Absolute Guide on No Objection Letter For Schengen Visa
Planning a visit to Europe sounds fun. But before getting to the fun part, you must go through the dreaded nightmare of applying for the Schengen Visa. More often than not, the only document that stands between a visa approval and a rejection is the No Objection Letter for Schengen Visa.
Albeit not-so-widely known, a well-prepared No Objection Letter for Schengen Visa goes all the way up to ensure that you obtain the approval without any last-minute hassles, provided all the other documents qualify. Now, if you’re wondering how to get a No Objection Letter so that your application does not get rejected at any cost, read on.
WHAT IS THE NO OBJECTION LETTER FOR SCHENGEN VISA?
The No Objection Letter is, simply, a letter from your employer or from your university (and sometimes, your kids’ schools), that state that you have certain long-term commitments and obligations in your home country that you can’t afford to abandon and that you’ll be returning once your visit period is over.
You might already know that most countries are greatly concerned about the refugee problems and illegal immigration to their homelands. Refugee issues have even caused many political developments in Europe, such as an increasing support for Britain’s exit from the European Union. So, this No Objection Letter for Schengen Visa from your employer or educational institution guarantees your visa issuing officer that you’re planning to return to your home country after your visit and that you’re not going to be, in any way, a burden for their country.
Also, your primary purpose of keeping the NOC, along with the rest of the documents, is that you stand higher chances of getting your visa approved.
DO YOU REALLY REQUIRE A NO OBJECTION LETTER FOR SCHENGEN VISA?
Maybe no, in some cases. Note that the ‘No Objection Letter for Schengen Visa’, also known as No Objection Certificate or NOC, is not included as a mandatory document in applying for Schengen Visa in many countries. However, if you are from a third-world country or stigmatised nation, the Schengen embassies are more than likely to decline your visa application, killing off all your dreams of travelling in Europe before even they’re born. This is where the No Objection Letter becomes so important in increasing your chances of the visa approval.
Basically, this document is beneficial for anyone travelling to the Schengen area for a temporary period, as it acts as a factor of assurance and trust by the foreign embassy of the country you plan to visit. The trust factor arises from the fact that you’re given a voluntary ‘no objection’ from the department you’re working with or from your institution, indicating that they have no issues with you leaving the country for a few months. Otherwise, you may be just be trusted with a grain of salt, simply due to the long duration of your travel.
HOW TO GET YOURSELF A NO OBJECTION LETTER?
It depends on whether you’re working or pursuing your studies. Depending on this, you can get your No Objection Letter for Schengen Visa from your employer or the educational institution.
Your employer or educator would, most probably, be supportive of you going abroad for a tour. They may also be more than likely to help you in obtaining the visa. So, getting an NOC should be fairly simple and easy. On the other hand, you wouldn’t want a poorly-drafted No Objection Letter to be attached while applying for the Schengen Visa. So, it is best if you draft the letter by yourself and get it duly signed and sealed by your employer/head of the institution.
THINGS TO REMEMBER WHILE DRAFTING A NO OBJECTION LETTER
There are certain important things that you need to remember while drafting your NOC. The most important of these are listed below:
Keep it formal: Since the No Objection Letter for Schengen Visa is sent to the visa officials who screen you thoroughly before approving your application, professionalism is the way to go!
Do not be too descriptive: You don’t have to be too advanced in the use of your language or extremely narrative, which of course would give them an impression that you’re cooking up some false stories. So, a short and simple letter plays a big role in giving you the outlook of a trustworthy person.
Start with a standard greeting: Addressing the reviewing authority with a standard greeting, like “Dear Sir/Madam” is more suited for the type of formal letter that you’re drafting for the No Objection Letter.
Have a simple subject line: It is best if you keep the subject line as short and easy to understand, such as “No Objection Letter” or “No Objection Letter for Schengen visa”. This way, the reviewing officer can simply skim through your letter to know what it is about.
Sign off using the full name and address of the employer/NOC issuer: Even though it maybe you, who’s drafting the whole letter, it is critical that you write on behalf of your employer or institution from where you’re getting the NOC. So, you might need to include the full name of your employer and complete address of the company that is issuing the no objection letter to you. This way, the embassy officials can easily find your company or organisation, if in case they’re in need of a quick background verification.
Get it duly signed and sealed from your organisation: The sign from your employer, along with the official seal of your company, in fact, seals the trust. So, ensure that you don’t miss out on that, at any cost.
In case, you’re afraid to draft the content for the letter or you’re reluctant to do so, you can also find a lot of templates for the No Objection Certificate online. However, most of them are not specifically drafted for Schengen Visa Applications. So, you need to be really careful about selecting the right templates from the internet and drafting them for Schengen Visa application according to the guidelines that were mentioned above.
A good sample template for No Objection Certificate can be seen below:
In short, No Objection Letter for Schengen Visa is a powerful, yet an often disregarded, document that you need to be submitting along with your visa application. Your application should easily be approved if you follow the guideline in this article. In case you’re looking for any further assistance in getting a visa or getting a flight reservation for visa, you can always reach out to us via contact us. We’ve a crew of dedicated and helpful support staff that can guide you through each and every step along your visa application!
