Schengen Business Visa

UAE nationals having valid passports won’t need a Schengen business visa if they plan to have a short-term visit of up to 90 days. However, individuals who have to travel to Schengen countries for any business purpose for stays longer than the mentioned duration must have a Schengen business visa.

In this article, we will cover all the major aspects related to Schengen business visa as well as Schengen travel insurance, which is also necessary for obtaining this type of visa.

Requirements to Apply for Schengen Business Visa

When applying for a Schengen business visa, you must present the following mandatory documents –

• Visa Application Form: The Schengen business visa application form must be filled out completely with accurate details and signed
• Valid Passport: Make sure the passport is valid for at least three months after your business trip ends
• Two Photographs
• Itinerary of Your Business Trip: The document must have all your flight details, such as the date and time of arrival and departure from the Schengen country, as well as your hotel reservation and accommodation details 
• Travel Insurance Documents
• Proof of Your Stay: This includes documents mentioning your stay throughout the trip such as proof of rental apartment or hotel bookings, or even an invitation letter from the individual responsible for your stay 
• Proof of Financial Support: You must possess either of the documents to provide evidence of your financial means during your stay in the Schengen region – 
  • Sponsorship letter: This letter from your sponsor must mention that they will be responsible for funding your stay in the Schengen areas. As proof, the sponsor may also be required to provide their latest three months' bank account statement. 
  • Statement of your bank account: In order to prove that you have adequate funds to bear your finances during the business trip, you must provide the previous three months' bank account statement 
• Cover Letter: A letter stating the purpose of your visit to the Schengen area 
• Paid Visa Fee Proof
• Letter of Invitation
• A letter from the Current Employer

Apart from these, other documents required for self-employed individuals and salaried individuals are the following –

For Self-Employed Individuals

• A valid copy of the business licence 
• Previous 6-months bank statements of the company 

For Salaried Individuals

• Contract of Employment
• Bank statement for the previous six months
• Leave permission from the current employee

How to Apply for Schengen Visa for Business Purposes?

Discussed below are all the steps you must perform to apply for a Schengen business visa –

• Analyse from where you need to apply for the business visa Schengen visa Europe – embassy or a consulate
• If you are required to visit only one Schengen country – visit the embassy, consulate, or the visa centre of that specific nation
• If you are required to visit more than one Schengen country, apply for your Schengen business visa at the embassy, consulate, or visa centre of the nation in which you will initially arrive if you spend an equal number of days in each country. In case the number of days of your stay is not equal for each country, then apply for a visa at the embassy, visa centre, or consulate of the country in which you will stay for more days.
• Apply and submit your Schengen business visa application form at least 15 days prior to your business trip. However, it is advisable to apply earlier than that as there should be enough time to get your visa application processed. Keep in mind that you cannot apply for a Schengen business visa three months before your trip. 
• There is a possibility that you might be required to travel to different Schengen countries for your business. For this reason, you should carefully select your entry category. For instance, make sure to fill out the ‘Multi Entry’ section if you plan to travel to more than one Schengen country. 
• After you submit your Schengen visa application form, schedule an appointment with the embassy, visa centre, or consulate (whichever you choose) 
• Once your interview is scheduled, attend it and make sure to carry all the mandatory documents with you 

Once all these steps are done, you would need to wait for a response from the concerned authority. The authority here will analyse your visa application and other documents that you submitted, process your Schengen business visa application form, and inform you about the approval or rejection of your application. 

Do I Need Travel Insurance for Schengen Business Visa?

If you are required to have a visa to travel to the Schengen region, whether due to your nationality or the duration of your trip, you would compulsorily need a travel insurance plan with a minimum medical coverage of EUR 30,000. Another requirement here is that this plan must be valid across all the Schengen countries.

However, besides the mandatory aspect, securing yourself with a travel insurance policy for a Schengen business visa is also a smart move. This travel insurance can provide coverage in case of any medical emergency, loss of personal belongings, cancellation of flight, hotel bookings, and others, ensuring that you will be covered in case of any losses during the trip.

Here are the coverages generally provided by most travel insurance plans for a Schengen business visa -

• Trip Cancellation and Curtailment: In case your trip is cancelled or cut short due to an unforeseen scenario, your travel insurance plan can reimburse the non-refundable amount for your flight and hotel bookings.
• Loss of Personal Belongings: If any of your personal belongings, like baggage, passport, luggage, visa, and others get lost or stolen, your travel insurance plan can provide you coverage to recover or replace these items.
• Emergency Medical Expenses: Schengen travel insurance plans can cover you against any medical emergency that you may face during your trip. Some medical expenses for which cover is provided include hospital-related bills, transportation for care, medical treatment, and more.
• Personal Accident Cover: In case the policyholder meets with an accident during the trip, all the expenses incurred due to the treatment of the injuries can be covered by their travel insurance plan.
• Personal Liability Cover: If the policyholder causes any injuries or damages to a third party on their trip, their travel insurance can cover the legal fees, third-party compensation, and other such liabilities.
• Delayed Flights and Departure: Travel insurance plans also offer coverage if the insured individual’s flight gets delayed.
• COVID-19 Coverage: Schengen travel insurance plans also offer COVID-19 coverage to cover the expenses incurred by policyholders due to COVID-19, such as those related to RT-PCR tests, COVID-19 treatment, quarantine, and more.

Depending on their requirements, individuals can choose any of the two travel insurance types for their Schengen business visa – single-trip travel insurance and annual multi-trip insurance.

• Single-Trip Insurance – If your business doesn’t involve much travelling and is generally completed within one trip, you can opt for short-term travel insurance. This type of insurance is ideal for those who travel once or twice a year. This type of travel insurance lasts till the day you return to the UAE from a Schengen country. Under a single-trip travel insurance plan, you can opt for appropriate individual travel insurance or group travel insurance as per your requirement. With this type of travel insurance plan, you can get various coverages related to emergency medical expenses, lost luggage, trip cancellations, flight delays, and more.
• Annual Multi-Trip Insurance – If you are required to travel multiple times for business purposes in a year, you should go for a multi-trip travel insurance plan. This type of travel insurance can cover all your business trips made throughout the year.This type of insurance is more affordable if you compare it to the total cost of availing of multiple single-trip insurance plans for each trip. Another benefit of multi-trip plans is their convenience, as you won’t have to get yourself insured every time you go on a trip.

Processing Time for the Schengen Business Visa

The processing time for Schengen business visa can extend up to 10 business days. However, in some cases, the visa processing time can stretch beyond the specified number of days. For this reason, it is always recommended to apply for your visa a couple of weeks or months before your date of departure.

When Should You Apply for Schengen Business Visa

The ideal time to apply for the Schengen business visa and submit your Schengen business visa application form is three months prior to your business trip to the Schengen country. Even if you are unable to apply 3 months before the trip, you should at least try to apply for a Schengen business visa three weeks before your trip. This can provide you with sufficient margin to rectify the errors or submit additional documents if specified by the visa authority.  

How Long is Your Schengen Business Visa Valid?

If you need a Schengen business visa when travelling to a Schengen country, your visa will generally be valid for 90 days. In case your travel requires you to travel to several Schengen countries, make sure to select the ‘Multi Entry’ option in the application form.

Key Takeaways

A Schengen business visa is necessary if you wish to visit the Schengen region for business purposes. As the processing of your visa application may take time, whether due to your profile or any delays on the visa authority’s part, it is highly advisable to apply for a Schengen business visa at least a few weeks before the departure date. You can also make your application smoother by keeping all the necessary documents available and filling out the application form correctly.

Besides the visa, you should also get a travel insurance plan for your trip after conducting thorough research – both for fulfilling the legal requirements and having adequate coverage for your trip. With policybazaar.ae, you can have a wide range of travel insurance plans to choose from. You can visit our website and head to the ‘travel insurance’ section to find the best plans at highly affordable rates.

You will also have the option of contacting our customer support representatives at any time to seek advice regarding the most suitable travel insurance for your Schengen business visa.

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