How to pick the correct Embassy / Consulate / VAC to apply for an EU visa

Posted date: 09 Dec 2020

A Schengen visa offers the applicant the ability to visit 26 countries in Europe. To do this, an EU Visa application must be sent to the VAC. A Visa Application Centre (VAC) is an exclusive third party service provider approved on behalf of a country to accept visa applications. The VACs then transmit to the responsible visa processing body, which is the embassy or consulate of the applicant's destination country, the details concerning the applicant and their application.

However, when it comes to when one can apply, there are very strict and simple guidelines in the Schengen countries. Many applicants fail to understand where they should apply, and apply at the wrong embassy in the absence of details. Figuring out, along with the appropriate documentation, at which European embassy / consulate to send the application, These are two of the most crucial steps in the whole process of applying for the Schengen visa, because applying to the wrong embassy or consulate does not lead to a good application, even if the applicant did so by mistake. This is why you should pay attention to your primary country of destination, which is the country in charge of processing your visa application. Applying to the wrong embassy / consulate may result in visa denial, or you will be guided to the correct embassy where you have applied. If you do not have a diplomatic mission or a VAC from your main destination country to apply for a Schengen visa, you may need to consult with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in your home country.

The Schengen States have honorary consulates in some third countries that do not receive or process visa applications. Instead, they have outsourced visa applications to another country's embassy/ consulate / VAC. Submit your application as directed in cases like this. Latvia, Lithuania and Iceland are some of the Schengen countries from which it is easiest to receive a Schengen visa. However, if you do not have these countries on your to-visit list, you can still search the list of the easiest Schengen countries to obtain a Schengen Visa and find out if any of the countries you want to visit are included. If your itinerary is all up to your preferences, and you can decide where you want to stay longer (or move in first), then you can plan it in a way that you would apply to one of the countries with the lowest visa refusal rates.

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GSP Admin