Schengen Visa for Emiratis – Apply for Schengen Visa from UAE

The Schengen area is a part of exotic Europe which offers a mesmerizing sensory experience to all those who visit it. From museums to churches to wildlife parks, the Schengen countries are replete with many wonderful places to visit. UAE stands for United Arab Emirates and it comprises of seven “Emirates” – Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, Ras al Khaimah, and Umm al Qaiwain. Whether you are a UAE passport holder or a United Arab Emirates resident or an Emirati or have UAE visa, you need to know certain requirements to apply for a Schengen visa from UAE. In this article learn more about how to apply for a Schengen Visa from the United Arab Emirates, Schengen Visa Application Requirements, Fees and Guidelines, List of Schengen Embassies in UAE.

Travelers interested in visiting the Schengen area need to possess the Schengen visa. The United Arab Emirates stands 15th in the list of countries that apply for a Schengen visa the most. As of last year, there were a total of 206,232 Schengen visa applications made from the UAE, out of which 167,685 were issued.

Schengen Visa: What is it and do UAE citizens need them?

Traditionally, any traveler belonging to a non-EU country needs to apply for a Schengen visa to travel to the Schengen area. But as of 2015, the citizens of the United Arab Emirates have been exempted from applying for the Schengen visa within the UAE.

Early in 2015, the governing authorities of the Schengen area signed a Schengen visa waiver, exempting citizens and permanent residents of the UAE from applying for the visa at their home country. Effective 2015, all UAE nationals can now apply for visa-free travel to each one of the 26 Schengen area countries plus 8 of the non-Schengen area countries which include Bulgaria, Croatia, Andorra, San Marino, Cyprus, Romania, Monaco, and the Vatican.   

According to the waiver, this facility of visa-free travel is applicable to all UAE nationals and permanent residents. The waiver covers visa-less entry into the Schengen area for short-term travel. The short validity travel covers any travel that can be completed in less than the traditional validity of 90 days.

If the UAE national happens to be in a position of diplomatic power or possess diplomatic immunity of any kind within the UAE, he/she is exempted from the visa application process in the UAE. Diplomatic visitors to the Schengen area are granted a visa-free entry and travel across the Schengen area for the entire 90 days duration, within a total time period of 180 days.

This move comes as much-awaited news for all UAE citizens. The availability of the visa-free entry and access feature for the 26 Schengen countries plus 8 non-Schengen countries indicates how the Schengen and European Union areas hold the UAE in high esteem. This makes the UAE passport the 23rd most powerful passport in the world. As of today, the UAE is the only Arab country to have visa-free entry into the Schengen area.

It is important for UAE nationals to remember that while the Schengen area is now a visa-less section, the countries of UK and Ireland, which are not a part of the Schengen area, still require travelers to apply for the respective countries’ visas at the embassies.

Why should you get an embassy visa from the UAE when you have the option of a visa-free entry?

Irrespective of whether you hold a UAE citizenship or permanent residency, you will need to apply for the Schengen visa if:

1. You are a non-diplomatic UAE citizen and you wish to apply for a long-term stay in the Schengen country
2. You are a student or working professional who has received a university/job offer at a Schengen country
3. You are a permanent resident or expatriate residing in UAE and your residency visa will expire in three months’ time

Schengen visa application process in the UAE

The visa rejection rate is high for the UAE at 16.52% and this is why UAE nationals and expatriates applying from the UAE need to be careful when applying for the visa. Understanding the visa application process will help here. Here is what you need to do, to apply for the Schengen visa:

Decide on the type of visa you wish to apply for

Schengen visas can be applied as both tourist visas and business visas. Irrespective of the nature of your visit, the Schengen visa comes in 3 different types, depending on the countries to be visited.

1. Uniform Schengen Visas – This is a visa that grants holders the power to visit any of the 26 Schengen states. With this visa, holders have no travel restriction across the Schengen borders. This visa can be taken for single entry (entry into the Schengen area is allowed only once), double entry (entry into the Schengen area is allowed twice) or multiple entries (entry into the Schengen area is allowed multiple times within the 90 days validity) visits.
2. Limited Territorial Validity Visas – This visa is provided to holders who wish to visit only particular countries within the Schengen area and holders who are allowed into some countries of the Schengen area. This visa too is available for single, double and multiple entries.
3. National Visas – This visa is chosen by individuals who wish to apply for a very long-term stay on account of their job or academic requirements. This visa allows holders to reside in the particular country for which the visa has been taken and no other.

The UAE is home to the embassies of Schengen countries, including France, Germany, Greece, Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy and more.

Schedule your appointment at the Schengen embassy

Once you’ve decided which type of visa you wish to apply for, you need to set up an appointment for yourself at the Schengen embassy or we can help you secure a schengen visa appointment.  You can find here the list of Embassies in UAE. As per Schengen travel rules, travelers allowed to apply at one of two embassies:

1. The embassy of the Schengen country you begin your travel in
2. The embassy of the Schengen country you stay the longest at

The entire visa application process takes about 15 days to complete, with an additional 10-15 days for the visa to arrive at your home. We recommend you apply for your Schengen visa 1-2 months before your actual travel date.

The visa fees for the UAE are:

Fill the application form and submit all the documents

The Schengen visa application form asks applicants pertinent questions regarding their personal (name, age, education, marital status and so on) and professional (company name, experience, income and so on) details, which is collected to analyze you as a traveler.

When submitting the signed application form, you will also need to submit the following:

1. Two passport size photographs of the full-frontal head, of 32-36mm height, on a white background. No red-eyes, shadows, and reflections must be there in the photo.
2. Passport with at least 2 blank pages with copies of old visas (if any)
3. Cover letter/sponsorship letter, duly signed
4. National identification documents such as the National ID card, with the marriage certificate and birth certificate
5. Comprehensive travel itinerary containing information about flight bookings, accommodation, and visits (with copies of tickets attached)
6. Copy of travel insurance with a minimum coverage of $50,000 or €30,000 per head
7. Proof of financial sufficiency– Original bank and income statements of the last 3 months (minors and individuals sponsored by relatives/friends must furnish the bank documents of the sponsor)
8. Employment documents:

• 1. If employed: The employment contract, copies of salary statement for past 6 months, bank statement of the past 3 months, a stamped/signed leave request form the employer and past year’s IT returns form
  2. If self-employed: Registration certificate and license for the business, P&L statement for the last 6 months, bank statement for past 3 months and the past year’s IT returns form
  3. If a student: Student ID, the consent form signed by parents/guardians (if minor)

Visit the embassy for the visa interview

The visa interview is the most important formality in the Schengen visa application process. Here, the officials try to understand if you truly are eligible to travel into the Schengen country or not.

During the interview, you will be asked a series of questions to identify and assess whether you have truthfully answered the application form or not. Be honest about everything and provide all the information the embassy official asks for.

You need to convince the officials that you have the financial support necessary to undertake this trip and that you have completed all the formalities expected out of you.

Give your biometrics

The biometrics refers to the fingerprints and the facial recognition scanning that you need to provide at the embassy office after your interview. The biometrics is a means of identifying you and which country you belong to, when in the Schengen area. If you require any assistance from the local authorities, the biometrics will be used to help you.

Receive the confirmation letter about acceptance/rejection of the visa application process

If you’ve followed the visa application process correctly and if everything goes well with your background check, you will receive a postal mail confirming that your application has been accepted and you will receive the visa in a few days’ time.

However, in some scenarios, your visa application may be rejected, in which case you will be intimated of the reason for the same and allowed to re-apply.

Under what circumstances your visa application would be rejected?

1. You have not provided complete information or have provided wrong information in your application form
2. Your documents contain forged signatures/stamps
3. Inconsistencies in the information provided in the application form and at the interview
4. You have not submitted the cover letter/sponsorship letter/any other document which is essential
5. You have not submitted the travel itinerary and copy of the tickets to the embassy
6. You lack travel insurance or have insufficient travel and medical insurance coverage
7. You have a passport that has expired or is close to expiry
8. You have a passport that is damaged or tampered with
9. You have a criminal history or legal concerns in your past
10. You have not completed any of the formalities of the visa application process

10 Ways to ensure your visa application is successful

1. Provide complete and bona fide information in the application form
2. Answer all questions at the face-to-face interview with care
3. Submit a signed copy of the cover letter on time
4. Have the sponsorship letter signed and dated and sent to the embassy on time with the list of documents mentioned above
5. Create and provide an exhaustive travel itinerary and attach copies of all bookings made for travel, accommodation, and visits
6. Take out a medical and travel insurance above the value of $50,000 or €30,000
7. Re-apply for a new passport before the expiry
8. Re-apply for a new passport if damaged
9. Fulfill all the formalities with care

About Us

At Visa Reservation, we strive to simplify the visa process by providing free visa consultations, cover letter templates and no objection letter templates for our clients from US, UK, Canada, Philippines, India, China, UAE, Europe, Nigeria and globally. We also offer flight itinerary for visa, travel medical insurance, hotel reservations for visa and much more. To learn more about how we can help you with our visa services, please feel free to contact us today.