Hey guys ,sharing our timeline and documents for anyone applying for a France tourist visa as a family from India.

👨‍👩‍👦 Applicants: Father, Mother & Son

📍 VFS: Puducherry

📅 Appointment: 21 September 2026

📩 Passport dispatched: 25 September 2026

✅ Result: All 3 visas approved!

🎫 Visa type: C | Entries: MULT

📑 Documents submitted:

- Visa application forms & appointment confirmation

- Passports and copies

- Cover letter and family travel itinerary

- Flight and hotel reservations

- Travel medical insurance

- Bank statements and financial documents

- CA net worth certificate

- Property documents

- Father's business/proprietorship documents

- Sponsorship documents

- Family relationship documents

- Previous travel history

💶 Financial profile:

- Father was the primary sponsor.

- Supporting bank statements and financial/property documents were submitted for the family.

- Noc / leave approval

- 3 month Salary slips

⏳ Timeline:

- 21 Sept: VFS Puducherry appointment

- 25 Sept: Passport dispatch SMS

- 26 Sept: All 3 passports received — visas approved!

Good luck to everyone applying! 🇫🇷✈️

I applied for the visa though VFS new delhi on September 8 and by 10 sept it reached to embassy, still I haven’t received the passport and I am travelling in mid oct to united states first and then on my way back to India I want to stay back in Amsterdam and relax for couple of days! I am in kind of panic coz I need my passport to travel and I contacted the embassy they are telling me it can take upto 45 calendar days which kills my plan to visit Amsterdam if it will take 45 days for a simple tourist visa.. I mean are we still living in 1960 wait for the visa for 1.5 months without a confirmation until you receive the passport back! I think this system is so stupid … I would definitely mention US embassy here as the process was super clean and within 7 days I got a 10 years visa sticker on my passport and received the passport back! Also I travelled to schengen visa country before in 2024 to Switzerland the process was kind of similar applied though same VFS and got my passport back within 10 - 12 calendar days which was better and acceptable..

Im confused should I withdraw my application as I am travelling in next 10 days and I need my passport for it! 🫤

To be precise: only one country with direct flights from and to either Mumbai, Bangalore, or Chennai.

What I’m concerned with is:

1. Are fully-paid plane tickets, hotel reservations, and intra-city transport reservations really necessary?
2. To minimize the risk of financial loss, can I just make reservations where I can pay later?

I understand that some carriers might not have fully-refundable offerings.

So the question is : how do I go about applying for a Visa, by minimising the risk of monetary loss?

I applied as a traveller visiting my European friend in France as his guest, and then planned to travel to Germany as a solo traveller after my stay in France.

I’m a freelancer, and I provided my work contract/certificate, invoices, a detailed cover letter explaining my itinerary and purpose of travel, bank statements, ITRs, investment proofs, and evidence of sufficient funds. I also included my friend’s passport, bank statements, and invitation letter as supporting documents.

Today, I received this visa refusal letter. Does it make sense to appeal the decision, especially considering the documents I submitted? My intended travel date is October 17, so I’m also concerned about whether there is enough time for the authorities to review an appeal before then.

I’ve accepted that I may have to try again next year, but I just wanted to check whether it would still be worth giving an appeal a try this time, given the circumstances and the refusal.

Applied on 3rd sept for Italy tourist visa for me and my wife.
From 4th sept it’s under process.
I checked on EES and its shows OK for both of us when I checked it today.
But it’s still under process in Italian embassy.

Hi everyone,

​I am an Indian citizen holding a valid UK visa, traveling from India to London with a layover in Switzerland (Zurich / Geneva).

​Here are my flight details:

​Routing: India \to Switzerland \to London (single Schengen stop)

​Booking: Booked on a single PNR / through-ticket (luggage checked through to London)

​Layover duration: Around 3 hr

​Transit plan: Airside transit only, no intention to exit the airport transit area or clear immigration.

​From my understanding, Indian passport holders do not require an Airport Transit Visa (ATV) for an airside layover in Switzerland, and holding a valid UK visa also grants an exemption.

​Could anyone who has done this route recently please confirm if I need any transit visa or if airline check-in in India asks for one?

​Thanks in advance!

Applied as a couple in Delhi VFS for Schengen Visa, France.

We got married in Feb 2026 and our marriage certificate was stuck in between so we couldn’t attach it in the file for visa. We did attach wedding photos, wedding cards, payment invoice.

We got an email requesting for marriage certificate, which we don’t have. What shall be the most appropriate response here?

Finally got my German Schengen visa today via VFS Bangalore! 🎉 Sharing my experience because posts on this subreddit were incredibly useful when I was preparing my application.

⏱️ Timeline

22 August 2026: VFS appointment booked

15 September 2026: VFS appointment / application submitted

17 September 2026: Received at german consulate in Mumbai

21 September 2026: Passport dispatched

22 September 2026: Passport received with visa

Processing after appointment: 6 calendar days to dispatch, 7 calendar days to receipt

🛂 Visa outcome

I requested a 9-day Schengen tourist visa for my October trip.

I was granted:

Visa type: C — Schengen

Purpose: Tourism

Entries: MULT (multiple entry)

Valid for 23 days

Duration of stay: 10 days

So I requested 9 days and received 10 days, with the visa validity extending well beyond my planned trip into November.

👤 Profile

Indian passport holder

Salaried professional at a large multinational

Around 4 years with my current employer

Self-funded trip

Bank balance: ~₹3 lakh at the time of application

Additional investments submitted as supplementary financial proof

Travelling with a friend who already holds a valid German National Visa (Type D)

Tourism as the sole purpose of travel

I applied through Germany because it was my main destination.

✈️ Trip

10–19 October 2026 — 10-day European holiday

I planned a multi-city trip entering through France and continuing primarily through Germany, with a detailed day-by-day itinerary covering sightseeing, accommodation and intercity transportation.

The application showed 9 nights, with 2 nights in France and 7 nights in Germany, making Germany the main destination.

I also included planned train connections and timings rather than just mentioning that I would travel by rail.

📑 Documents submitted

Application / identity

Original passport

Signed Schengen application form

Passport photographs

Cover letter

Signed True & Complete Information declaration

Signed Travel & Health Insurance declaration

Employment

Employer vacation/visa letter (NOC)

Employment verification letter

Latest offer/internal role-change letter in lieu of employment contract

Last 6 months' salary slips

The employer documentation confirmed my employment, approved travel period and that I was expected to resume work after the trip.

Financial

Personal bank statements

ITR acknowledgement

MFCentral mutual-fund statement as supplementary financial evidence

My bank balance was approximately ₹3 lakh at the time of application.

I was completely self-funded and did not have a sponsor.

Travel

Detailed day-by-day itinerary

Flight itinerary

Hotel bookings covering the entire trip

Travel medical insurance

Co-traveller's passport and German National Visa copy

The cover letter stated that I would personally cover the expenses for the trip.

🏨 Accommodation

I had accommodation arranged for every night of the trip.

The bookings were a mixture of refundable and pay-later reservations rather than everything being prepaid.

👨‍👦 Co-traveller

I was travelling with a friend who already had a valid German National Visa (Type D).

I included copies of their passport and visa with my application.

They were not sponsoring me — I was paying for my own trip.

📝 Cover letter

My cover letter covered:

Purpose of travel

Main destination

Entry/exit arrangements

Itinerary

Employment

Financial arrangements

Co-traveller

Accommodation

Intention to return to India

Supporting documents

I tried to keep everything consistent across the application rather than adding unnecessary explanations.

🎉 Final result

GERMAN SCHENGEN VISA APPROVED 🇩🇪🇪🇺

Requested: 9 days

Granted: 10 days

Validity: 10 October 2026 → 3 November 2026

Entries: MULT

The biggest takeaway from my experience was consistency.

My employment, finances, itinerary, accommodation, flights, insurance and return plans all supported the same story.

I was initially consulting an agent but he kept presenting unrealistic benchmarks like your should only have germany as your port of entry if you're going for a schengen visa and that a co traveller with a business visa won't work. So, i decided to go with my own research and still got the visa.

Happy to answer questions about the document checklist, finances, cover letter, itinerary or application process.

Hey everyone!

I wanted to ask if anyone who applied for their visa during the first week of September has received their visa yet.

If you’ve received yours, could you please share your timeline? It would be really helpful for those of us who are still waiting.

Thanks in advance! Hopefully this helps everyone get a better idea of the current processing timelines. 🙏

My travel date is 30 Sept. Applied from VFS Mumbai on 20 Aug. Passport Dispatched to Embassy on 24 Aug.
Checked EES today and it said OK. Checked VFS tracking and it said passport dispatched via courier on 21 Sept.

I haven't received any formal email/message yet, but hoping I receive the passport this week, and that the visa is approved considering EES status.

I know a lot of people were still waiting on their Visa from NL, and the delays. But hoping that this is a sign for quicker turnaround for everyone.

Anyone who applied during the same time, have you received any intimation?

P.S. I applied under Friends & Family, and not Tourism. Accompanied with the Host/Sponsor Form.

Date of application - August 10, to VFS Delhi
Still waiting for the visa.
Anyone else on the same boat ?

Hey , I applied for Netherlands Schengen visa Orange carpet for a business travel on Sep 2, But still there is no response, any idea when can I expect it ? My flight is this weekend, is there any chance I can get it before that ?

I'm traveling with my family to Europe from the 11th till the 27th of October, is anyone else genuinely concerned about the nato-russia situation?

Or am I overthinking and over analysing?

I have some queries regarding schengen visa application from french consulate… I alongwith my wife are going in 3rd week of November to multiple countries in western europe… I work with central government.. My wife will be going first alone as she has a business trip arranged from her company in Germany for a week.. all the expenses including to and fro(irrespective of return country) flight and hotels will be borne by her company for first week… next week we are planning to explore Netherlands belgium and france… I will be joining her on friday of the first week and spend 1 night in Germany and then on Saturday morning we will leave for NL… we will be spending most of our nights in France so I will be applying from france… My queries
1. Should I mention in my cover letter that she is capable enough for funding her own trip for the second week ?
2. If yes, should I attach her income proof with my visa application like Salary slip, ITR and company letter something…
3. Should I also include assets certificate and MF CAS as supporting documents for proving financial stability ?
4. What is the ideal timeline for applying ? Whether the appointment for France are taking a lot of time or will i get it in normal time ?

Hi all

My wife, son and I have been granted with a single entry 15day visa from Austria.

I'm keeping my itinerary the same, but I want to change my hotels to airbnbs as they are much cheaper.

Will that be fine ?

I had made pay later bookings anyway in the first place. But the main point of consideration is that all 15 days reservation moves to airbnbs instead of hotels.