How to Apply for a Schengen Visa in Kuwait

Applying for a Schengen Visa is an important requirement for you to enter the majority of the cities across Europe within the Schengen region. These countries currently include:  Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Greece, Italy, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, and Sweden.

Eyeing your next big travel abroad? How does Europe sound? If the Eiffel Tower in France, the Sistine Chapel in Italy, and the Northern Lights in Scandinavia or Iceland tickle your fancy, then consider getting yourself a Schengen Visa first.

Apply for a multiple-entry Schengen visa, and you get access to these additional countries: Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, and Romania. Furthermore, destinations such as San Marino, Monaco, and the Vatican City which share an open border with other Schengen countries would require you a Schengen visa to get through them.

Guide to Getting a Schengen Tourist Visa in Kuwait: What You Need to Know

 

The Schengen Visa is considered a “short-stay” visa that would be helpful when you wish to transit from one Schengen country to another, which is usually the case when you’re travelling in Europe in general.

If you’re all set to start your EU journey, here are the things that you need to do to apply for a Schengen Visa:

  1. Pick your destination of choice.
  2. Book an appointment via the VFS Global Website.

Tip: For best results, schedule an appointment as early as 2 to 3 months before your target travel date.

The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France
  1. Prepare the following documents:
  • An Application Form via the VFS Website to be completely filled out
  • Valid and confirmed air tickets
  • Your original valid passport (issued within the last ten years and with at least two consecutive free pages) and several photocopies of the document
  • A recent passport size photo in white background
  • Your original residence visa (must be valid for at least 3 months after your date of travel to the Schengen country) and several photocopies of the document.
  • Medical travel insurance to cover your entire travel period and must be recognized within the entire Schengen region.
  • A printed copy of your hotel booking e-mail confirmation
  • A Certificate of Employment (specifying the employment start date, job position, and monthly job salary)

Important: Employers and sponsors vouching for a visa application must be advised that visa applications can only be submitted and retracted by the visa applicant. Therefore, all the information will be kept confidential and no action will be put to effect unless a written and signed consent of the applicant is given.

For business or visit purposes, both employers and sponsors may be asked to provide: a No-Objection letter or a letter of invitation (a document detailing the coverage of the travel and accommodation fees). These documents must be personally submitted by the applicant during his/her visa appointment.

Note: The visa application fee varies depending on your chosen destination. Just to have an idea, a short stay in Switzerland would have a visa application fee of 21 KWD; a service charge of about 8.65 KWD, and logistics fee of 3.20 KWD per application.

St. Charles Bridge, Prague, Czech Republic
Image Credit: By © Jorge Royan / http://www.royan.com.ar, CC BY-SA 3.0
  1. Visit the VFS Global Office on your date of appointment and bring all the required documents at the department of the country you will visit.

Note: You may need to wait in a queue for an hour or two, but when your number is called, a staff member will review all required documents before taking your biometrics (ie. fingerprinting, photo).

Once your papers are approved, you will need to hand over your passport to be authorized with a Schengen Visa stamp. Keep the official receipt, as you will need this to claim your authorized passport.

Santorini, Greece
  1. Wait for the approved visa stamp.

This might take up to fifteen (15) business days (or less, depending on the time of the year). Wait for a notification message via SMS stating that your visa is ready for pick up.

Important: Once your visa stamp has been issued, it would be ideal to push through with your trip as planned. Doing so will give you the benefit of faster visa processing in the future.

DISCLAIMER:

The above guide is only shared in the interest of giving an idea on the process of applying for a Schengen Visa from Kuwait.  To get the latest information on visa fees and procedures, it would be best to contact the VFS Global Office or to visit their website:

Address: Al-Rayah Tower, Omar Ben Al Khattab St, Kuwait City, Kuwait

Tel. No: +965 2228 1047

Office Hours: Sunday – Thursday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, for submissions with appointments only

Passport Collection: 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

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