits which requires a national study visa specific to the country of study.

Cultural Schengen Visa – Traveling to Europe for Cultural, Sports, Religious Events and Film Crews. It permits cultural activities such as being a film crew member or other artistic performances.
Scenarios where you may be eligible to apply for a short-stay Cultural Visa:

• Attending festivals
• Participating in art shows
• Joining cultural events
• Attending religious or sports events
• Being part of a filming crew

Medical Schengen Visa – Traveling to Europe to get medical treatment. It permits short-term stays based on the necessity and duration of the medical treatment.

• Applicants must provide detailed documentation, including a medical letter, proof of financial means, and travel medical insurance to obtain the visa.
• You can bring a family member or a companion who will stay with you while you receive treatment, but this person will need to provide proof of their relationship with you.
• They need to clarify in their visa application the purpose of their visit, which is to accompany and support you during your medical treatment.

VisaRequest will guide you through your visa application step-by-step. Our services include completing your online application form, providing you with your tailor-made document requirement list, reviewing and approving the documents and forms before submission and booking your visa submission appointment at the Schengen country where you need to apply.

This visa permits unlimited entries into 27 European nations within five years, provided the 90/180-day limit is adhered to. Eligibility extends to individuals who have previously held and correctly used a multiple-entry visa for at least two years within the last three years.

The 5-year multiple-entry visa requirements are the same, but you need to submit documents to demonstrate a legitimate need for multiple entries into the Schengen Area in the upcoming years and that you’ve maintained a clean visa record, with no history of illegal work or overstaying previous Schengen visas.

The Schengen Visa fee for a 5-year multiple-entry Schengen visa remains the same as a standard short-stay visa at €80.

You only need to provide proof of travel insurance for the initial trip into the Schengen Zone, but you’re required to have travel insurance for each trip.

It is extremely frustrating when your visa is rejected, especially when your plans are on hold because of your visa. The Embassy or Consulate gets to decide on the granting of a Schengen Visa.
Common Reasons for a Rejected Schengen Visa Application includes:

• You provided false information on your application form
• You present counterfeit or forged travel documents or the documents do not meet the criteria
• You have important documents missing from your application
• Your purpose of the visit is unclear in your cover letter, travel itinerary or letter of invitation
• You do not provide the correct document for the chosen purpose of the intended stay
• You do not have enough financial means or proof of financial ability to support your trip
• You provided an invalid travel insurance or not enough as per the entry requirements
• You hide a criminal record or violate the Schengen security risks
• You have an alert in the SIS for refusal of entry
• You are considered a threat to public policy, internal security, or public health
• The visa officer suspects that you may not return to your home country

There can be serious consequences if you exceed the allowed duration of your stay. Penalties and outcomes vary depending on the country and the length of the overstay and potential repercussions for overstaying include a fine, entry ban, deportation and harm to future visa applications.

The decision to refuse a Schengen visa and the reasons for the refusal are notified using a standard form that is handed out by the consulate that refused the visa. The notification of the refusal must include the reasons, on which the refusal was based, and the procedures and deadlines for submitting an appeal. If the embassy or consulate of the destination country you have applied to refuses your Schengen visa, you have the right to appeal the decision. The appeal must be conducted against the Schengen Member State that made the final decision on your visa application and by the national law of that country. You can appeal to the Schengen Member Country that rejected your visa but this will be useful only if you are sure that the decision was incorrect or you’re certain that you can fix the problem that contributed to your visa denial. In case of an appeal, you can request the visa officers to review your rejected application and identify the problem to fix it.

If your Schengen visa appeal has been rejected, then re-applying for a Schengen visa after getting the previous visa application rejected is the right course of action. If you plan to try applying for a Schengen visa again, wait for at least a month. You should consider the first refusal as a guideline of what not to do on the new visa application to avoid repeating the same mistakes. If you choose to reapply, you will be required to pay the visa fees once again. Go through your visa rejection reason and find out the exact reasons. One of the most common reasons is the inability to prove the purpose of visiting; you should provide a proper itinerary and, if needed, a letter of invitation. Ensure that the errors you made in your previous application are not repeated as they may increase the chances of it getting rejected.