Overturning a Schengen visa denial by writing an appeal letter and free samples.
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to write an appeal letter for a Schengen Visa refusal:
- Receive the Refusal Notification.
- Determine Whether You Have the Right to Appeal.
- Analyze and Address the Reasons for Your Visa Refusal.
- Collect the Supporting Documents.
- Write the Appeal Letter.
- Submit the Appeal Letter.
It is important to know the rules on how to write a letter of appeal since how you write it and what you choose to include in your appeal letter plays a key role in getting a positive response.
Step 1. Receive the Refusal Notification
If your Schengen visa application has been refused, you will be notified by means of the “Standard Form For Notifying And Motivating Refusal, Annulment or Revocation Of a Visa” presented in Annex VI, stating the reason(s) for your visa refusal. You will receive a copy of this document.
Step 2. Determine Whether You Have the Right to Appeal
Prior to starting the appeal procedure, you must make sure that you are allowed to appeal the decision on your Schengen visa application. As such, you must check to see if the Member State that refused your visa permits visa applicants to appeal.
To receive such information, you can contact the embassy of the Member State that refused your Schengen visa application and ask if you can appeal their decision. If they reply with a positive response, you can continue to write your appeal letter.
Step 3. Analyze and Address the Reasons for Your Visa Refusal
In your refusal letter, the Member State will state the reasons why your Schengen visa was refused, so it is important that you address the reasons in your appeal letter.
Step 4. Collect the Supporting Documents
The supporting documents required when appealing a visa refusal depend on the reason why your visa application was refused (false documents, criminal charges, insufficient funds, etc.). The reasons for refusal are stated on the refusal letter you received.
Below are presented some of the most common reasons why a visa application gets refused and the supporting documents required in such cases.
Unclear Purpose of Visit
- Travel itinerary – proof of booked flight ticket or flight reservation. Make sure the document is clear and consists of detailed information (flight name, arrival and departure date, flight code, etc.).
- Letter of invitation – written by the host (friend, family member, an institution or organization, etc.), explaining the reason why they are inviting you to join them.
- Cover letter – written by you expressing the reason why you want to travel to the Member State, what you will be doing during your stay, and the place you will accommodate.
Suspicion You May Not Return to Your Home Country
- Proof of employment – submit an employment contract to prove you are employed. If you submitted the contract during the visa application, obtain a letter from your employer stating that you are obliged to return to work once your trip to the Member State ends.
- Letter of acceptance to school/university – proof you are enrolled in an educational institution in your home country. Not required if submitted previously.
- Proof of ownership – legal documents proving you have a property (business, houses, etc.).
- Proof of civil status – documents showing your status and proving you have family members in your home country (marriage certificate, child birth certificate, etc.).
Insufficient Travel Insurance Coverage
If you do not have a valid insurance policy, you can purchase travel insurance from different companies online, through travel agencies, or through a Schengen- accredited travel insurance company. You are free to choose the company you decide to purchase travel health insurance yourself.
Not Providing Proof of Sufficient Funds
- Bank statement – provide a bank reference with information on your bank account as proof you have enough financial income to support yourself during your trip to the Member State.
- Letter of support – written by another person stating that they will support you financially during your stay in the Member State, together with a bank statement of that person.
Step 5. Write the Appeal Letter
Your appeal letter should contain at least 3 paragraphs. You can write it longer depending on how you choose to approach the issue; however, do not go overboard with words. The letter must include your personal information and the reason why you are appealing. You should express your opinion as to why the authorities of the Member State made a mistake in refusing your visa application. The whole letter should be written in a persuasive and argumentative manner. You should consider the tone and
Your letter of appeal should include the following information about you:
- Your personal information:
- Full name.
- Date of birth.
- Place of birth.
- Passport number.
- Full address.
- Email.
- Phone Number.
Here is an example of what a visa denial appeal letter should look like.
Date:
Embassy Address:
To whom it may concern:
Paragraph 1:
You start the appeal letter by introducing yourself and the reason why you are writing the letter. Do not forget to mention the date you filed your visa application and the reason why you want to visit the Member State.
Paragraph 2:
In the second paragraph, state the date you received the decision on your visa application and the reasons for your visa refusal, as presented in the refusal letter you received.
Paragraph 3:
The third part of the appeal letter should consist of the reasons why you believe the decision on the visa application was wrong. Again, you can present documents and facts to support your arguments.
End the appeal letter with a complimentary close, your name, signature, and information.
Sincerely/ Respectfully,
Hand signature
Your full name
Your email
Your phone number
Step 6. Submit the Appeal Letter
On the refusal letter, the Member State responsible for your visa refusal will indicate the competent authority with which you can lodge the appeal letter, as well as the time when you can lodge the appeal letter.
Typically, you would submit your appeal letter at the Embassy of the Schengen Member State you want to visit or at the Embassy/Consulate with permission to issue visas for the country you want to visit within 15 days of receiving your refusal letter.
Tips and Tricks for Writing an Effective and Persuasive Appeal Letter
How you write the appeal letter is very important in getting a positive outcome. Therefore, your letter should be argumentative and convincing. Here are some tips and tricks to help you write the appeal letter:
- Your letter must be clear and concise.
- Use a formal and polite tone.
- Use words that are easy to understand, and avoid long and complicated words.
- Present new or updated supporting evidence.
- Provide facts that support your arguments.
- Maintain a logical and organized structure.
- Follow the guidelines sent to you by the relevant authorities of the Member State you are applying to.
- Proofread the text for grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
- Put your signature at the end.
How Long Does It Take for My Appeal Letter to Be Processed?
When you lodge the appeal letter, the competent authorities of that country will read it. Once they have gone through what you wrote in your letter of appeal, the processing body will reach a decision on whether to reverse the decision on your visa application or not.
The processing time for appeal letters varies from country to country. However, you will be notified once a decision has been reached.
What if My Appeal Letter Is Refused?
If the Member State refuses your appeal letter, you have to look for other alternatives. For example, you can either reapply for the same visa or explore other types of visas.
If you decide to reapply for a visa, make sure that this time you do not make the same mistakes as in the first visa application. But, it is important to know that submitting a new application does not guarantee that your visa will be granted.
What Happens When Your Letter of Appeal Is Approved?
If the authorities of the Member State you lodged your appeal letter to make the decision to approve your appeal letter, you will receive a notification the same way you were notified of the visa refusal.
Once your appeal letter is approved, you can receive your visa and travel to the country your flight was intended to.
Does Visa Refusal Affect My Future Visa Applications?
Just because your visa has been refused once does not necessarily mean your new visa application will be refused too. After you receive the notification on why your first visa application was refused, you can fix the mistakes you made on the first application to raise the chances of getting your new visa application approved.
How Long After Visa Rejection Can You Reapply for a New Visa?
If your Schengen visa has been rejected, you are free to apply at any time since there is no specific rule on how long you should wait before reapplying for a new visa.
However, it is recommended that before submitting the new visa application, you should meet the reasons for the refusal. This way, you can avoid getting another visa refused.
What Happens if My Visa Is Rejected More Than Once?
If you tried applying more than once and constantly received a negative response, it means that you are doing something wrong with your visa application or you do not meet the requirements for obtaining the visa. So if you submit a new application with the same mistakes as the first time you applied, your visa will be rejected again.
Try to fix these mistakes on your next visa application, and if that does not work, contact the embassy of the Member State and ask for instructions on what you should do. Although there is a chance that you
You can also try to apply for other types of visas if your Schengen visa gets rejected, if submitting a new application does not work.