Introduction

 Hello everyone, this is Uncle Cat, a new contributor here. My ID means “a cat that can never get enough sleep,” and my dream is to “sleep my way through the world’s best hotels.” Today I’m sharing my experience and tips for applying for a Schengen visa at the German Consulate in New York in early March. If you want to travel to Schengen countries, getting the visa is definitely priority number one (wait, not the travel budget??). People say Schengen visas have become easier to get over time, but if it’s your first time applying, you may feel a bit nervous like I did. Don’t worry, though—my own experience proved that the Schengen visa is really just a paper tiger. schengen-visa-document

Where should you apply for a Schengen visa?

For details, see here. If you are traveling to only one Schengen country, you must apply at that country’s embassy or consulate. If you plan to visit two or more Schengen countries, it is strongly recommended that you apply at the embassy or consulate of the country where you will stay the longest, i.e. your “main destination.” If there is no main destination and you are simply visiting several Schengen countries, then you must apply at the embassy or consulate of the first country you will enter on your itinerary. Once you determine which embassy or consulate to use, you must apply at the embassy/consulate that has jurisdiction over your place of residence. Since Germany was my only destination, I could only apply through the German consulate. Fortunately, the German consulate seems to have a pretty good reputation. To find the correct German consulate for your area, choose based on your place of residence.

What documents do you need?

First, of course, you need an appointment. Based on what I was told, for holders of Mainland Chinese passports, visa processing only takes 3-4 business days. So if you include the time needed to mail your passport back, the whole process can usually be completed in about a week. Of course, considering peak travel seasons and other factors, I still recommend applying at least two weeks in advance. But don’t do it too early either—booking your appointment 1-2 months before departure should be fine. You can schedule your visa interview on the German consulate website; for example, the appointment page for the Consulate General in New York is here. The German consulate’s required visa documents are listed here.
  • The appointment confirmation email. This does not seem to be stated online, but the confirmation email asks you to bring it, and they did actually use it;
  • The visa application form and declaration letter. Just fill them out online and print them;
  • Two Schengen visa photos. The requirements are fairly strict. Some people say they passed with carefully made DIY photos, but I still recommend going to a professional photo studio. Some studios specifically offer visa photo services;
  • Your passport. Note that your U.S. visa should remain valid for 3 months after the end of your trip (although there have been cases where people were approved even with an expired U.S. visa, given the Germans’ reputation for being strict, I would not test it);
  • Copies of your passport and U.S. visa. If you have an F-1 visa, also bring your I-20 and a copy;
  • Bank statements from the past three months. It is best to show about $200 per day;
  • Proof of medical insurance required for Schengen visas. There are insurance plans online specifically for Schengen travel, and they are not expensive. I used my school’s student insurance;
  • A reference letter. You can get one from your school;
  • Flight and hotel reservation confirmations, plus copies;
  • Utility bill: bills for water, electricity, cell phone, TV, internet, etc., or other proof of residence such as a driver’s license.

The day of the interview

My appointment was at 1 p.m., so I took a bus to New York that morning (and actually stopped by to open a Citigold account before the interview). When it was time, I walked into the consulate building. There is security screening on the first floor, so try not to bring too much with you. After you pass through security, they will give you a sheet with a checklist of the visa materials. The sheet says visa photos cannot show glasses, but my photo included glasses and it was not a problem (after all, the online photo requirements say glasses are allowed). The sheet also says bank statements cannot be printed online, but the visa officer only wanted a copy of the bank statements—that is, the statements I printed myself. I even specifically told him I had the original statements, and he did not want them. However! You do need to arrange all your visa materials in the order listed on the checklist. Otherwise, when the visa officer calls your name, the first thing they may ask is whether your documents are in order. If not, it is basically, “Go sort them out over there, next person.”
Of course, if your documents are genuinely in good shape, the interview itself is not difficult at all. The visa officer will just ask a few routine questions, such as how long you will stay in Germany, which cities you will enter and leave from, and what you are going there for. At the same time, they are mainly reviewing your paperwork carefully. My documents were very solid, so after looking them over, the officer asked me to pay the visa fee (cash only; including the return mail fee, the total was about $80) and fill out the return envelop. One funny moment was that I kept pestering the officer about when I would know the result. Finally, he could not hold back and said, “Listen. The application looks good.” Then, worried that I had not heard him clearly, he repeated it with a knowing look. Still, when I learned that I would not know the result within two or three days—and therefore could not buy my beloved Bayern match tickets any earlier—I was a little disappointed. I almost blurted out Schei**, but at the last second it turned into “Leider.” Then the officer responded earnestly with, “Leider ist so das,” and the interview ended on a cheerful note. Later, when I walked out of the consulate, I found that the officer had already gotten off work too. I checked the time: 2 p.m. ...

Entry tips

When entering the country, in addition to your plane ticket and passport, it is best to also carry your return ticket confirmation and hotel confirmation. I suddenly realized on the plane that I had forgotten them, so I downloaded an e-ticket on my phone—and sure enough, they checked it at immigration. Wishing everyone a great trip in Europe! Did you run into any issues during your Schengen visa application process? Feel free to leave a comment and share your experience with us.