✍️ A Fun and Practical Guide | 15 April 2025
Applying for a Schengen visa can feel like navigating a maze—but don’t worry, we’ve got your back! 🧭
As Indian passport holders living in the UK on a Tier 2 visa, we recently applied for an Italian Schengen visa via VFS Global in London.
📅 We applied: March 28
📬 Received passports: April 10 (with a 6-month valid visa)
⏳ Processing time: Just 10 business days from application to delivery!
Here’s our step-by-step guide, sprinkled with helpful tips, honest experiences, and a little humor to make the journey smoother. 🇮🇹🍕
✈️ Step 1: What Type of Visa Do You Need?
Before anything else, ask yourself: Why am I going to Europe?
Common Schengen Visa Types:
- 🧳 Tourist Visa – Leisure, travel, food, fun!
- 👨👩👧👦 Visitor Visa – Visiting family or friends
- 💼 Business Visa – Work-related travel
For us, it was all about indulging in pasta, pizza, and gelato 🍝🍕🍦on a Tourist Visa.
After deciding the type of visa you need (e.g., tourist, business, visitor), the next important step is to determine which Schengen country you should apply to.
This depends on your travel plans:
- If you are visiting only one Schengen country, apply at the consulate or visa application center of that country.
- If you plan to visit multiple Schengen countries, apply to the country where you will spend the longest time during your trip.
- If your stay is split equally between countries, apply to the country you will enter first.
Once you know the country, you can easily find the specific visa application checklist for that country on the official VFS Global website or the respective consulate’s site.
For example, here is the official Italy tourist visa checklist from VFS Global, which details all required documents such as application form, photos, passport, travel itinerary, insurance, and more.
Italy Tourist Checklist
Using the correct checklist for your chosen country is crucial because some document requirements and formats vary slightly between Schengen states.
📋 Step 2: Documents Checklist – The Treasure Hunt 🗃️
Don’t skip this part. Before booking an appointment, gather all your documents. Trust me, this step is crucial because if you book your appointment first and then realize you’re missing something important (like your bank statement or insurance), it can turn into a stressful mess. So, let’s tick off the items below:
- Visa Application Form
- Download it from Italy Visa Application Form .
- You can either fill it by hand or use a PDF editor (we used an online editor, it’s faster and neater).
- Passport-Sized Photos
- Two recent photos (35mm x 45mm). If photo studios near you charge a fortune, don’t worry! VFS centers have photo booths outside where you can get 4 photos for £8.
- Valid Passport
- At least two blank pages and valid for 90 days beyond your stay. Don’t forget to sign it!
- UK Residence Permit
- Provide your share code from the UK government website, it’s quick to generate.
- Employment Evidence
- Get a letter from your employer stating your name, position, salary, and leave approval. Here’s a tip: If your employer only includes your first and last name instead of the full name as per your passport, don’t panic, it worked for us!
- Pay-slips
- Last three month’s pay-slip, easy to download from your company’s payroll system.
- Travel Itinerary
- A detailed day-by-day plan of what you’ll do in Italy (e.g., Day 1: Explore Rome; Day 2: Visit Vatican City; Day 3: Eat ALL the pizza).
- Sample Travel Itinerary
- Flight Booking Confirmation
- You can book refundable tickets or use websites that generate dummy tickets if you’re still unsure about travel dates.
- Hotel Booking Confirmation
- Use platforms like Booking.com to book hotels with free cancellation (just in case plans change).
- Travel Insurance
- Cover at least €30,000 for medical emergencies and repatriation. We found CoverWise Standard insurance (£32.75 for two people for one year) to be the cheapest option compared to others—and it even included gadget cover!
- Bank Statements
- Last three months showing sufficient funds. We submitted statements generated online using internet banking—no need to visit the bank physically! Fun fact: If your bank statement only shows your first and last name instead of the full passport name, don’t worry—it worked fine for us!
- Cover Letter
- Write a simple yet convincing letter explaining why you’re visiting Italy (hint: “To eat gelato every day” might not cut it).
- Sample Cover letter – Cover Letter for Schengen Tourist Visa 2025
- Copies of Previous Schengen Visas (if applicable).
🎯 Step 3: Booking the Appointment – The Tricky Bit
Honestly? This was the hardest part. Getting an appointment slot on the VFS Global website feels like winning the lottery these days! Here’s how we managed:
- Open the VFS website in incognito mode 🕶️(yes, really—it helps avoid login glitches).
- Follow Telegram groups or websites that track appointment slots—they’re lifesavers! Check out:
- Schengen Appointments Tracker
- Appointment Tracker Bot (Telegram)
- Schengen Visa Gossip Chat (Telegram)
🧠 Pro Tip: Don’t give up after a few tries—the slots refresh randomly, so keep checking.
If London slots are full, try other locations like Manchester or Birmingham
📍 Step 4: VFS Appointment Day – Time to Shine ✨
🕒 Arrive only 15 minutes early (they’re strict about this).
💳 Fees:
- £13: Service fee we paid while booking the appointment for Italy. This may vary by country, so double check based on your destination. 🇮🇹📄
- £135: Visa fee paid at the VFS center.
📸 Biometrics: Photo + Fingerprints
📁 Submit all documents carefully and stay polite—it goes a long way!
💡 Fun fact: If your partner has an appointment slightly later than yours (like ours did), just ask politely they allowed us to go together! Worth a try!
📦 Step 5: Tracking & Collecting Your Passport
Track your application online via VFS Global
📅 We applied: March 28
📬 Received passports: April 10 (with a 6-month visa!)
📮 Chose home delivery—included in the £135 fee
💰 Bonus Tips & Budget Breakdown
Here’s a quick peek at what our Italy trip cost (for 2 people):
| ✨ Item | 💵 Cost |
|---|---|
| ✈️ Flights | £555 |
| 🏨 Hotels (8 nights) | £400 |
| 🛂 Visa Fees | £266 (£13 + £135 x 2) |
| 🛡️ Insurance | £33–£40 |
| 💡 Total | £1200 to £1300 |
📌 Your mileage may vary based on travel dates, airline deals, and how much pasta you eat. 😄
🌟 Final Thoughts
Applying for a Schengen visa might seem intimidating at first—but break it down, stay calm, and add a touch of humor, and you’ll be fine!
📎 Stay organized
✅ Double-check your documents
⏳ Be patient with appointment slots
With a little preparation, you could be holding a 6-month multiple-entry visa in no time—ready for multiple European getaways! 🗺️💃
🇮🇹 Go Plan That Italian Escape!
Once you’re sipping espresso in a Roman café or getting lost in the art of Florence, you’ll realize—it was all totally worth it. ❤️
Got questions or planning your own trip? Drop them in the comments—I’d love to help!