cover letter for iceland visa

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Samples of cover letters for Iceland Visa

When applying for an Iceland visa, your cover letter is an opportunity for you to show your recipient why you qualify. The best format for writing a cover letter is:

EMBASSY OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY

No. 6/50G Shanti Path,

The main purpose of my travel is to visit my German friends. However, I look very forward to also visit the magnificent sights throughout Germany, as well as experience the famous German food and learn the German culture and way of life. During my stay, me and my friends wish to spend a holiday in the Netherlands and France to celebrate my upcoming graduation.

Please, find the following documents to support my visa application:

E-ticket reservation for my flight via LH for New Delhi  – Frankfurt – New Delhi [June 2-June 28, 2017]

<Your Complete Name>

I am writing on behalf of my patient, (patient name here), to document the medical need of (medication/treatment/equipment in question) for the treatment of (the exact diagnosis). Please, find in this letter the information regarding the patient’s medical diagnosis and history and a summary of my treatment motive.

Patient’s Diagnosis and History:

(Here include the information regarding the patient’s condition and diagnosis as well as the patient’s relatable history)

(Length of time the medication/treatment/equipment in question is necessary – possibly not exceeding 12 months)

In summary, the (medication/treatment/equipment in question) is medically necessary for this patient’s medical condition and/or improvement.

(Name and signature of physician)”

EMBASSY OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF DENMARK 3200 Whitehaven St. NW Washington, DC 20008 United States of America

Dear Sir/Madam,

I intend to visit Denmark between November 9 and November 28, 2022; hence I need to apply for a Schengen visa.

My primary motivation for traveling is to ski in Denmark and go sightseeing. In addition, I am eager to sample the world-famous Denmark cuisine, travel to other lovely Denmark locations, and learn more about Denmark’s culture and way of life.

Since June 2018, I have worked at [name of employer] at [address of company] in the role of [your position title]. Therefore, my leave of absence from work for the duration of this trip has already been accepted by my company.

Please also find additional information that proves I will be returning to the United States:

Planned Itinerary:

November 9, 2022 – Flight from New York to Copenhagen via [Flight number] November 10, 2022 – Travel to Hedelands Ski Center (I will be staying here for a week) November 18, 2022 – Travel To Marvik and stay there for 4 days November 22, 2022 – Travel from Marvik to Frankfurt November 28, 2022 – Flight back to New York from Frankfurt

I’m confident you’ll discover everything is in order. Don’t hesitate to contact me anytime if you have any queries or need clarifications.

I thank you in advance for a favorable reply to my application.

“Your Name And Surname” “Your Address”, United States”

“Dear Visa Officer,

I have attached to this letter the following documents [List of documents].

Frequently Asked Questions:

What other countries can i visit with my schengen visa.

You are permitted to travel to the following European countries with your Schengen Visa:

Why Is A Cover Letter Important?

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Applying for a Visa

Supporting documents.

The following documents are generally required to be submitted in support of a visa application.

Please note that these are only the basic requirements. On the website of the applicable embassy/consulate, you will find the complete list of requirements and the application procedure.

Applicant's passport photo (35 x 45 mm).

Passport / Travel document

- Must not be more than ten years old.

- Must be valid at least three months beyond the planned stay.

- Must have at least two blank pages.

Documents confirming financial means. Either:

- the applicant's bank statement, or - guarantee from host, along with payslips or bank statement.

Documentation allowing for the assessment of the applicant’s intention to leave the territory of the member states, for examplee: - Reservation of or return or round ticket. - Proof of financial means in the country of residence; bank statements. - Proof of employment and a certificate from the employer that the applicant can come back to work upon his return. - Proof of real estate property. - Proof of integration into the country of residence: family ties; professional status.

Travel medical insurance with a minimum coverage of EUR 30.000. Applicants shall, in principle, take out insurance in their country of residence. Where this is not possible, they shall seek to obtain insurance in any other country. The insurance shall be valid throughout the Schengen area and cover the entire period of the applicant’s intended stay or transit.

Documents confirming the purpose of travel: - Letter of invitation from host (reference person), if the purpose of the trip is to visit friends or family. - For a family visit, documentation of the family relationship is required. - For a business trip, confirmation/invitation from a company in Iceland. - For tourists, hotel booking and tour booking, as applicable. - If the intention is to attend a meeting or seminar, confirmation/invitation from the applicable conference organizer/institution.

When lodging an application, the applicant shall allow the collection of his fingerprints and pay the visa fee.

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In this article

Iceland Tourist Schengen Visa

Detailed information about the Iceland tourist visa, the required documents, eligibility, and FAQs

Knowing from close the natural beauties of Iceland, the nightlife and much more, the number of people wishing to visit their friends and relatives living in Iceland has thus increased. However, a huge share of the world population cannot just travel to Iceland with empty hands.

There are procedures that more than half of the world population needs to follow in order to enter Iceland. This means that, if you are planning to travel to Iceland for tourism you may need to apply for an Iceland Tourist Visa first.

Iceland Tourist Visa Application

The application process for an Iceland Tourist Visa requires from you to follow some exact procedures in order to be able to obtain a visa.

The steps for an Iceland Tourist Visa application are as follows:

• Make sure you need a visa to enter Iceland.
• Check if a Tourist Visa matches your purpose of entry and current situation.
• Figure out when is the right time to apply.
• Figure out where you need to file your visa application.
• Complete the application form for an Icelandic tourist visa and gather the required documents.
• Make an appointment for a visa interview.
• Pay the visa fee.
• Attend the interview.

Make sure you need a visa to enter Iceland

If you are planning to travel to Iceland for vacations, sightseeing, exploring or similar purposes, then you might be in need of a visa. You will need a Tourism Visa to Iceland if:

• You are not a national of one of the Schengen visa-exempt countries .
• Your country is visa-exempt but you have previously been rejected from entering Iceland, or any other Schengen country, without a visa.

Check if a Tourist Visa matches your purpose of entry and current situation

An Iceland Tourist Visa is a permit to enter Iceland under tourism purposes as sightseeing or vacations, for up to 90 days within a six-month period. It is part of the Schengen area, and it allows the visa holder to travel not only to Iceland, but also through the whole Schengen territory. Before you apply, you should be aware of the two types of Schengen Visas , and their different purposes on your stay.

On the other hand,  an Iceland Visitor Visa is a permit to enter the country, for people who want to visit family members or friends residing in Iceland. It comes in the form of a visa sticker affixed in a traveler’s passport. It permits its holder to stay in Iceland for up to three months within a six-month period.

Figure out when is the right time to apply

You are highly advised to apply at least three weeks prior to your trip to Iceland in order to get your visa on time. However, the earliest you can file an application is six months before the trip, and the latest is two weeks before.

Figure out where you need to file your visa application

There are different Schengen embassies representing Iceland across the globe. Check here which embassy/consulate is in charge of Iceland visa admission in your country of residence !

Complete the application form for an Icelandic tourist visa and gather the required documents

When applying for an Iceland Tourist visa you will have to submit several documents at the embassy/consulate representing Iceland in your country of residence, to prove you meet the eligibility criteria for a visa.

First, you will need to submit some standard required documents, which are required for every visa to Iceland. These documents are as follows:

• Iceland Tourist Visa Application form . Printed twice and signed at the end.
• Two passport-size photographs . Make sure your photos comply with the rest of the Schengen Visa photo requirements .
• Your valid passport . With at least two blank pages, a minimum validity of three more months beyond the date you leave Iceland and issued within the last 10 years.
• Copy of passport pages .
• Complete travel itinerary for your trip to Iceland . This document must contain as your flight name, departure/arrival timings along with dates, your flight code and your flight reservation/booking numbers.
• Travel Medical Insurance for your entire stay in Iceland . For any health incident in Iceland and the whole Schengen area, with a minimum coverage of €30,000.
• Proof of employment status . As employment contract, bank statements, employment letter, etc.
• Proof of financial means . Bank statements confirming you have a minimum of 145€ per each entry, and around 29€ per each day that you plan to spend in Iceland.
• A cover letter . In this letter you should introduce yourself, explain the purpose of your trip, as well as the intended duration of your stay in Iceland. You should also briefly explain what exactly you plan on doing while in Iceland.
• Hotel/hostel booking . Submit a document that confirms you have a booked room in Iceland for the entire stay. This document must contain the dates you will be staying there, as well as the address of the hotel/hostel.
• Rent Agreement with an Icelander property owner. If you will be renting a room/apartment/house, you need to submit a legal rent agreement with a property owner in Iceland. The agreement must contain the rental period and the address of the place.
• Invitation letter by a host in Iceland . If you plan on staying at a friend or a family owner residing in Iceland, you will need an Invitation Letter signed by this host.

Requirements for an Iceland Tourist Visa for Minors

Whereas, minor applicants will need to submit additional documents, as follows:

• Birth certificate.
• Iceland application form should be signed by both parents .
• Family court order , in cases where only one parent has full custody over the child.
• Certified copies of ID / passport of both parents.
• A notarized parental authorization to travel to Iceland, signed by both parents / guardians, if the minor will be travelling alone with another person.

Additional documents required if you are visiting relatives or friends in Iceland

In addition, you will need to submit extra documents to show why you are applying for a visa to visit Iceland. The Iceland visa specific required documents are as follows:

• Cover letter . In this letter you should introduce yourself, explain the purpose of your trip, as well as the intended duration of your stay in Iceland. Give detailed information on your relation with the host, and what you are planning to do while in Iceland.
• Invitation letter from a host in Iceland . If you will be staying over at your friends’ or relatives’ house then you will need to submit an invitation letter written by them. The letter must contain the period of your stay, their address and details on their identity.
• ID of the host .
• A copy of the passport data page and residence permit of the host if they are in Iceland on the residence permit.

Make an appointment for a visa interview

In most of the countries, you will be able to schedule an appointment online. However, in some others you will need to make the appointment in person.

Pay the visa fee

The fee for an Iceland Tourist visa is €90 . Depending on how the payment is regulated in your country of residence, you may have to pay the fee online when you apply, or in cash at the beginning of your visa interview.

Attend the interview

Attend the interview on the appointed date with all the required documents with you. We cannot stress it enough how important it is to be there on time. The interview lasts around ten minutes during which the interview asks you questions about you and your intended trip to Iceland.

After the interview, all it is left for you is to wait for the relevant authorities to process your visa application. After the processing, you will receive an answer on your application. If the answer is positive, you will receive the visa in the form of a sticker affixed in your passport.

How Long Will it take to Get a Tourist Visa for Iceland?

The processing of an Iceland Tourist Visa application takes at most 15 working days . Though the period may vary form one country to the other, since Iceland is represented by different embassies, most of the time a decision on your application will be given within 15 days.

Iceland Tourist Visa Validity

An Iceland Tourist Visa is valid for a maximum of 90 days within a period of six months. However, its validity depends on the decision of the visa processing body. If the consulate/embassy processing your visa decides that you only need i.e. 12 days to stay in Iceland, then your visa will be valid for only 12 days and you will not be able to stay any longer.

The embassy/consulate also decides how many times you can enter in Iceland. All this information is given in the visa sticker affixed in your passport. Learn here how to read a visa sticker !

Note that if you travel to other Schengen countries, the number of days you spend there will also be counted and you can not extend the 90/180 days rule. You can count the number days of your stay in the Schengen zone an Iceland through this online calculator.

How to Extend an Iceland Visitor Visa?

If you are wondering if you can extend your stay in Iceland beyond the permitted duration of stay, then you should know an Iceland visa extension is permitted only in some very specific cases. I.e. if you show proof that you cannot leave Iceland because of force majeure or humanitarian reasons preventing your from leaving.

Quick Facts About Tourism in Iceland

Tourism in Iceland is on the rise. Currently, it is estimated that the industry of tourism contributes about 10% to the GDP of the country. In 2017 alone, there were more than 2 million visitors to Iceland, the highest number of tourists to have ever entered the country. In addition, with the revolution of technology especially in the 21th century, the number of people creating friendships with Icelandic people is also at its peak. If you are passionate about nature there are countless things you could do in Iceland. You could witness the Snaefellsnes glacier and volcano, you could stroll down the beaches of the south,  enjoy the natural treatments at the Blue Lagoon, explore the lake Myvatn geothermal area and much more.

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• Íslenska

Brauðmolaslóð fyrir stærri skjái

• Embassy's Jurisdiction

In order to provide better and more efficient service for all  applicants the Icelandic Embassy in New Delhi has authorized VFS Global to run Icelandic Visa Application Centre. Applicants are encouraged to hand in their applications there.

For more information about the Visa Application Centre and documentation requirements for visas to Iceland please visit VFS's website , call the helpline or send an e-mail to the Icelandic Visa Application Centre.

Applicants in India can electronically pre-register an application on the Directorate of Immigration website visa.government.is before arriving at the point of application with passports and supporting documents.

To apply for a Schengen visa to Iceland, please visit one of the following centres:

Kolkata Icelandic Visa Application Centre

The opening hours for the visa section of the Embassy of Iceland in New Delhi are Mondays – Tuesday from 09:00 – 16:30 and Friday from 09:00-16:00

Please find information about different types of Visa application requirements by clicking here:  Information for Visa applicants on the website of the Icelandic Directorate of Immigration

• Individual Tourist Visa
• Family Visa
• Business Visa
• Study/Sport/Cultural/Film Crew Visa
• Common Information Sheet
• Forms and Documents

INDIVIDUAL TOURISM

In order to ensure quick and efficient visa processing you must prepare all necessary documentation before you submit the application package to VFS Global. Failing to submit all relevant documentation will result in unnecessary delays or might lead to a refusal of your application. Therefore, please do not approach the visa reception before you have collected all supporting documentation. Personal appearance is requested for applicants applying for a Schengen visa to Iceland for the first time. Information about the application will be shared with the other Schengen countries and applying under false circumstances may affect future applications for the Schengen area. English translations must accompany the documents not originally in English. The application supporting documents should be handed in on A4 papers.

TOURIST VISA APPLICATION CHECKLIST

• The travel  document  must be valid for a minimum of three (3) months after the planned journey, issued within the previous 10 years and have at least two (2) blank pages. Provide previous old/cancelled passports – including any valid visas for Schengen or USA/UK (issued in last three years).
• Filled out online application  form visa.government.is . Printed and signed by the applicant. Filled out harmonized Schengen visa application form. Both application forms must be submitted with the application.
• One (1) passport photograph (max. 6 months old, on a white background, measuring 3.5 x 4.5 cm.)
• Travel medical insurance (insurance card is NOT sufficient) valid for all Schengen-countries. The insurance must cover the applicant for at least 30,000 Euros, for all risks e.g., accident, illness, medical emergency evacuation etc. The policy must clearly specify the period of validity and must cover the entire duration of the trip including the date of arrival & departure.
• Proof of Transportation  - Flight reservation of return or round ticket. If the applicant is travelling to several Schengen States, proof of intra-Schengen flight reservation, train itinerary or car rental. Please note that the tickets do not have to be paid, only the flight booking needs to be submitted. Travel plan covering all the within Schengen area.
• Proof of accommodation  – Hotel reservations, rental of holiday home or campus residence reservation. If you intend to stay with a family member or a friend, proof of sponsorship and/or private accommodation from the host. If you are travelling to several Schengen states, proof of accommodation in each of them.
• pay slips for the last three months.
• employment contract and holiday approved/leave letter from employer
• certificate of registration of the company.
• letter confirming enrolment in the college/university
• proof of sponsorship and a letter from the sponsor as well as copy of the sponsor’s photo ID (e.g., passport, residence permit card)
• If sponsored by spouse, please provide marriage certificate.
• pension statements for the last three months.
• proof of regular income generated by ownership of property or business.
• Should be provided by all applicants regardless of sponsorship.
• The account should be in the name of the applicant or the sponsor of the trip. In case of a sponsor, the bank statement should be accompanied by a signed sponsorship letter and a signed copy of the sponsor’s passport. The statements must show that you - during the entire trip - have 4000 ISK per day for staying in a hotel or 2000 ISK per day if the expenses connected with the stay are borne by a third party.
• Indian income tax return acknowledgment for the last two assessment years.
• Cover letter:  introduction of applicant explaining the purpose and duration of the visit in brief and detailed day-to-day itinerary of the planned trip within the Schengen area.
• If the minor is traveling with only one parent, written consent certified by public notary of the other parent or guardian, except in cases of a parent having sole custody or guardianship of the minor.
• If the minor travels alone (without parents), written consent, certified by a public notary of both parents or guardians having custody of the minor, in which case a court order or other proof of sole custody or guardianship must be provided.
• A photocopy of both parents’ passports. If not, copies of the photo ID card of the parents, if not applicable a photocopy of a birth certificate of the applicant and copies of the ID cards of the parents.

Tourism – Checklist – IND

Visa for Family visit

In order to ensure quick and efficient visa processing you must prepare all necessary documentation before you submit the application package to VFS Global. Failing to submit all relevant documentation will result in unnecessary delays or might lead to a refusal of your application. Therefore, please do not approach the visa reception before you have collected all supporting documentation. Personal appearance is requested for applicants applying for a Schengen visa to Iceland for the first time. Information about the application will be shared with the other Schengen countries and applying under false circumstances may affect future applications for the Schengen area. English translations must accompany the documents not originally in English. The application supporting documents should be handed in on A4 papers. 

VISITING FAMILY AND FRIENDS VISA APPLICATION CHECKLIST

• Online application  form https://visa.government.is/. Printed and signed by the applicant. Harmonized Schengen visa application form. Both application forms must be submitted with the application.
• One (1) passport photograph  (max. 6 months old, on a white background, measuring 3.5 x 4.5 cm.)
• Proof of Transportation - Flight reservation of return or round ticket. If the applicant is travelling to several Schengen States, proof of intra-Schengen flight reservation, train itinerary or car rental. Please note that the tickets do not have to be paid, only the flight booking needs to be submitted. Travel plan covering all the within Schengen area.
• Proof of accommodation – Hotel reservations, rental of holiday home or campus residence reservation. If you intend to stay with a family member or a friend, proof of sponsorship and/or private accommodation from the host. If you are travelling to several Schengen states, proof of accommodation in each of them.
• employment contract and holiday approved/leave letter from employer Self-employed:
• If sponsored by spouse, please provide marriage certificate
• The account should be in the name of the applicant or the sponsor of the trip. In case of a sponsor, the bank statement should be accompanied by a signed sponsorship letter and a signed copy of the sponsor’s passport. The statements must show that you - during the entire trip - have 4000 ISK per day for staying in a hotel or 2000 ISK per day if the expenses connected with the stay are borne by a third party. Indian income tax return acknowledgment for the last two assessment years.
• In case of visiting spouse living in Iceland - copy of Marriage Certificate or proof of cohabitation. Proof of family relationship if applicant is visiting close relatives: Filled out online invitation form from here: https://island.is/en/get-a-visa/supporting-documents (Invitation Letter for visitors). Filled out online sponsorship form from here: https://island.is/en/get-a-visa/supporting-documents (Guarantee form for visits)
• If the minor travels alone (without parents), written consent, certified by a public notary of both parents or guardians having custody of the minor, in which case a court order or other proof of sole custody or guardianship must be provided. 
• A photocopy of both parents’ passports. If not, copies of the photo ID card of the parents, if not applicable a photocopy of a birth certificate of the applicant and copies of the ID cards of the parents. 

Visiting family and friends - Checklist - IND

VISA FOR BUSINESS VISIT

Business visa application checklist.

• The  travel document  must be valid for a minimum of three (3) months after the planned journey, issued within the previous 10 years and have at least two (2) blank pages. Provide previous old/cancelled passports – including any valid visas for Schengen or USA/UK (issued in last three years).
• Filled out online application  form https://visa.government.is/. Printed and signed by the applicant. Filled out harmonized Schengen visa application form. Both application forms must be submitted with the application.
• Proof of accommodation – Hotel reservations, rental of holiday home or campus residence reservation. If you intend to stay with a family member or a friend, proof of sponsorship and/or private accommodation from the host. If you are travelling to several Schengen states, proof of accommodation in each of them.
• proof of sponsorship and a letter from the sponsor as well as copy of the sponsor’s photo ID (e.g., passport, residence permit card)
• Should be provided by all applicants regardless of sponsorship. The account should be in the name of the applicant or the sponsor of the trip. In case of a sponsor, the bank statement should be accompanied by a signed sponsorship letter and a signed copy of the sponsor’s passport.
• The statements must show that you - during the entire trip - have 4000 ISK per day for staying in a hotel or 2000 ISK per day if the expenses connected with the stay are borne by a third party. Indian income tax return acknowledgment for the last two assessment years.
• A cover letter from the Indian organization or company containing following details; the applicant's identity; the purpose of the journey (meetings, conferences, training or business-related events); and the period and place of intended stay.
• Signed invitation  containing contact details of the inviting party; the applicant's identity; the purpose of the journey (meetings, conferences, training or business-related events); and the period and place of intended stay.
• A photocopy of both parents’ passports. If not, copies of the photo ID card of the parents, if not applicable a photocopy of a birth certificate of the applicant and copies of the ID cards of the parents.

Business - Checklist - IND

STUDY/SPORT/CULTURAL/FILM CREW VISA

Study/sport/cultural/film crew  visa application checklist.

• The travel document must be valid for a minimum of three (3) months after the planned journey, issued within the previous 10 years and have at least two (2) blank pages. Provide previous old/cancelled passports – including any valid visas for Schengen or USA/UK (issued in last three years).
• Filled out online application  form https://visa.government.is/ Printed and signed by the applicant. Filled out harmonized Schengen visa application form. Both application forms must be submitted with the application.
• The account should be in the name of the applicant or the sponsor of the trip. In case of a sponsor, the bank statement should be accompanied by a signed sponsorship letter and a signed copy of the sponsor’s passport. The statements must show that you - during the entire trip - have 4000 ISK per day for staying in a hotel or 2000 ISK per day if the expenses connected with the stay are borne by a third party. Indian income tax return acknowledgment for the last two assessment years. 
• Name and date of birth of the applicant: 
• An outline of the applicant’s itinerary, purpose of visit, how/why the trip is relevant to his/her current studies, and the period of intended stay in Iceland/Schengen: 
• Copy of student cards or certificates of the organization/school/establishment: 
• Invitation from Organizer or such: 
• Entry tickets to event – if applicable: 
• Enrolment – if applicable: 
• Programs: 
• Letter from film company – specifying title, synopsis and shooting locations of film: 
• Complete list of names of travelling crew members along with their roles: 
• Letter from agency in Iceland confirming arrangements for film permits: 
• Certificate of registration with Association of Motion Pictures: 

Study/Sport/Cultural/Film - Checklist - IND

COMMON INFORMATION SHEET

What is a uniform schengen visa.

It is an authorization issued by one of the Member States of the Schengen Area with a view to transit through or an intended stay in the territory of the Member States of a duration of no more than 90 days in any 180 day period from the date of first entry in the territory of the Member States.

To which countries can I travel on the basis of my Uniform Schengen Visa?

 Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.

Who can apply for a Schengen Visa in India?

Indian nationals and third-country nationals who are legally present in India.

Third-country nationals legally present but not residing in India, if the applicant provides justification for lodging the application in India.

Which member state is competent for examining and deciding on my Visa application?

The Member State competent for examining and deciding on an application for a uniform visa shall be:

• the Member State whose territory constitutes the sole destination of the visit(s).
• if the visit includes more than one destination, the Member State whose territory constitutes the main destination of the visit(s) in terms of the length or purpose of stay.
• if no main destination can be determined, the Member State whose external border the applicant intends to cross in order to enter the territory of the Member States.

Which consulate of the member state in India (if there are more than one) is competent for examining and deciding on my Visa application?

Please check the website of the Member State.

Where can I lodge my application?

Applications can be either lodged to an external service provider or directly at the consulate of the destination country. Please check the web site of the Member State through the links above.

What happens if my application is lodged with the member state or the consulate that is not competent for examining and deciding on my Visa?

When an application has been lodged, the consulate verifies whether it is competent to examine and decide on it. If the consulate is not competent, it shall, without delay, return the application form and any documents submitted by the applicant, reimburse the visa fee, and indicate which consulate is competent.

• Applicants shall pay a visa fee of EUR 80.
• Children from the age of six years and below the age of 12 years shall pay a visa fee of EUR 40.
• Nationals of Gambia shall pay a visa fee of EUR 120

The visa fee must be paid in local currency.

Applicants exempted from Visa fee

The visa fee shall be waived for applicants belonging to one of the following categories:

• children under six years.
• school pupils, students, postgraduate students and accompanying teachers who undertake stays for the purpose of study or educational training.
• researchers from third countries travelling for the purpose of carrying out scientific research as defined in Recommendation No 2005/761/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 September 2005 to facilitate the issue by the Member States of uniform short-stay visas for researchers from third countries travelling within the Community for the purpose of carrying out scientific research;
• representatives of non-profit organizations aged 25 years or less participating in seminars, conferences, sports, cultural or educational events organized by non-profit organizations.
• diplomats traveling on official business.

Note : some Member States grant additional visa fee waivers for specific categories of applicants.

Service fee

An additional service fee, 23 euros, will be charged by an external service provider, VFS Global.

How long before the start of the intended visit can I apply?

Applications shall be lodged no more than six months, and for seafarers in the performance of their duties no more than nine months, before the start of the intended visit, and, as a rule, no later than 15 calendar days before the start of the intended visit. In justified individual cases of urgency, the consulate or the central authorities may allow the lodging of applications later than 15 calendar days before the start of the intended visit.

How long before the start of the intended visit should I apply?

The application process at the Embassy can take up to 15 calendar days. However, it is also recommended that you lodge your visa application considering national holidays of the country of destination and India. Please note that during holidays the operation of certain consular services may be reduced.

Do I need an appointment for submitting my application?

Applicants may be required to obtain an appointment for the lodging of an application.

What supporting documents are to be attached to my application?

Check the harmonized list of supporting documents to be submitted by applicants in the tabs above or visit the VFS website .

Please note that during the examination of an application the consulate may request additional documents.

Do I have to go through an interview at the consulate?

Please note that during the examination of an application the consulate may call the applicant for an interview.

How long does it take for the consulate to decide on my application?

Applications shall be decided on within 15 calendar days of the date of the lodging of an application which is admissible.

That period may be extended up to a maximum of 45 calendar days in individual cases, notably when further scrutiny of the application is needed.

What can I do if the Visa is refused?

As of 5th April 2011, applicants who have been refused a visa shall be informed by an official refusal letter and may have the right to appeal in accordance with the national law of the concerned Member State. Appeals shall be conducted against the Member State that has taken the final decision on the application and in accordance with the national law of that Member State. Each Member State shall indicate the references to the national law and the procedure relating to the right of appeal, including the competent authority with which an appeal may be lodged, as well as the time limit for lodging such an appeal. You will find this information in the form for notifying and motivating refusal that you will be given for such purpose.

What documents do I have to take with me when I travel on a Schengen visa?

Mere possession of a Schengen visa does not mean that the holder has an automatic right to enter the Schengen Area (i.e. the territory of the countries that issue Schengen visa).

At the external border, the visa holder may be requested to produce documents justifying the purpose and conditions of the intended stay and that they have sufficient means of subsistence, both for the period of the intended stay and for the return to their country of origin or transit to a third state into which they are certain to be admitted, or are in a position to acquire such means lawfully.

What rules apply if my family members are EU or EEA nationals?

If you are a family member of an EU/EEA national, you may qualify for an accelerated free visa procedure as long as you meet the following criteria:

• You are a family member (this includes a spouse, registered partner, child who is under 21 or a depending family member) of an EU/EEA or Swiss national (or of his/her spouse/registered partner); AND
• That EU/EEA national or Swiss national is residing in another Member State than that of which he/she is a national or travelling there to take up residence; AND
• You are accompanying the EU/EEA national or planning to join him/her for residence.

The visa should be applied for at the Embassy of the country of future residence of the EU/EEA national or Swiss national, not at the Embassy of his/her country of origin.

If you think you qualify for visa facilitation you will need to show proof that you meet these criteria when you submit your visa application.

Supporting documents, information and proof pursuant to the Visa Code that family members of EU citizens do not have to provide: documents indicating the purpose of the journey, envisaged by Article 14(1)(a) of the Visa Code46;

• documents relating to accommodation (or proof of sufficient means to cover his/her accommodation), envisaged by Article 14(1)(b) of the Visa Code;
• documents indicating that they possesses sufficient means of subsistence both for the duration of the intended stay and for the return to their country of origin or residence, or for the transit to a third country into which they are certain to be admitted, or that they are in a position to acquire such means lawfully, in accordance with Article 6(1)(c) and (3) of the Schengen Borders Code, envisaged by Article 14(1)(c) of the Visa Code;
• information enabling an assessment of their intention to leave the territory of the Member States before the expiry of the visa applied for, envisaged by Article 14(1)(d) of the Visa Code;
• proof of sponsorship or private accommodation, envisaged by Article 14(4) of the Visa Code; or
• proof that they are in possession of adequate and valid travel medical insurance to cover any expenses which might arise in connection with repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical attention and/or emergency hospital treatment or death, during their stay(s) on the territory of the Member States, envisaged by Article 15 of the Visa Code

For further information please visit the website of the Icelandic Directorate of Immigration

Applicants fingerprints and photo are commonly referred to as biometric data.

Applicants need to appear in person for the collection of the biometric data: ten fingerprints and a photograph are collected from persons applying for a visa.

Before the capturing of the photo, applicants may be asked to remove glasses or adjust head coverings if they hide facial features.

Certain categories of applicants are exempt from the requirement to give fingerprints, including:

• Children under the age of 12
• Persons for whom fingerprinting is physically impossible
• Heads of State and members of national governments, and members of their official delegations when invited for an official purpose.
• Sovereigns and other senior members of a royal family, when they are invited by Member States' governments or by international organizations for an official purpose.

The introduction of biometric data is part of the Schengen Visa Information System (VIS). For more information about VIS, fingerprints, data protection and legal background, please click here.

Please refer your complaints to [email protected]

Consultation

Please note that certain third country nationals might be subject to prior consultation as stipulated in article 22 of the visa code.

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Home > Blog > Guides > Schengen Visa Cover Letter

Schengen Visa Cover Letter

on 22 Nov, 2021

Guide To The Cover Letter For Your Schengen Visa Application

What is a schengen visa application cover letter.

A Schengen Visa Cover Letter (or Covering Letter) is a document written by you and addressed to the Schengen Embassy/Consulate along with the other documents you are required to submit. 

The letter should provide additional information concerning the purpose of your trip and your intentions to return to your country of residence. 

The letter acts as a personal introduction as it shows to the Embassy/Consulate officers a brief summary of your travel background (e.g., travel dates, employment background, etc.). 

In other words, your cover letter is a summary of your Visa application . 

Your Covering Letter For Schengen Visa Is The First Direct Contact Between You And The Embassy

The cover letter represents a way of communication between you and the embassy officer, in which you are explaining your reasons for your trip and why you should be accepted. 

Please note that some Embassies/Consulates have chosen to outsource the Visa application process meaning that you have to submit your application through an outsourcing company such as VFS Global. 

In this case, your cover letter is your only chance to communicate with the Embassy/Consulate officers and explain your details and the reason why you believe they should grant you a Visa as well as your intentions to only travel and not to overstay your Visa, as they will not be able to see you face-to-face.

This letter is not a mandatory requirement meaning that the applications that do not include it will not necessarily be rejected or delayed. 

However, we strongly recommend and urge you to submit it as it does more than make a good impression on the Embassy/Consulate officers and speed up your Visa application process – Your cover letter can significantly increase your chances of success because it summarises every item you have provided. 

You should submit a Visa application cover letter even if you have been invited by a partner company to the Schengen Region and you are applying for a Business Visa .

The Importance Of The Schengen Visa Cover Letter

The cover letter is an important document as it gives you the chance to introduce yourself and make your travel purpose clear. 

The letter is important for your application because:

● It gives you the opportunity to provide information that your other documents cannot provide.

Most of the documents that you must submit are official documents that cannot clearly highlight your travel background. 

In other words, your covering letter is the only document that can actually tell a story. 

Telling a story can be a powerful communication tool because the Embassy/Consulate officers can understand who you actually are and why you should get a Visa. 

● It helps the Visa officers save time and therefore speed up your application process.

Embassies/Consulates receive hundreds of applications weekly. 

Sometimes, those responsible for processing them do not have time and patience to figure out the purpose of the journey and the intentions to return to the country of residence by analysing all of the documents of each single Visa applicant. 

This does not mean that they do not check your documents carefully but they typically do it to determine if they show consistency. Therefore, this letter can simply make your application process easier for them.  

How To Get A Schengen Visa Cover Letter

Getting most of your Visa application documents depends on bureaucracy/laws in your country of residence/other people that must write and sign your documents. 

The cover letter is the only document that you must write and sign by yourself (together with the Visa Application Form and your day-to-day travel itinerary ).

Once you have gathered all of your documents, you can write the letter on your computer. 

We recommend you write it after you gather the rest of your documents because the letter should include a list of the documents that you are submitting for your application. 

Important: If you are not familiar with this type of letter, you can download one of our templates (please select the one that is the most relevant for your situation) and fill it out following our suggestions. Please contact us for further details.   

Common Mistakes To Avoid When Writing A Schengen Visa Cover Letter

Even though the cover letter should not be very long and must contain only key information about you as an applicant, there are several mistakes that you should avoid making. 

Also, do not forget that the cover letter does not have to be too long and the information on it must match the information on your other documents .  

Not all the below errors can lead to the rejection of your application but your chances of approval may decrease. 

Therefore, we strongly recommend you double-check your covering letter before submitting it so that you can be sure it does not contain one of the following mistakes:

• Not using logical arguments to explain the purpose of your trip and your intentions to return to your country of residence

Logical reasoning is a powerful tool not only for your covering letter but also during the interview with the Embassy/Consulate officers. 

Make sure you know how to explain the reason as to why you travel to the Schengen Region and your intentions to return to your country of residence. 

For example, “ I want to visit France because I like it ” or “ I want to visit France because it is a nice country ” are not logical reasons as to why you want to visit France (or another Schengen country). 

You should be more specific. For example: “ I want to visit France because I’ve been fascinated by French culture ever since I was a child ”. 

The same rule applies to the explanation of your intentions to return to your country of residence. Writing “ I will return to my country of residence because I cannot stay in the Schengen Region ” is not a logical reason as to why you will not overstay your Visa. 

You can write instead: “ I will return to my country on August 15 because my employer did not allow me to take more than 3 weeks off ” or “ I will return on September 20 because I must attend a vocational training course upon the request of my employer .”

• Providing the same information that is already outlined by your other documents

One of the purposes of your covering letter is to outline details about your trip that are not indicated by your other documents. 

For example, in case of a tourist Visa application you should not write: “ I will be travelling to France between October 20, 2020, and November 17, 2020, and I will stay at Hotel Lafayette in 23 Rue des Messageries, Paris .” 

Of course, this information is important because it shows relevant details about your trip but the Embassy/Consulate officers can easily understand your trip details by checking your flight and hotel reservations. 

As we mentioned above, you should try to tell a story in your covering letter (even though you have to maintain a professional tone). 

For example, you can write: “ I will be travelling to France between October 20, 2020, and November 17, 2020. I have chosen to spend almost one month in France as I strongly believe that I need time to visit the most important tourist attractions and get to know the French culture. I will stay at Hotel Lafayette in 23 Rue des Messageries because the hotel is located within walking distance of the most important places of interest in Paris.”   

• Submitting a cover letter that contains spelling mistakes

Not all applicants have an excellent command of English, and the Embassy/Consulate officers won’t judge you if you make some grammar mistakes (especially because it is highly likely that English is not their native language).  

But a covering letter that contains too many spelling mistakes and does not follow some specific layout rules (the way that words are set up on the page) will make the Embassy/Consulate officers believe that you do not have a sense of consideration for the event and are not respecting the application process (which is your Schengen Visa application). 

Therefore, you need to pay attention to the spelling, punctuation, capitalisation, and layout of the letter. 

Please read carefully the two cover letter sample paragraphs below (please note that none of them is a complete sample cover letter and you need a more detailed template/sample in order to write a cover letter for Schengen Visa application):

Sample 1: 

“Dear sir madam I would like to apply at your consulate general for a schengen visa for visit friend in Netherlands.

My name is raji anand. I will be travelling from new delhi to amsterdam between octobr 15 and November 17  My employer has already approved my vacation and leave from work for the duration of 1 months. I hold an Indian passport no xxxxxx and I have attached passport size pictures to these cover letters. please do not hesitate to contact me for more information !Thanking you in advance, Raji anand. ”

“Dear Visa Officer,

I would like to apply for a Schengen Visa upon my intention to visit the Netherlands between October 15, 2020 and November 17, 2020.

My name is Raji Anand and I am an Indian citizen. I will be travelling from New Delhi to Amsterdam to visit my close friend, John Smith, who has also provided a sponsorship letter to support my Visa application as he will be covering all of the expenses for the duration of this trip.

I have attached to this letter the following documents [List of documents] .

Please do not hesitate to contact me for any questions and clarifications.

Raji Anand”

Bad spelling and writing mistakes (like the ones in the first sample) will make you seem less credible and the Embassy/Consulate officers may believe that you do not have a sense of consideration for your application process. 

At the same time, attention to details such as spelling, punctuation, and capitalisation (as shown by the second sample that we provided as an example) will make the Visa officers think that you are an organised and responsible person who put effort into preparing the Visa application.  

• Not presenting the list of documents you are submitting in order of priority

Show the Embassy/Consulate officers that you are an organised person. 

You should mention the list of documents that you are submitting for your application in order of priority (and not randomly). 

Start with the documents that are mandatory for all applicants no matter their personal situation (application form, passport, insurance, etc.) and then add the documents that are mandatory according to the purpose of your trip (e.g., hotel reservations ,   flight reservations , and travel itinerary – if you are applying for a tourist visa) and the documents that are mandatory according to your personal situation (e.g., employment contract , No Objection Certificate (NOC) Letter from your Employer, payslips , your bank statements , etc. – in case you are employed and you pay the expenses for your trip by yourself). 

For further details concerning the Schengen Visa requirements and the order that you should keep when listing them in your covering letter, please check out this blog post.  

• Submitting a Cover Letter that does not align to information and facts provided in other documents

The details and reasons outlined within your cover lettering must align to the same information and evidence you have provided in every other document you are submitting. 

If you contradict or state a point in your letter that does not align to the documents you provide to the Embassy/Consulate, you could jeopardise the entire application, which may cause your Schengen Visa to be rejected.

For example, if in your cover letter, you outline that you are travelling to stay with your family who lives in Italy but you do not include an invitation letter or sponsor for accommodation letter from them, then it contradicts the information in your application. 

Another example is that you say you are traveling for tourism but then you have an invitation letter from a business in your documents. Or, when your passport number and other personal details in your letter do not match the details in your other documents.

Confused Where To Start?

If you are confused, worried or stuck, the best next step to take is to Get a Free Consultation .

The session takes 5 to 10 minutes, starts immediately and you will get our advice delivered to your inbox by a Visa Expert within 1-2 hours. This is not a video or phone call, it is just like a live chat, where we can understand your situation better and an expert shares what you should do next.

There is no commitment to use our services at all, we just provide you advice based on our assessment of your situation and give you the next steps you need to follow to get your Schengen visa.

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Schengen Visa Application Cover Letter – Sample Letter for Schengen Tourist Visa

The cover letter you must submit for your Schengen Visa application is an important document that states the reason you are traveling to a certain Schengen country. In your Schengen Visa Application Cover Letter, you must address the Embassy or Consulate of the destination country you plan to visit, as your main goal is to persuade the Consular staff that you are a suitable candidate for receiving the Schengen visa.

How to Write a Cover Letter for a Schengen Tourist Visa?

Your Schengen tourist visa application cover letter should include the information listed below:

• Your full name.
• Your date of birth.
• Your nationality.
• Your passport details (passport number, issue date, and expiry date).
• Your current address.
• Your email address.
• Your phone number.
• The date when you are writing the letter.
• The name of the embassy or consulate where you are applying for the Schengen visa.
• The embassy or consulate’s address.
• The intention of traveling with a Schengen Tourist Visa (e.g., tourism, sightseeing, visiting friends or family, attending an event, etc.).
• The entry and exit dates of your trip.
• A detailed itinerary of your trip, including the Schengen countries you plan to visit during your trip, information about your planned accommodations, flights, and any tours or activities you have booked.
• Your financial capacity to cover your trip expenses.

Tourist Visa Application Cover Letter Sample

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Last Updated : 25 Jun 2024

A Schengen visa cover letter is an important document required during your visa application process. It provides detailed information about your trip, including your travel purpose, itinerary, and financial means. The cover letter for a Schengen visa assures the consulate of your intention to return to your home country while clearly outlining your travel plans.

To assist you in the visa application, Atlys provides the Schengen cover letter generator that creates a valid cover letter within 2 minutes!

How does the Atlys Schengen Cover Letter Generator Work?

Here’s how the Atlys Schengen visa cover letter generator works:

Enter your personal (name, passport number, occupation) and travel (destination country, departure date, return date, purpose) details. 

Click “Generate Cover Letter.”

Download your Schengen cover letter and get it in a PDF format.

💡 Please note that if the provided information changes, you must generate a new cover letter with the updated information to comply with the visa requirements.

Why use the Atlys Schengen Cover Letter Generator?

Convenience : Get the cover letter within 2 minutes without spending time crafting the letter manually.

Compliance : The Schengen visa cover letter template/format is structurally accurate per the visa requirements, increasing the chances of a successful visa application. 

Accuracy : Our dedicated team constantly monitors the accuracy of the content generated by our tool so that you can be confident that every detail in your cover letter is correct.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, our Schengen visa cover letter generator is free.

Yes , the Atlys Schengen cover letter generator abides by the visa requirements outlined by the Schengen countries. 

The Schengen visa cover letter generated by Atlys will remain valid as long as the information in the letter remains accurate and relevant to your visa application. If any information changes, you must generate a new cover letter. 

You can easily create the cover letter using the Atlys Schengen cover letter generator. You only need to provide your personal and travel details, and the letter will be generated within 2 minutes for free!

A cover letter may be required depending on the country you are visiting. You must check the same on the government website before applying for a visa. 

How we reviewed this tool:

Our experts continually monitor the official sources for any changes, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

• Current Version

25 Jun 2024

Written By:

Sathish Ramcharan

14 May 2024

Arun Kumar Gundu

For visitors, travel, student and other international travel medical insurance.

Home » Visas » Schengen Visa » Schengen Visa Application Cover Letter for Tourists

Schengen Visa Application Cover Letter for Tourists

When applying for Schengen visa, you should submit an application cover letter that explains the purpose of your trip, the list of documents you have enclosed, your trip itinerary, what arrangements you have made for the same, as well as how you will pay for the trip. It is the best to provide the day-to-day plan (itinerary), which gives the consular officer a clear idea of what exactly you would be doing while in the Schengen area and what your clear intentions are.

The following Schengen visa application cover letter might help you write your own. Of course, you will have to change it extensively based on your specific situation.

• 06/14/2019 – Take a flight from San Francisco, CA
• 06/15/2019 – Land at Zurich Airport, Switzerland. Overnight stay at Zurich Marriott Hotel
• 06/16/2019 – Visit Lake Zurich, Burkliplatz, and Loindehof Square
• 06/17/2019 – Visit Old Town, Rhine Falls, Grossmunster, and Uetliberg
• 06/18/2019 – Travel to The Matterhorn
• 06/19/2019 – Travel to Jungfraujoch – The top of Europe
• 06/20/2019 – Travel to Interlaken and Lucerne
• 06/21/2019 – Travel to Lake Geneva, Jet d’Eau (Water Jet), Temple de Saint-Pierre 
• 06/22/2019 – Jaridin Anglais (English Garden) and Parc de la Grange
• 06/23/2019 – Visit Jardin Botanique (Botanical Gardens)
• 06/24/2019 – Travel Back to Zurich.  Overnight stay.
• 06/25/2019 – Take a flight back to San Francisco, CA.
• Schengen visa application form
• Two photographs
• Valid passport – Original and a copy
• Proof of accommodation
• Proof of my bank statements, tax returns, and my last 3 pay stubs
• Employment letter, no objection letter
• Marriage certificate
• Flight itinerary
• Schengen visa fees
• Schengen visa travel insurance
• Proof of our legal status in US – H1B visa for myself and H4 visa for my wife
• Proof of medical records – specific to your medical condition
• Bank statements to show that you have enough money to take care of your treatment. 

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• Application Requirements Embassies and Consulates Germany Transit Visa How to Apply in India How to Apply in USA Procedure Sample Interview Questions Schengen Agreement Transit Visa Visa Types Where to Apply Who Needs Visa More Topics
• Application Cover Letter - Business Application Cover Letter - Tourists Application Fees Application Form Flight Itinerary Invitation Letter Means of Subsistence No Objection Letter Photograph Requirements Proof of Accommodation Sponsorship Letter

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Schengen Visa Cover Letter Format with sample and common mistakes

Schengen visa cover letter format with samples and common mistakes.

So, a close friend was rejected a Tourist Schengen Visa for France from India – twice in a row. She had to postpone her flight to a later date, but lost quite some money on Visa fees, hotel bookings and some internal flights within Schengen area. The reason quoted for the rejection was – ‘The information submitted regarding the justification for the purpose and conditions of the intended stay was not reliable‘ and ‘Your intention to leave the territory of the Member States before the expiry of the visa applied for could not be ascertained’ . I was intrigued and asked her for the covering letter that she submitted while applying for Schengen Visa. Her cover letter, though has necessary details, and was flawed at some places, which triggered me to pen down this post.

How am I qualified to write this post on Schengen Visa Cover Letter?

Having obtained Schengen Visa twice now – for Italy in 2016 and Sweden in 2017, though not an expert on this topic, I stand qualified to share my 2 bits – How not to screw up your Covering letter for Schengen Visa?

First off, let’s discuss – Why do we need a cover letter at all?

Why do we need a cover letter for Schengen Visa?

Just like any official interaction, be it a job application or any sort of request where we are seek attention of the reader – we need to introduce ourselves and make our intentions clear , right? That is why we need a cover letter. Given this, we need to make optimum use of this opportunity and give a clear picture to the Embassy officer – who doesn’t know who we are nor has the power to read our minds nor does he/she have the patience to figure out the jigsaw puzzle we have handed over to them in the form of travel documents!

Covering letter is your best chance to convince the Embassy officers to put that much needed Visa stamp on your passport. Imagine a cover letter like an interview, only that you will not be present in front of them, but it speaks on your behalf. (Scroll down at the end of this page to receive your Free copy of an editable format of an ideal ‘Schengen Visa Cover Letter’ )

Just think, in an interview – What all they might ask? What do you need to inform them about you? About your trip?

Any apprehensions, any communication – everything has to be done through the cover letter.

While applying Schengen Visa Italy last year, I did not understand why a cover letter is so important. But this time around, while applying Schengen for Sweden, I realized the power of a cover letter . The reason being these three scenarios:

1. Our middle names in the flight tickets were left out, as the website which was used to book the tickets had some bizarre mandatory name requirements. This was a worrying factor. So, before we applied Schengen for Sweden, I wrote to Sweden VFS Visa helpline and they responded within a day and instructed me to mention the same in the cover letter.

2. In Sweden, we will be travelling to Swedish Lapland and we have an overnight train journey from Stockholm to Kiruna and the same applies for the return journey too. A First class sleeper coach was booked for the night train journey, which was attached with the Visa application. In VFS office, the teller there pointed out that there are no hotel bookings made for those two dates. For which we diligently showed the train bookings with specific dates, travel time that exceeded 16 hours each side and a mention of sleeper coach. She highlighted dates in the train bookings and still insisted that we mention the same in the cover letter . We had to write that info at the back of the cover letter and sign it, as adding the same in the soft copy of cover letter and getting a print again was not feasible at that point in time.

So, what all do we need to mention in a cover letter?

• The purpose of your travel to the Schengen countries – is it for tourism purpose? Or official purpose? Or for studies? • List the countries are you visiting during your stay in Schengen area. • How and who is sponsoring your trip? Is it self-sponsored or sponsored by someone (husband, father etc.) and by what means – Cash (by showing balance in bank)? Credit card? Forex? Traveller cheques? • If you have a sponsor in the country you are visiting, then ask them for an invitation letter and clearly explain your relationship with your sponsor and the reason why they will be sponsoring your trip. Here, a sponsor might be a friend, relative or something/someone official. • A brief of your itinerary . Here, it is a good idea to use a table format with countries you’d like to visit, days spent there and a mention of places you will be visiting while you are there. (For an example, see the sample below) • Explain clearly why you chose to apply at that specific Embassy and not through any other country. • List the documents that are attached with the Visa application • In case you are not able to produce any particular document , mention that and try providing an alternative document which would cover the necessity of the former. • Mention the company and your designation of your employment in cover letter and write that you have taken a leave for the duration of the trip and are required to join back work after the vacation. • And any other specific communication which you think the Embassy officer needs to know.

Some tips and suggestions:

• Apply Visa as early as possible – we can apply for a Schengen Visa 90 days before our travel date. • Go through the Visa requirements checklist many times – even after securing all documents, there might be something that is always left out for the last minute! Isn’t it? Mr. Murphy is always lurking somewhere nearby. • Do NOT assume that the things are obvious and will be understood from the documents submitted. Always mention such things. The Embassy officer has to go through loads of applications every day. So, its not a really good idea to let him/her figure out stuff. • Try limiting your cover letter to one page. • And obviously, write a convincing cover letter 🙂 • Go through it again and check it for any spelling mistakes and do a Spell Check in MS Word or similar. Its not that you will be penalized for spell errors. It just gives a good first impression. • Doesn’t matter for what country you are applying – France, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Norway, Austria or any Schengen country for that matter – whether a cover letter is mandatory or not – Just write it and write a rocking one!

My secret tip: Almost all visa applications ask for confirmed hotel bookings. With so many booking sites and hundreds of hotels and apartments, its indeed difficult to choose the place which suits our taste. I always check the prices of hotels/apartment from this website and compare prices offered by different booking sites and book the accommodation from the one that offers the best price. Compare hotels by checking in this search box below !

For booking car for our self drive journeys, I trust this site and have booked from here in all our self drive sojourns.

Fine, enough for today’s Theory session. Let the practical class begin now!

This was my friend’s Cover Letter. Let me try and point out what could have been added and how can it be improvised.

21/06/2017 Place: Bangalore

THE HONOURABLE CONSUL, EMBASSY OF FRANCE 21 Palace Road, Vasanth Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560052

Dear Sir or Madam,

Sub: Application for Short Stay Visa for Tourism from 30/06/2017 to 11/07/2017 (Self-Sponsored)

I intend to travel to countries France, Belgium and Switzerland from 30/06/2017 to 11/07/2017 and would therefore like to obtain a Schengen travel visa.

The purpose of my trip is tourism, to visit popular places in these European countries, especially the Eiffel Tower, the Paris Disneyland and the Louvre Pyramid in France, Interlaken, Jungfrau in Switzerland and Grand Palace, Bruges, Pairi Daiza etc in Belgium. During the trip in Belgium, I will stay in my sister’s home who is a resident of Belgium (attached the required document for the same)

Please find enclosed the following documents to support my visa application: 1. Original and copy of my passport 2. Application Form duly filled and signed with Photograph as per specifications, attached 3. Documentary evidence of my employment (leave sanction letter) 4. Copy of my booking at Hotels in Paris and Switzerland. 5. Invitation letter from my sister, a resident of Belgium and copy of residential permit 6. Income tax returns of last 3 years 7. Personal bank statements of last 3 months 8. Salary slips of last 3 months 9. Copy of my travel medical insurance policy, valid for the whole Schengen Area and covering up to 100,000 Euros for medical and hospital care plus repatriation for emergency medical reasons 10. Copy of e-ticket for my return flight to Bangalore via Doha with Qatar Airways

I trust you will find that everything is in order, but please feel free to contact me should you need any additional details or documents. Looking forward to hearing from you,

Yours sincerely, XYZ, Address, Phone, Email.

Here, I find 3 major flaws:

• She had submitted the official leave letter with the application, but there isn’t any mention of her employer or designation in the cover letter. As I said earlier, lets not assume that it is understood. Even if it is obvious, mentioning it in the cover letter makes a huge difference. • The itinerary presented was very cloudy . Seems like there is a no perfect plan chalked out. But in reality, the plan was present, that is why the hotel bookings were done. But it hasn’t been mentioned clearly in the cover letter. • Another major point – there is NO reason presented here as to why France is being chosen as a Consulate to apply Schengen Visa.

A template or a sample which we used for Schengen Italy Cover Letter:

May 3, 2016 Bengaluru

The Honorable Consulate, Embassy of Italy, Kanchanjunga, Piano Terra, 72 G.Deshmukh Marg Mumbai – 400 026

Dear Sir/Madam,

I would like to apply for Schengen visa to spend a holiday in five countries – Italy , Croatia , Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia and Montenegro, this May 27 to June 12, 2016. I am applying through your Honourable Consulate, as Italy is my main destination and first point of entry as well as my point of exit.

We are a family of five travelling together. Tourism is the main purpose of our visit, to see the beautiful sights especially the museums and ancient architecture.

Our detailed itinerary is attached inside. Brief itinerary would be as follows:

I am employed at XYZ, Bengaluru since July 2010 and currently holding the position of ABC. Vacation from work has already been approved for the whole duration of this trip.

Please find the following documents to support my visa application enclosed herewith:

* Application form, duly dated and signed with passport-size picture * Passports * Employment and Leave certificates showing the date I’m expected to return for work * Detailed itinerary * Hotel booking reservation as proof of accommodation * Payslips, Bank Statements, Statement of Account as proof of income, ITR, Credit card statements, Forex receipts * Travel Insurance with benefits coverage of 50,000 Euro for each person travelling * Plane ticket booking reservation via Qatar Airways for Bangalore – Rome – Bangalore on May 27 – June 12, 2016

I trust that you will find that everything is in order, and I remain at your disposal for any further information. Thank you very much for your time. I hope for a favourable response for my visa application. For questions and clarifications, please feel free to contact me anytime.

Sincerely, Name Mobile: Email:

This format bought us Schengen Visa for Italy on our European Odyssey last year.  Hope this post helps you in crafting your letter.

If you are planning to apply a Schengen Visa for Italy, then  click here to read a post about the process of applying Schengen Visa for Italy.

Please note that right click is disabled on this page to discourage plagiarism. However, you can get the cover letter sample by entering your email in the box below to receive an editable sample of ‘Schengen Visa Cover Letter’.

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Other related important reads:

Ultimate guide for Schengen Visa Italy from India

Italy Self drive Itinerary

Iceland 10 day itinerary

Croatia 7/10 days itinerary

14 things to know before driving in Italy

Plitvice Lakes – Land of Falling Lakes, Croatia

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114 comments

Lovely article and timely we r applying for our visa in coming week. This article is very informative. Thank you to pen it down

Glad it was of your help 🙂

Hi Ashwini, I’ts a great help for me your blog since, I’m a first timer to travel. Would you mind please to share with me your email as i want to write you for more clarification? as I’m a bit confused. Thanks and awaiting Chona

Please write into us at [email protected]

Hi Ashwini, Thanks a ton for this article. we are applying for our visas next weeK, we intent to travel to Italy, switzerland and france. p.o.e. Italy. Some queries to be answered, as i am getting mixed replies for the same. Do we need to book all internal train travels i.e. rome to venice, venice to interlaken n henceforth. we have done no prepayment booking from booking.com for accomodations, hope thats valid.

There is no need for you to show the proof of travel inside a specific country. However, it is a good practice to mention how you intend to travel inside a country and between two countries. And this can be achieved through a cover letter!

And yes, no prepayment bookings from booking.com is valid. We always do the same 🙂

this article is very informative and helpful for visa we Indians not blessed with highest rank passports which allows visa on arrival to most of countries. It seems so much headache when applying for visa.But if apply it in order as you mentioned issues can be resolved

Very true Mayuri!

Hi Ashwini,

I plan to visit my brother who stays in Germany, can you kindly let me know how should the invitation letter be all are the required details? Do share if u have any format for the same. Thank you.

Sorry for the late reply Vini. I do not have a format handy. I shall write a blog post on it soon.

Hi ashwini, You have mentioned about Detailed itinerary, could you please explain this also, I mean how one should write it. Are we suppose to mention each and every thing which we are going to do each day?

Hai Harpreet,

If you see the sample I have provided, the itinerary we mentioned was one line with places we planned to go for that day. I think that should suffice and too much detail will make the cover letter too lengthy and unappealing. Hope I have answered your question!

YOUR ARTICLE HAS BEEN OF GREAT HELP…..HOWEVER ONE THING IS REALLY CONFUSING ME…. I AM PLANNING TO APPLY FOR FRANCE AND SWISS TOURIST VISA……PEOPLE ARE ADVISING TO GO WITH FLIGHT RESERVATION AND DUMMY HOTEL BOOKING FOR APPLYING THE VISA……IS IT SAFE TO DO SO…….

Yes Karan. Thats is true. Go through this post for more details. http://hoppingmiles.com/schengen-visa-italy-indians-citizens-checklist/

Hey … thanks for amazing info. I have question . Did you visit bosnia and croatia in same schengen visa … because they dont come in schengen country.

Even though Bosnia and Croatia do not come under Schengen Visa, these countries allow visitors with a valid Schengen Visa. For this, you need to have a Multiple Entry Schengen Visa.

Hey Ashwini I also applied for France from Delhi and my visa got rejected with same reason. Now I am scared from which Embassy I should apply as I already booked my paid ticket and hotel I submitted all paid hotel and flight tickets even for Europe, I think I am going on solo trip that may the reason not sure. Any suggestion which country I should apply?

Hi Adhiman,

The rule goes by the fact that we need to apply to the country where we are staying for more number of days. If we are by any chance staying in two countries for equal number of days, then we need to apply to the Embassy of the country which will be our first port of entry.

Thanks for the article, this was helpful. Do you have any advice for writing an invitation letter? I want to give one to my brother to visit.

Sure Ezinne. I shall try to pen down that post soon 🙂

My name is Vivek. I would be travelling with my wife. So apart from booking two appointments, will there be a need to get two sets of required documents and two covering letters or only one set. Her application form would be different.

Yes.Two separate set of documents and seperate application forms. Cover letter can be the same but you need separate copies of that each too!

Hi…My schengen visa got rejected due to reason for travel does not seem reliable. I am reapplying for the same. Just wanted to know in the new covering letter do i write the letter as a fresh application or do i mention the previous rejection and give further justifications

I am in two minds about it as I haven’t been in this situation. Why don’t you call the VFS helpline? They are the best folks to answer this question.

Hi i would like to read your thoughts about our story, please. We have been granted a Belgium Schengen visa my wife and i but after our departure date. We have reached out the Consulate to get our passports back, to our surprise Bangg! empty passports. The consulate officer told us that they couldn’t put our visas into our passport because it’s been granted after our travel date so what does it mean? do they have the right to do that after been approved? your thoughts will be appreciated , thanks

Honestly, If I were you, I too would have been disappointed. And yes, what they say is right. Because, the reason that a schengen visa demands a confirmed return flight is that they want to confirm that we come out of schengen area within a specific time frame. If your flight date has lapsed, that means you can’t commit to your promise of going and coming out of schengen area on the dates you have mentioned in the cover letter. So, a fresh application is recommended. But this time, be careful and apply as early as possible.

Thank you very much, i appreciate your reply.

By the way do we need to stick our-self with the same consulate?

That depends on your travel plans. Read this post if you are visiting multiple schengen countries and have a confusion as to which country to apply to : http://hoppingmiles.com/schengen-visa-italy-indians-citizens-checklist/

Hi! Thank you for the link, very helpful. I have got another question, how can we proof that we have been granted a Schengen visa if we decide to go to Italy this time. As I mentioned before we have been granted, but we didn’t travel because the consulate didn’t stick our visas into our passport due to the fact that our departure date has passed, Thank you in advance

There is no proof as your visas haven’t been stamped. Try a fresh application. All the best.

Thanks for sharing your knowledgeable experience, I really appreciate your care and concern Ashwini towards helping people. I’m sending you an email for your further help as i applied for visa and got refused.

Hi Ashwini, Really your post is very informative. I am planning to invite my wife to Paris as I’m already here from past 1 month. And when we asked for the details we have lot of opinions so more confused with what are the basic requirements. We have been told that will require an Invitation letter from me inviting my wife to Paris. I tried to search for a format but not able to get it. can you help me on that?

Also if my wife provide 6 months bank statement for my salary account will it be ok for Consulate?

As I’m already in Paris I have stay booked till my return journey is it fine to provide the same with my name?

Even we have suggestion for my wife to not show that you are working to save document for leave approval which is quite difficult for her.

I have 1 question in mind as we didn’t planned any internal journey as of now and if we mention about the visit to different countries is it mandatory to show the details of the stay for other countries? Looking forward for your reply which will help us. Thank you

Hrisheekesh Pargaonkar ±33753190588 ±917588436499

Answering your questions one by one.

q: We have been told that will require an Invitation letter from me inviting my wife to Paris. I tried to search for a format but not able to get it. can you help me on that? a: Will try writing a post on that.

q: Also if my wife provide 6 months bank statement for my salary account will it be ok for Consulate? a: They ask only for recent 3 months. Doesn’t count even if you provide more as they will remove extra months docs in VFS Office. Just make sure you have a healthy bank balance.

q: As I’m already in Paris I have stay booked till my return journey is it fine to provide the same with my name? a: Guess that would suffice. Confirm once with VFS call centre.

q: Even we have suggestion for my wife to not show that you are working to save document for leave approval which is quite difficult for her. a: Confirm once with VFS call centre.

q: I have 1 question in mind as we didn’t planned any internal journey as of now and if we mention about the visit to different countries is it mandatory to show the details of the stay for other countries? a: Definitely yes. You can do temporary bookings in booking.com. If you have plans of visiting other countries, then make sure she gets a ‘multiple entry’ Schengen visa.

Hope this helps. Thanks

hello , my wife is the citizen of italy (permanant green card ) as such we got married on dec 2015 and now she is pragnant and in italy she wants to invite me for her delivery as such i m having her name on my passport , marriage certificate, my name on her passport issue from milan italy. and a doctor covring letter of her pragnancy form italy. i need to know that how can i apply and a covering letter format. and the chances of visa….really worried about can u help a part.

waiting for reply

Please contact your VFS office and they will be able to guide you better. Thanks and congrats on the baby 🙂

Can you please put more light on the format of ‘Detailed Itinerary’

Detailed Itinerary would be your confirmed accommodation booking printouts, flight tickets and inter city/inter country travel docs if any.

Thanks for the info here. One more thing i wanted to know that yesterday i called Thomas Cook for the Visa and they said that they can get it done and they will show the confirmed tickets & hotel bookings and as we get the visa they will cancel it and we can then book our hotels on our own. Do you think hiring them will be good idea or shall i do the visa process on my own.

It upto you Vikas. Totally your decision 🙂

Hi, I was planning to go for a road trip in Europe, all planning is done from caravan to tickets. But all hopes are on visas. How do I compel them not to reject our visa. Please help. And if possible can u send me your mail. Thanks

If your planning is already done, then please apply visa asap. Follow the points given in the article and craft a convincing cover letter – that is the only thing we can do from our side to compel them. Subscribe with your mail id in the text box provided in the article and you will automatically get the mail.

Hi, I am planning a solo trip to Amsterdam in coming June month for 7 days. Is it a fact that solo trip visas are mostly rejected ? and I intend to travel in and around Amsterdam only. Would that be a problem considering it is a short itinerary for cover letter? Thanks in advance.

Don’t think it’ll be a problem to acquire visa if you are only in and Amsterdam for the entire trip duration. Just make sure you have accommodation booked for all the days and mention what all have you planned to see over the 7 days.

Hi, Thanks for the article,it is really helpful I have some doubts 1)I can give just reserved tickets(Not paid)? Many airlines provide free reserved ticket which block the ticket for 3 days. I have this question because on the main page of VFS website,they clearly mention that do not confirm your travel plans till visa is approved.So can i give reserved ticket(not paid) instead of a confirmed ticket(paid for)

2)The cover letter can be written on an A4 size paper write?

Thanks in Advance

Answering pointwise:

1. Will do but during the time of verification of your application by Embassy people, your ticket should be valid and should not be cancelled as they will verify it.

2. Should be printed on A4 size paper

Hello Ashwni

I find this post really informative, ad would like to clarify a few things w.r.t our trip Me and my husband are planning for a trip to Swiss-Belgium (and make day trips to France and Amsterdam while staying in Belgium). Our point of entry will be Swiss (will stay there for 3 nights) and then travel to Belgium( where we will stay for 5 nights). But while we stay in Belgium we intend to do a day trip to Paris and another day trip to Amsterdam. Our p.o.e will be Belgium. Q1 – Which country should we apply the Schengen Visa for? – Swiss or Belgium? Q2 – Also, both of us are working, but the way our budgeting works is I have more bank balance, and his is more like a current account, rather savings account. Keeping this in mind, what will give better chances of approval – applying together and showing both the bank statements or applying mentioning am sponsoring the trip? Please suggest 🙂

Answer 1: Belgium Answer 2: Both bank statements will be a good idea i guess. Please clarify with local VFS office

I am planning to travel to Europe (Italy, Austria & Switzerland in that order) for a month in mid April with Italy being port of entry & main destination as I am spending 15 days there. I am travelling solo to Italy and then being joined by friends in Austria & Switzerland. Post that, I am heading to the US for 4 months where I am staying with my sister. I have a valid US visa. I also have previously traveled to the Schengen region 4 times in the last 8 years.

The tricky part is I am obviously travelling for this long as I have quit my job of 8 years and planning on taking a break for some time and find something once I am back.

My queries, hence, are:

1) Should I mention that I have quit my job in the cover letter itself hence declaring I wont have a Leave letter from my organisation. 2) Will I require any other document from my current employer (serving notice here) to support my claim? Shall i include one just to be sure? 3) I’m sponsoring my own trip, travelling solo & quitting my job for that- Will these 3 things pose to be possible reasons why my Visa could get rejected. If yes, what additional documents shall I submit to cover all bases.

Thanks in advance.

Thanks for writing in Rupal. Yes, your case is tricky. But tel me one thing, is your flight to US from India, after you come back from Italy or the flight is directly from Italy? Whatever is the case, please mention it in the cover letter. Yes, supporting documents to prove that you are leaving the job might work.

Again, convincing them that you are traveling to US later is essential. So flight tickets to US if available and shown, will make the job easy.

Hello, I am Bangalore.. planning to travel to Ireland in the month of June. Since I didn’t get any post related to Ireland, I am posting few questions here 🙂 . 1. My daughter will be travelling with me, so we need her father’s consent letter since he is not coming with us. Do I need to get the letter Notarized? 2. I will be travelling with my friend , do I need to give proof of relationship with her? 2. My application letter should address to whom? Should it be The Honorable Consulate Embassy of Ireland c/o Biocon Limited 20th K M Hosur Road Electronics City PO Bangalore 560100 (as found under Emabassy of Ireland, Honorary Consuls- India, Bangalore) 3. If you can help me with writing a detailed itinerary plan. Thanks in advance! 🙂

1. My daughter will be travelling with me, so we need her father’s consent letter since he is not coming with us. Do I need to get the letter Notarized? Father’s consent letter and permission letter from school. Notary sign not required.

2. I will be travelling with my friend , do I need to give proof of relationship with her? Haha. No. You can’t prove if someone is your friend. There is no such formal document that exists to prove it.

2. My application letter should address to whom? Should it be The Honorable Consulate Embassy of Ireland c/o Biocon Limited 20th K M Hosur Road Electronics City PO Bangalore 560100 (as found under Emabassy of Ireland, Honorary Consuls- India, Bangalore) Yes.

3. If you can help me with writing a detailed itinerary plan. Please check the post, I have mentioned the format. Follow the same with your plans and itinerary.

Thanks for reply 🙂 . One more question, Do i need to submit flight tickets/confirmation for visa application, though it’s not mentioned anywhere under required documents for visa.

I’m surprised that it isn’t mentioned. Return flight tickets are mandatory for any Visa 🙂

Hi … Me and my wife are travelling to Austria and Czeh Republic for 16 days with 9 days in Austria and hence applying from the Austrian Embassy. I am also doing two day trips to Neuschwanstein Castle and Berchtesgaden Salt mines both being in Germany with our stay being in Innsbruck and Salzburg respectively on the day of the day trips.

In light of the above in the application form in Point 22 it mentions Member State (s) to visit should I mention only Austria OR Austria and Czeh Republic OR Austria Germany and CzehRepublic

Mention all the member states you are traveling to. Also check the multiple entry option in the application form

Hello I am applying for a schengen short term tourist visa. I am applying through the Netherlands embassy as I will be staying there for the longest. I have some queries.

1) This is a solo trip. I am male,single and in mid 20s. I have been to singapore last month as a tourist. Should I mention it in the cover letter indicating that I have traveled solo before and attach visa and stamp copies? Or should I avoid mentioning it?

2) I work For an IT company with a monthly salary of about 35k. I have been working there for about 2 years. and will show about 2 lakhs in my salary account with salary slips and ITR for 14 days trip. I still feel that this might not be enough to convince the authority. I am thinking of attaching my mother’s bank statements and ITR along with a letter. The thing is, I don’t want authorities to think that my mother is the sole sponsorer of this trip as I earn a descent amount of money .I am more inclined towards a middle path by writing something like this in the cover letter-‘The trip will be sponsored by myself. I will also carry my Mother’s international debit card linked to her salary account to deal with any unforeseen circumstances. Her Bank statements,ITR and letter of consent are attached”.

Is this recommended? Or should I change some words like “unforeseen circumstances”Please Reply

1. No need to mention Singapore trip. If you have been to Schengen countries earlier, then the application form asks for Visa number.

2. I feel 2L for a single person for 14 days should suffice. Attach your credit card statement to show that you have a credit card too.

Hi Ashwini, I am applying for Schengen through the Belgium consulate. I intend to travel to Brussels, Amsterdam and Paris and I will be flying in and out of Amsterdam. Here are my questions –

1. I am travelling solo, for the first time to Europe or anywhere. I am quitting work at my current organization and have a 3 week break until I join the new company. Would be using this break to travel. Would this by any chance be a problem and lead to rejection? I have clearly stated in my cover letter about this and would be attaching the resignation confirmation and new job offer letter, and as well as confirmed return ticket and accomodation details (booking.com no pre payment reservations). 2. Is it okay to apply through Belgium consulate and not Netherlands (as my country of entry and exit is this)? 3. How long does it usually take to receive the visa? I am getting my tickets for 5th May.

Thanks in advance

1. Should not be a problem 2. If you are staying max number of days in Belgium, this is fine. 3. 15 working days is what they say.

Thank you so much. This is very helpful. I was hoping you could help me with some questions. I am travelling to italy for a month with my boyfriend. During my stay in Italy i will be staying with my BF family for 18 days. During my stay there i will be attending a wedding and also seeing the amalafi coast. After the 18 days period we will be visiting Rome, Venice and Florence. I will be applying a visa for myself only since my BF is a Canadian Citizen. I hold a Permenant Residence here in Canada. I was told if i am applying for a private visa to not mention Tourism. I am currently working full time as an Account Manager but i will be resigning before my trip. This is because i will be going to College full time when i come back.

1) Do i have to let the embassy know that i will be going other places in italy? ( i was going to say i am staying with my BF family for all the 30 days) 2) Is proof of school letter station start date enough to show them that i will be returning( including my return flight) 3)If i am applying for a private visa do i have to tell them i will also be visiting Amalafi while at my sponsers? 4) I do not want to ask my sponser to get statements of their bank. Can i mention that i will be supporting myself as well and show my own bank account and sufficient funds. ( how much $ is needed to show for about 28 days) While i will be staying with my sponser?

Thank you so much!!

1. If you are traveling within Italy and not going out of the country, then its not needed to mention. 2. Yes. Should suffice. Mention that in cover letter 3. No need. Just mention in cover letter that you will be staying with your Bf’s family. Ask them for an invitation letter stating that they are inviting you to stay with them. Attach it with your docs 4. Showing your bank details will be enough. The amount depends on the country you stay. Ask your local VFS office or check their website for these details.

Hey, I wish to apply for Shengen visa next week from France Embassy. I have already drafted a cover letter, would you be able to check it and let me know of any improvements? really appreciate.

Please mail me to [email protected]

I have WP120 visa for Switzerland and wish to get Tourist visa for my wife and son (3yr old) to stay with me for a period of 75 days. Can you please help me with covering letter and/or invitation letter that my wife should submit along with her visa application form. Trip would be sponsored by me but my wife also has sufficienct balance in her bank account. Please do let me know if you have any other suggestions for visa application.

Thank you in advance.

I’ve already mentioned the cover letter format in this article. Please go through it thoroughly. Showing her bank statement is fine if she has good balance.

Hi, Thanks for such an informative post….. great job My query is that i am getting married on july 15th and leaving on morning of july 18th morning for a 7 day trip covering amsterdam, antwerpen & paris. the issue is i wont be having a marriage certificate while i apply for me and my to-be wife’s visa. I will be taking care of all the expenses for travel. i am not sure about which documents should i place for my wife’s visa application

Try attaching the wedding invitation card and mention the same in your cover letter.

Hi, Did you attach invitation while submitting application ? Any other document that would require particularly to apply visa along with my fiancee ?

Hi I have a query. I am a practicing as a advocate. as I only few months back started my practice so that’s why I never filled tax,itr etc. I want to visit Belgium(20 days) to visit my sister she is staying there with her husband. can my father sponser me for the same and please share format for sponser letter and cover letter

Cover letter is already in the post. In addition to Sponsor Letter, you will need an invitation letter from your sister inviting you to their home and they need to mention that you shall be staying with them. The format will be a usual formal letter format with your details, purpose and intent of travel.

hi, I Am applying for a Shengen visa in germany, but will also be visiting hungary, austria, czech republic and poland, is the hostel reservation through booking.com valid, as in their email they show free cancellation date and also no prepayment required , so will those hostel booking will be valid. Also is it ok if i book a return flight from another country and city. Also One of my school friend works in berlin, and will be staying with him for couple of days, so is it ok to mention that in the letter to the embassy and do i have to get a letter from mentioning that i will be staying with him for couple of days and the whole trip will be self sponsored. Also would like to know i have resigned from my current job , and will be look for a new job after my return from my vacation , so will that be ok.

1. Hostel bookings are valid. Make sure you have your name on those. 2. Flight- Not an issue. Make sure you apply visa to the country which you will be staying the max number of days 3. Stay with friend – Yes, an invitation letter from him is needed. If you want to avoid the hassle, do bookings with free cancellation and then cancel those when your visa is stamped. 4. Job – Will not be a problem. Mention the same in cover letter. Also add a line that your family and work commitments are deep rooted here and you will have to return to your home country to fulfil those and you are visiting Europe just for tourism purpose.

hello, I have got an LOI from a reputed airline in India,and they wants me to do a short term ( 75 days )course from Madrid. once i get it done i will be employed by them.i have also received the invitation letter from the training centre from Madrid. My dad is sponsoring my course fee and all other expenses for the trip.He is getting a loan from a private firm for the same.

Now to apply for the visa (business) they wants the IT returns or form 16 which my dad doesnt have. He is retired and used to be an NRI. so my query is this, what other supporting documents can i produce ? (apart from my own personal bank statement and my dads )

Please call the VFS Helpline to get clarification on this.

Hello, thanks for the informative blogpost. I’m traveling with my friend who is applying as well for a short stay tourist visa at the French embassy, however we live in different states and plan on applying at the embassy in our respective states in Nigeria rather than as a group. Is it okay if I indicate that I will be traveling with my friend in my cover letter. (Note that all hotel reservations were made in both our names)

I think this should be fine. Can you please call VFS helpline and confirm with them?

Sorry but spelling mistake – The Honourable Consulate not Honorable.

Thanks for your concern 🙂 Please have a look at this: https://wikidiff.com/honourable/honorable

Hi, i have couple of questions. 1. I would be visiting 3 Schengen countries in one trip, should i be applying for a single entry or multiple entry visa? I plan to reach France then Switzerland then Iceland which are all Schengen members. 2. I would be applying the visa at France consulate (because it is the only consulate closer to me) by showing trip to 1 country only but i plan to visit 3 later on. Once the visa is issued, can i still travel as per my plan or is it a problem? I have read that once the visa is issued, you can travel to any Schengen country.

1. Multiple Entry Visa 2. You can but if you show one country in your itinerary and tick the multiple entry option, there are high chances that they will approve it as a single entry visa. So make your move carefully.

Hi Ashwini Actually i researched on it meanwhile and found that single entry visa means entry to Schengen members while staying in Schengen members. It doesn’t mean single country. So as long as you are staying inside the Schengen region (it can be one country or more) without going out of this region, single visit is sufficient. Multiple visit means for example, India to France then to UK (which is outside Schengen) then to Italy.

I agree. Thats what we had been told when we went to Sweden last year where, though we had applied for ‘Multiple entry’ visa, we were granted only a ‘Single entry’ visa. So we too went by this defination and thought we can explore Paris for a few hours in our long layover at France, but the immigration folks didn’t allow us to step out of the airport a this was a ‘Single Entry’ visa.

For the same reason, we were scared if we would be allowed inside Iceland or not. But,in Iceland, we had no problems as we had flown in from Sweden which is a Schengen country. So, I cannot guarantee that the statement holds good, as I have been a personal victim to prove that definition wrong!

Hi, I would be travelling to three countries France, Belgium and Netherlands in September. I’m applying at the Netherlands embassy. Onward flight is from India to Paris(transfer at Doha) and return is from Amsterdam(transfer at Moscow). Can you tell me if I should take a single or multiple entry Visa? Thanks in advance

Mulitple Entry Visa

Hi Ashwini, I’m a first time traveller to Europe, it would really help if you could tell me the reason why I would need a multiple entry visa if all the member states I intend to visit are in the Schengen area. Also, what reason should I mention about this in the cover letter Thanks

Please check the above comment

Sir, I am Sudip Panday from Nepal Will you please give your email address so that I can ask some of the personal information regarding visa application ?

Please write to us at [email protected]

Hi my mom went her son home Italy two time with my father ,now she is trying to go alone , so she is housewife. is she can show enough money into bank for her expenses ?

Yes. She can show money in her account and can self sponsor.

Hi Ashwini! My wife is resident of Finland and she is inviting me and my mother for a visit visa.I am currently working as Assistant Manager Mechanical engineer in a private firm and also have last 05 years ITR and all other official working documents,.I am applying through Netherlands embassy.I have some queries. 1. I book an appointment with my mother but she is paying for her whole trip she have strong bank statement,Pension slips and agricultural as well as residential property so is it fine to put my application with her? or should we apply separate as our insurance and applications are separate too. 2. Finnish embassy is not in my country and Netherlands embassy is accepting applications on behalf of Finland. So whom should i address in my cover letter? Finland embassy or Netherlands embassy? 3. About travel Itinerary,I am travelling to Finland and then we have plan to visit Sweden and i also have booked a hotel in Sweden through Agoda.com, so should we just write our visit to finland and sweden? and do we need to mention places in finland and sweden we intend to visit? Ps. I will stay in Finland for almost 1 month and my mother will stay for 2 months.Please answer according to that In Itinerary question Thanks, Need your suggestions soon as i have appointment on this tuesday

Answering your question pointwise:

1. Mention in cover letter that you both are travelling together but have different sources of income which are stable and strong, hence applying separately with different set of documents but will be staying and travelling together. 2. In a similar situation, My sister applied Iceland visa last year through Denmark embassy as it is one which processes Iceland visa in our country. Her cover letter started like this. FYI, she got her visa approved in time.

July 20, 2017 The Honorable Consulate Embassy of Denmark 11, Golf Links, New Delhi Delhi 110003 India

Dear Sir/Madam, I would like to apply for Schengen Visa to spend a holiday in two European countries – Iceland and Sweden, this August 20 to September 2, 2017. I am applying through your Honorable Consulate Denmark as Iceland is my main destination and will be staying here maximum number of days and will be flying in and out of Reykjavik. Myself and my wife are travelling together on this trip. Tourism is the main purpose of our visit, to see the beautiful landscapes and experience the rich culture and heritage offered by both the countries

Arrival date | Departure date | Days | City(Country) 20 August 2017 | 21 August 2017 | 1 | Stockholm(Sweden) 21 August 2017 | 31 September 2017 11 | Reykjavik – Bruarfoss – Vik – Hof – Detifoss – Husavik – Latrabjarg -Reykjavik (Iceland) 1 September 2017 | 1 September 2017 | 1 | Reykjavik (Iceland) – Stockholm(Sweden)

……(continues)

P.S: Above itinerary was in table format. Couldn’t paste it in the same format. Please make a table.

3. I hope the above snapshot of my sister’s cover letter would have given you an idea about the answer for this question.

P.S: An invitation letter from your wife with her proof of residence must be attached with both of your documents and don’t forget to mention in the cover letter that you both are being invited by her and that the invitation doc is attached.

hello, i applied to france embassy and i got rejected today. me and my husband planning to travel France ( Paris) and Netherland (AMsterdam) from 4th Nov to 11th Nov. i am working and i have all documents from ITR papers to work leave letter and enough funds in account. Problem is my Husband only got 1 year ITR paper that is 2018 and he is working as share trader and handle clients but as freelancer. so how to show sponsor and what to mentioned on cover letter. who can be sponsor??? we both have funds in accounts but as he is freelancer is it going to hamper our visa decision?? can you please guide me how to make changes in our profile and get visa for france second time?? what all documents we show as to show ties to come back to home country??? i have my all bookings done. Flights and hotels all booked. i want visa to go.. please guide me

Try mentioning that you have strong family ties back here in India. Have a home and job to join back(for you) and projects to finish(for him). Otherwise, I guess, you have all req documents in place.

Hi, I’m from Mumbai & intend to travel to the Czech Republic for a few days. I am a confused as to whom the cover letter should be addressed, should it be addressed to the Embassy in Delhi or to their Honorary Consulate in Mumbai?

Don’t think that would matter as much as the content inside the cover letter. Either one would do

Me and my husband are planning to Go to Prague and Italy in Jan.We are applying to Prague as we are staying there for max. no of days as well as it being the country of entry.

The issue is I have been working for only 1.5 yrs and have 1 yr IT return document. Also my account shows liquid cash of 1.5 lakhs (FD of 1 lakh is there too but not liquid) Husband only got 3 year ITR paper and also approx 3 lakh cash in account. I am mentioning that I am working also submitting all docs(statements, NOC etc)

So whom to show as sponsor on my cover letter ?? Should I show self/joint/ husband as the sponsor on my letter? Please let me know.

You can say that you are sponsoring yourself.

Hi. Great Post. I have dropped you an email for further queries on my solo trip to Europe coming Feb. Hope to see a response. Thanks.

Hi , Thanks for your valuable post. I just wanted to know one thing , do I need to download the application form from the VFS Italy and then fill it out with a Pen. Otherwise there seems no other option, because attached is a PDF file on the website. The only option seems to be download the file and then fill it up with Pen. Can you please guide me to the correct way,

Yes, download it and take a print and fill it by hand.

Hi, Thank you for bringing up such a wonderful post. I have question before proceeding further for Schengen visa. I stay in Bangalore and my parents stay in Odisha. Their passports are issued recently in Odisha. Can we all apply together in Bangalore Vfs? If yes, do I need to mention that parents stays with me in Bangalore? P:S, I have to show their bank statement as well in support to show sufficient finances.

They can apply with you I guess. Please call VFS helpline and confirm

Hi Ashwini…I read all your comments respective of all questions you gave useful tips. So helpful. Thanks. Here is my Question…… I planning to travel with my minor kids to Malta…If i will get the Malta visa, can i book the ticket to France to visit the places in france and return from France.

If you plan so, please mention the same in cover letter and do all the bookings. Last time, we had a 6 hour layover in Paris and officials there did not allow us to go out though France was in Schengen and said that we did nit have a multiple entry visa. So mention that in cover letter and ask for a multiple entry access.

Hi, can you please help me with ‘covering letter for long term student visa’? I am from India and would be traveling to Italy for masters. Can you share if any examples?

The format is the same except the itinerary in the table form. Convince them that you are going there to study with all the related documents.

Hi Ashwini, i want to apply for a Schenegen Visa from French embassy. I am travelling with a group of 9 friends. Do i need to mention their names or passport numbers in the cover letter or attach their passport copies in the documents?

Well, 9 friends. Hmm.. Don’t think its required. It’ll be too much information and can confuse the embassy officer!

Hi. I am visiting germany for a conference (business visa) and i have hotel bookings for all the days in Berlin. But if time permits i might visit france and amsterdam.Now my doubt is..do i need to mention about the probable countries i might visit in the visa application form question no.22 where the column asks for ‘Member state (s) of destination’ ?

If you are going by road to France and Amsterdam, Then I dont think you need to mention that as there will rarely be checks on the road inside Schengen area. Otherwise, I guess, you must have to.

Hi ashwini,

i’m kranthi and Am applying for Student Visa( D-Visa) to Spain. I almost Completed with my Documents part . Preparing for Cover letter and this blog really helped me . Do you have any suggestion format for Student Visa as such a Sample Cover letter. Because the program Duration will be 18 months . i dont have any Accommodation proof because i have to go and find it out. But college gave me confirmation letter saying they will provide Accommodation but they didn’t mention address in specific .Should i mention this in my Cover letter

Yes. Please mention this in the cover letter.

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Get Cover Letter for Schengen Visa in 5 minutes

Table of contents.

A Schengen Visa may be required for your European travels. You can travel freely inside the 26-nation Schengen area of Europe with this type of visa.

A “ Cover Letter for a Schengen Visa ” is a letter that you compose and send together with your other Schengen Visa application to the Schengen Embassy. You and the embassy officer engage in the form of a cover letter in which you lay out your itinerary and your case for acceptance. Knowing how to format a cover letter for a Schengen Visa request is of the utmost importance because the result of the visa request may depend on it.

In continuation of our series of documents required for Schengen visa , this post will help visa applicants know how to get a cover letter (also called personal cover letter or visa letter) for a Schengen visa with examples of the same as well as how to get your cover letter in under 5 minutes.

You can download BlinkDocs App to make your cover letter using AI.

What is a Cover Letter for Visa?

This letter is written to the embassy or consulate of the country you plan to visit and  provides information about your trip, including your travel dates, the reason for your visit, and any additional information that may support your visa application .

Is A Cover Letter Needed For Schengen Visa Application ?

Yes. Even though it is not required. Almost all visas need us to bring a cover letter. Here is the VFS page, which says a cover letter should be sent with the visa application.

What Is the Purpose of a Cover Letter for Visa Application?

• A cover letter for visa application is important because it provides the embassy or consulate with important information about your trip and your financial status. This letter can help demonstrate that you are a genuine visitor and that you have strong ties to your home country.
• Cover letters are required to contact visa embassy officials.
• Your cover letter  complements your resume by making it easy for the employer to see how your experience and interest connect to the position .
• You can’t contact visa officials to provide them with your info. Many embassies use VFS to collect and deliver applicant documents and passports.
• Because immigration officials make their decisions on your information, you should prepare a cover letter for visa application explaining the circumstance.

Why a Cover Letter for Visa is Necessary?

Your cover letter is the first thing the visa officials will read when your visa application comes across their desk. This is because  it shows that you are serious about your trip and want to return to your home country .

What Should a Cover Letter Include When Applying for a Schengen Visa?

When writing a Cover Letter for Visa , you must include information about your complete trip, such as:

• 𝐁𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
• 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟
• 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲
• 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬
• 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐟
• 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
• 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲
• 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠

If you were unable to provide any of the essential papers, please explain why.

Schengen Visa Types for Travel to Europe

If you intend to travel to one or more European nations in this region, you must apply for a Schengen Visa for the following reasons:

• Single Entry Visa
• Double Entry Visa
• Multiple Entry Visa
• Limited Territorial Validity Visa (LTV)
• National Visas
• Airport Transit Visa
• Transit Visa

You might be given a single-entry, double-entry, or multiple-entry visa by the Schengen consulate, depending on how frequently you travel and the reason for each journey.

The number of days specified on your visa application form and the actual decision made by the embassy is what determines how long your single-entry visa will be valid.

If you are applying for a Schengen visa, you might have seen that a Cover letter is required. It is essential to understand how to create a Cover Letter for a Schengen Visa Application because the result of the application may be dependent on it.

Good Cover Letter Writing Advice for Visa Applications

Subject: Include the purpose of your letter in one line.

Salutation: Address the embassy or consulate with “Dear Sir/Madam,” or a specific name or title if known. Purpose of Trip: Clearly indicate why you are traveling, whether it is for vacation, business, or studying abroad.

You must go by a few guidelines if you want to ensure that your visa application is excellent and error-free. You can better understand the letter by using the suggestions we’ve given you. Look over the advice provided below.

• It’s crucial to write concisely and clearly when creating a cover letter for a visa application.
• Keep your wording simple and concentrate on getting your point through. To make it simpler for the reader to follow your material, organize it using bullet points and subheadings.
• Put emphasis on the reason you are traveling, and be as specific as you can about your plan.
• Include any documentation that supports your allegations, such as tickets for flights or hotels and bank records.
• It’s also crucial to provide evidence of your ties to your home country, like a job, ownership of property, or obligations to your family.
• Last but not least, carefully proofread your letter to make sure it contains no grammatical or spelling issues.

Schengen Visa Cover Letter Example

Date: Immigration Officer [Embassy Name] [Embassy Address] [Embassy Phone Number]

Subject: Cover letter Schengen Visitor Visa to [Desired Country] with Passport No.

Greetings, Sir/Madam

I’d like to apply for a Schengen visa to visit [country name] between [input date DD/MM/YY].

I’m on a tourism trip to [country name]. I can’t wait to see [country name’s] diverse cuisines and cultures while visiting a variety of tourist destinations such as [add destinations you want to see]. Furthermore, I want to visit [city name(s)] to have the whole tourist experience.

[Include your itinerary or schedule, as well as any additional details about your plans.]

While in [country name], I intend to stay at the following hotels: [Name and address of the hotel] – [day/month/year] [Name and address of the hotel] – [day/month/year]

I am currently employed at [business name] in the position of [job]. I have been given permission to take the aforementioned vacation days. Furthermore, I will financially support myself for my trip by [offering financial means].

I’ve attached all of the documentation required for my Visa application. I am convinced that you will find everything in order. If you have any inquiries or requests, reach out to me.

Thank you for taking note of my obedience.

Sincerely, [Your Entire Name] [Your Home Address]

Where should I submit the Cover Letter for Schengen Visa?

Depending on where you are asking from, here are some places where you can send your Schengen Visa application:

• A consulate or embassy of the Schengen country you are in.
• If the country you want to visit doesn’t have a foreign mission in your home country, you can go to the Embassy or Consulate of another Schengen country.
• A business that helps people get visas. The Embassy or Consulate of the Schengen country you are visiting has hired this business to handle visa applications.
• Remember that if you want to visit more than one country, you should send your application to the Embassy or Consulate of the first country you want to see.

How long is the validity of a Schengen visa in Europe?

The new Schengen visa regime, which gives frequent Indian travellers access to multi-year visas for  up to 5 years , will increase the outbound travel from India to European destinations, said travel industry mavens.

Under the new Schengen visa regime, Indians will now be able to enter any of these European countries multiple times for  two years, which is further extendable by 5 years , and stay there like visa-free nationals.

The type of visa issued by a specific embassy or consulate of any Schengen country, as well as the purpose of the visit, and other relevant criteria, all affect the limits that apply to a certain visa. However, the most popular visa can only be utilized for 90 days every six months, beginning on the day of departure.

You can apply for a 5 visa to the EU if you go worldwide. Nonetheless, even if you hold a multiple-entry visa valid for up to 5 years in Europe, you must remember that you cannot stay in the Schengen Area for more than 90 days at a time.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What format should a cover letter follow.

A copy of the cover letter, which must be in A4 size and solely in English, must be attached to your visa application.

Length – The ideal cover letter would be a single page made up of three paragraphs.

Margins and alignment – Use your margins to ensure that the letter looks professional.

File format –  Use a file format that is compatible with an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), typically .doc or PDF .

This article contains

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Should you mention all travellers in Schengen visa cover letter?

3 of us are planning to apply for an Icelandic visa from India. Just to be clear and transparent, in the cover letter, we want to mention the details of the other 2 along with the passport numbers that we are flying together.

The problem:

No appointments are available for the same date.

Should we still mention the details of the other 2 travellers in our cover letters?

• schengen-visas

• Will you only travel if all three of you can go or will one or two of you still go if not? –  Willeke ♦ Commented Dec 23, 2023 at 15:18
• This must be a common problem for families too, who need individual visas. Could you write a joint letter requesting an interview together? –  Weather Vane Commented Dec 23, 2023 at 19:29
• @Willeke yes, the trip can only happen if all 3 are going. –  Siddharth Thevaril Commented Dec 24, 2023 at 13:31
• @WeatherVane VFS Global handles Visa appointments here. Are you suggesting we should write a joint letter to VFS? –  Siddharth Thevaril Commented Dec 24, 2023 at 13:32

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How To Apply For Schengen Iceland Visa For Filipinos [Iceland Schengen Visa Guide For Filipinos]

Want to see the Northern Lights? Or Famous filming locations?! Here’s our guide for Filipinos about applying for a Schengen Iceland Visa  with your Philippines passport.

Did you recently see Through Night and Day? Or perhaps, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga? If not, perhaps Game of Thrones – the North? Those were shot in a fascinating country called Iceland. In this Nordic Nation with snow, volcanoes, and magical elves, it’s in many people’s bucket-list. Don’t miss out as you journey in the land of Ice and Fire.

• DENIED Schengen Visa – How to File and Write an Appeal for a Rejected Schengen Visa (With a Sample Letter Template)
• How To Provide Proof of Onward Travel – Rent a Flight Ticket
• What Will Happen If You Overstay On Your Schengen Visa?
• 15 Best Things to do in Iceland [with Suggested Tours]
• List of the Best Backpacker Hostels in Iceland

Before setting foot in this country, Filipinos need to have a Schengen Visa. If you don’t know how, check out this article! Go to Iceland Schengen Visa with your Philippines passport.

Table of Contents

Fun Facts about Iceland

• Iceland the Land of Ice and Fire has glaciers and volcanoes
• There are no surnames in Iceland and new first names should be approved by the naming community
• It’s one of the nations that are popular in whaling but they have somewhat stopped hunting already
• There are many tiny houses in the country, locals believe that elves live there
• Many films and series were filled here: Game of Thrones, Batman, Thor, Captain America, and Star Wars are some examples
• Björk is an Icelander
• Until 1989, Beer was banned in the country and was considered illegal
• 3 UNESCO World Heritage Sites are located in Iceland
• The Arctic Fox is the only local animal from Iceland as most were imported from other countries
• Iceland is a Nordic Country along with Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden

Iceland Representation in the Philippines

Royal Norwegian Embassy in Manila Address:  12th Floor, DelRosarioLaw Centre, 21st Drive Corner 20th Dr, Taguig, 1630 Contact Details:  (02) 5317 2700 Office Hours:  Monday – Friday: 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM

The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Bangkok represents Iceland in the Philippines and they are in charge of visa applications. However, you need to apply to the VFS Center in Manila.

Who can apply for Schengen Iceland Visa in the Philippines

• If you are only visiting Iceland or Norway in the Schengen Area;
• For those who are traveling around the Schengen Area but stays in Iceland
• Or if your first entry is in Iceland and you’ll go to other Schengen Countries in equal length

Documents Required in Applying for Schengen Iceland Visa

1. Application Form via a cover letter –  You may apply for it online through this Application Portal . Print and sign the form.

2. One Passport-Sized Photo  – recently taken

3. Original and Valid Passport – with at least 2 blank pages and must be valid for a minimum of 6 months

4. Copy of the Passport – the bio-page, visa, and stamps (old and new)

5. Proof of Accommodation – hotel bookings or confirmation

6. Daily itinerary

7. Proof of Financial Means – bank certificates, bank and credit card statements for the last 6 months (for minors, submit the parent or legal guardian’s financial documents)

8. Own Means or Properties Documents – a copy of Land Titles, Car Registration, Condominium Certificate of Title, etc.;

9. Strong Family Ties Proof – your marriage certificate or birth certificate of your children if you have any;

10. Occupation Proof

• Employed: Original Employment Certificate or work contract with applicant’s position, length of service, salary, and duration of approved leave of absence. Check this article:  Sample Template – No Objection Letter Template for your Visa Application
• Self-Employed: DTI or SEC Registration and latest Income Tax Returns
• Students: Original enrollment certificate from the school or proof of enrollment, if during a school period, then Leave of Absence from School

11. Photocopy of a roundtrip airfare ticket – you don’t need to buy one as a reservation is only needed. Renting a flight is highly recommended.

12. Photocopy of Travel Insurance – covering at least EURO 30,000 for your stay in the Schengen Area. AXA Schengen is recommended.

Requirements for Minors

• PSA Birth Certificate
• Affidavit of Support and consent of parents or legal guardian
• Photocopy of DSWD travel clearance
• Copy of parents’ or legal guardian’s passport or government-issued ID

How to Apply for Schengen Iceland Visa

STEP 1: Create an Account with the Application Portal . Click “New Application Form” and apply for a Visit Visa. Review your form and pay the required fees. Print and Sign this.

STEP 2: Gather the rest of your required documents.

STEP 3: Book an appointment at the VFS Center here .

Visa Application Centre – Manila Ground Floor, Ecoplaza Bldg. Don Chino Roces Ave. Makati City, Metro Manila

Visa Application Centre – Cebu Unit 503, 5th Floor, Keppel Center Samar Loop cor. Cardinal Rosales Avenue Cebu Business Park

STEP 4: Go to the VFS Center to submit all your documents. Your fingerprints and photo will be taken. Pay the necessary additional fees.

STEP 5: Wait for the results!

STEP 6 : Get your passport at the application center or through courier. Bring a copy of the bio page of your passport and receipt when claiming; you can claim it in the center from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM, Mondays to Fridays.

Visa Processing Fee for Schengen Iceland Visa

VFS Service Fee: PHP 1,502

Visa Fee : EURO 80 For 6-12 years : EURO 40

Processing time: It is usually 15 days. However, the Embassy may take up to 45 days to process your application and may ask for additional documentation and further verifications.

Frequently Asked Questions About Schengen Iceland Visa

1. How long can I travel with my Short Stay Visa?

You can stay in Iceland and the Schengen Area for a maximum of 90 days for a 180 day period.

2. Is an interview mandatory?

It is not necessary. However, you may be called for an interview at the Embassy if they see something wrong with your documents, or they want some clarification with the purpose of your stay.

3. Should I submit a cover letter?

It is not a requirement, but it’s highly recommended. A Cover Letter can help you explain your situation and circumstances to the Visa Officer.

4. Do I need to buy a plane ticket before my application?

No, you only need a confirmed booking with a PRN. Renting a flight is highly recommended; we have this service available.

5. What is the best insurance to use?

AXA Schengen is highly recommended. They will completely refund your payment in case your visa doesn’t get approved. No risk at all.

6. What if my visa gets rejected? What should I do?

You can file a Remonstrance Letter or file another application from another EU Embassy.

That’s the guide on how you can get a Schengen Iceland Visa. I hope you enjoy your trip to this gorgeous Island of Ice and Fire. In case you need help with your visa application, you can get our visa application bundle service . Good luck!

About the Writer

Hey, I’m Lyza! I once was a person who just imagined going to places “one day” but decided to pursue my dreams. My first travel abroad was in Japan, solo, last 2018, and fell in love with the journey since. I’m aiming to visit 10 countries before turning 30 and 2 new places in the Philippines every year. Besides traveling, I love organizing trips, photography, reading, and making new friends. Follow my adventures through my  Instagram .

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3 thoughts on “ How To Apply For Schengen Iceland Visa For Filipinos [Iceland Schengen Visa Guide For Filipinos] ”

Are filipino’s allowed to travel abroad now? I mean would the immigration at the airport in Manila allow you to leave as long as you have a valid visa?

Hi Ma’am Lyza, I am a government employee for 30 years. How I wish to travel to Iceland as tourist to see volcanoes, blue lagoon, glaciers and a beautiful phenomenon aurora borealis. I want also to visit some interesting places and to know their culture. I got visa from China, 2xKorea, 2xJapan and Taiwan for the last 5 years. I am senior citizen and as ordinary employee I have my savings but no half million. I have Icelander boyfriend for 3 mos, senior citizen too. Can I get Shengen visa? Thank you.

You can get po – but it’s better if your relationship is stronger – meeting at another country or being together for a year as 3 months is a bit tricky

you can also read this – https://mrandmrshowe.com/lifestyle-blog/retired-senior-citizen-visa

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• Entering and staying in the UK
• Rights of foreign nationals in the UK
• Rights of nationals from outside the EU and EEA
• Right to work checks: an employer's guide
• Immigration Enforcement
• UK Visas and Immigration

Employer's guide to right to work checks: 21 June 2024 (accessible version)

Updated 2 July 2024

© Crown copyright 2024

This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: [email protected] .

Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.

This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/right-to-work-checks-employers-guide/employers-guide-to-right-to-work-checks-21-june-2024-accessible-version

21 June 2024

About this guidance

This guidance advises an employer how to conduct a right to work check and sets out the specific actions you can take to prevent liability for a civil penalty. This is called ‘establishing a statutory excuse against liability for a penalty’.

This guidance applies to right to work checks conducted on or after 13 June 2024 to establish or retain a statutory excuse from having to pay a civil penalty for employing a person who is not permitted to do the work in question.

Previous versions of this guidance

Where the employment commenced on or after 29 February 2008, and a statutory excuse was established for the duration of that person’s employment before 16 May 2014, the document checks set out in the ‘Full guide for employers on preventing illegal working in the UK’ published in October 2013 continue to apply.

Where the employment commenced on or after 16 May 2014, and a statutory excuse was established for the duration of that person’s employment before 28 January 2019, the document checks set out in the ‘Employer’s guide to right to work check’ , last published on 29 June 2018, continue to apply.

For example, since 16 May 2014, for those people in the UK who require permission to work and reside, an immigration endorsement must be in a current passport to demonstrate a right to work. However, if you conducted a check between 29 February 2008 and 15 May 2014 and accepted an immigration endorsement in a passport that had expired or has since expired, your statutory excuse continues because this was an acceptable document at the time you conducted the check. You are only required to conduct follow up checks on an employee if their right to work is time-limited.

Since 28 January 2019, employers have been able to rely on the Home Office online service, ‘Check a job applicant’s right to work: use their share code’ to establish a statutory excuse.

Where the employment commenced on or after 28 January 2019, and a statutory excuse was established for the duration of that person’s employment before 1 January 2021, the document checks set out in the ‘Employer’s guide to right to work checks’ , last published on 28 January 2019, continue to apply.

Where the employment of an EEA citizen or non-EEA family member commenced on or after 1 January 2021, and a statutory excuse was established for the duration of that person’s employment before 1 July 2021, the document checks set out in the ‘Employer’s guide to right to work checks’ , last updated on 17 March 2021, continue to apply.

Applicants to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) have their rights protected whilst their application is determined. Where the employment of an EEA citizen or non-EEA family member commenced on or after 1 July 2021, and a statutory excuse was established for the duration of that person’s employment before 31 August 2021, the document checks set out in ‘An employer’s guide to right to work checks’ continue to apply. Where the employment of an EEA citizen or non-EEA family member commenced on or after 31 August 2021, and a statutory excuse was established for the duration of that person’s employment, the document checks set out in the relevant employer’s guide at the time of the check continue to apply (guidance: 31 August 2021 , 17 January 2022 or 6 April 2022 ).

On 6 April 2022, changes came into force regarding the use of biometric cards. Holders can no longer use their physical card as evidence of a right to work, and are now required to use the Home Office online service. Changes also enabled employers to use Identity Document Validation Technology (IDVT) via the services of an Identity Service Provider (IDSP) to complete the digital identity verification element of right to work checks for British and Irish citizens who hold a valid passport (including Irish passport cards). Therefore, where employment commenced on or after 6 April 2022, and a statutory excuse was established for the duration of that person’s employment before 26 January 2023, the document checks set out in the ‘Employer’s guide to right to work checks’ , updated on 6 April 2022, continue to apply

On 26 January 2023, changes were made to enable some individuals with an outstanding, in-time application for permission to stay in the UK, or an appeal, or administrative review (3C leave) to prove their right to work using the Home Office online checking service. Therefore, where employment commenced on or after 26 January 2023, and a statutory excuse was established for the duration of that person’s employment before 17 October 2023, the document checks set out in the ‘ Employer’s guide to right to work checks ’, updated on 28 February 2023, continue to apply.

On 9 August 2023, changes were made to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) to tackle spurious applications and prevent abuse of the EUSS Certificate of Application (CoA). For a late application to the EUSS made from 9 August 2023 to be valid and a CoA issued, the applicant needs to show the Home Office there are reasonable grounds for their delay in making their application.

On 18 October 2023, changes reflected that employers are no longer required to verify a digital Certificate of Application (CoA) with the Employer Checking Service (ECS) when conducting a right to work online check involving an outstanding EUSS application made on or after 1 July 2021. Therefore, where the employment of an EEA citizen or non-EEA family member commenced on or after 17 October 2023, and a statutory excuse was established for the duration of that person’s employment before 13 February 2024, the document checks set out in the ‘Employer’s guide to right to work checks’, last updated on 18 October 2023, continue to apply.

On 13 February 2024 changes came into force to reflect that the civil penalty for employers, which was last increased in 2014, will be raised up to £45,000 per illegal worker for a first breach from £15,000, and up to £60,000 for repeat breaches from £20,000.

Summary of changes in this issue of the guidance

This guidance was last updated on 21 June 2024.

The most significant updates contained in this guidance relate to:

Right to work checks involving EEA citizens and their non-EEA family members with presettled status under the EUSS.

Clarification on the role of the Department for Science and Innovation Technology (DSIT), within the accreditation process of IDSPs and holding a certificate against a current version of the UK Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework (UKDIATF).

Clarification on follow-up checks involving holders of short-dated Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) and the Home Office transition to online evidence of immigration status (eVisa).

Application Registration Card (ARC) holders granted permission to work in jobs on the Shortage Occupation List or Immigration Salary List. In addition, clarification on follow-up checks of this cohort via the Home Office Employer Checking Service (ECS).

Clarification that List A, item 6 of the acceptable documents list also includes consular birth certificates.

1. Introduction

All employers in the UK have a responsibility to prevent illegal working. You do this by conducting simple right to work checks before you employ someone, to make sure the individual is not disqualified from carrying out the work in question by reason of their immigration status.

This guidance provides information on how and when to conduct a right to work check. You should also refer to the following documents:

Code of practice on preventing illegal working: Civil penalty scheme for employer

Code of practice for employers: avoiding unlawful discrimination while preventing illegal working

If you conduct the checks as set out in this guide and the code of practice, you will have a statutory excuse against liability for a civil penalty in the event you are found to have employed someone, who is disqualified from carrying out the work in question, by reason of their immigration status. This means that if we find that you have employed someone who does not have the right to do the work in question, but you have correctly conducted right to work checks as required, you will not receive a civil penalty for the illegal worker in question.

In addition to the codes of practice and this guidance, there are a range of tools available on GOV.UK to support you in conducting right to work checks.

Why do we need to prevent illegal working?

The ability to work illegally is a driver of illegal migration. It leaves people vulnerable to exploitation and results in unscrupulous employers undercutting compliant businesses. It can also negatively impact on the wages of lawful workers and is linked to other labour market abuse such as tax evasion, breach of the national minimum wage and exploitative working conditions, including modern slavery in the most serious cases.

Legislation

The law on preventing illegal working is set out in sections 15 to 25 of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 (the 2006 Act), section 24B of the Immigration Act 1971 , and Schedule 6 of the Immigration Act 2016 .

The 2006 Act replaced section 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 (the 1996 Act) in respect of employment commencing on or after 29 February 2008.

Under section 15 of the 2006 Act, an employer may be liable for a civil penalty if they employ someone who does not have the right to undertake the work in question if that person commenced employment on or after 29 February 2008.

Who is this guidance relevant for?

Employers, including their Human Resource staff and those staff within the same business with delegated responsibility for the recruitment and employment of individuals, should read this guidance to understand their responsibility to correctly carry out right to work checks, and, therefore, ensure compliance with the law.

This guidance applies to employers who employ staff under a contract of employment, service or apprenticeship, whether express or implied and whether oral or in writing.

As the employer, you (and not the members of your staff carrying out the checks, whether they are your employees or workers engaged by your business) are liable for the civil penalty. Where you have used an Identity Service Provider (IDSP) to carry out digital identity checks on British and Irish citizens who hold a valid passport (including Irish passport cards), you will retain obligations set out in this guidance to ensure compliance under the Scheme. If you choose to use an IDSP, you (rather than the IDSP) are still liable for the civil penalty should the employee later be found to be working without the requisite permission and it is reasonably apparent the check has not been completed correctly. Other than where you use an IDSP for checks on British and Irish citizens who hold a valid passport (including Irish passport cards), you cannot establish a statutory excuse if the check is performed by a third party, such as a recruitment agency or your professional adviser.

Even if you are not the direct employer of the workers involved in your business, there are compelling reasons why you should seek to know that your workers have a right to work. If illegal workers are removed from your business, it may disrupt your operations and result in reputational damage. There could be adverse impacts on your health and safety and safeguarding obligations, as well as the potential invalidation of your insurance if the identity, qualifications, and skill levels of your workers are not as claimed. Accordingly, you may wish to check that your contractors conduct the correct right to work checks on people they employ.

References in this guidance

‘3C leave’ (Section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971) extends existing immigration permission, and any associated conditions, to a person who makes an ‘in-time’ application to extend their stay in the UK. ‘In-time’ means the application was made before the existing permission expired. The individual will continue to hold 3C leave while they are awaiting a decision on that application and while any appeal or administrative review they are entitled to is pending.

‘Breach’ means that section 15 of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 has been contravened by employing someone who is subject to immigration control; and

aged over 16; and

not allowed to carry out the work in question because either they have not been granted immigration permission or because their permission:

(i) is invalid;

(ii) has ceased to have effect (meaning it no longer applies) whether by reason of curtailment, revocation, cancellation, passage of time or otherwise; or

(iii) is subject to a condition preventing them from accepting the employment.

‘Certificate of Application’ (CoA) is a digital, or ’non-digital’, document which individuals can rely on to demonstrate their eligibility to work, rent, and access to benefits and services. This document is issued when a valid application is made to the EU Settlement Scheme.

‘Civil Penalty Notice’ means a notice given under section 15(2) of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 that requires an employer to pay a penalty of a specified amount.

‘Current document’ means a document that has not expired.

‘Document’ means an original document unless specified that a copy, electronic or screenshot is acceptable.

‘EEA’ means citizens of EEA countries or Switzerland.

The EEA countries are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

‘EUSS’ means the EU Settlement Scheme. The EUSS provides a basis for European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss citizens resident in the UK by 31 December 2020 and their eligible family members, to apply for the UK immigration status which they require to remain here.

‘eVisa’ refers to a digital visa provided by the Home Office as evidence of a person’s immigration status (permission to enter or stay in the UK).

‘Home Office Employer Checking Service’ refers to the enquiry and advice service operated by the Home Office that employers are required to contact in certain circumstances to check whether a person is allowed to work in the UK and, if so, the nature of any restrictions on that person’s right to do so.

‘Home Office online right to work checking service’ means the online system allowing employers to check whether a person is allowed to work in the United Kingdom and, if so, the nature of any restrictions on that person’s right to do so. This system is accessible for employers on the ‘Check a job applicant’s right to work use their share code’ page on GOV.UK. No other online portal relating to immigration status may be used instead for right to work checking purposes.

‘Identity Document Validation Technology’ (IDVT) are forms of technology operated for the purpose of verifying the identity of a person, whereby a digital copy of a physical document relating to that person is produced for verification of the document’s validity, and whether that person is the rightful holder of the document.

An identity service provider (IDSP) is a provider of identity verification services using IDVT. In the context of this guidance, an IDSP may be certified to provide identity verification to specific levels of confidence, specified by government standards. IDSPs are sometimes referred to as ‘identity providers’.

‘Immigration permission’ (also known as ‘leave’) should be read as ‘Permission to Enter / Leave to Enter or Permission to Stay / Leave to Remain.

A ‘Joining Family Member’ is an individual of any nationality (including EEA) who was not themselves resident in the UK by 31 December 2020, but is joining an EEA national or relevant sponsor in the UK who either holds EUSS status or, in limited circumstances, would be eligible for EUSS status if they applied.

‘Leave to Enter’ or ‘Leave to Remain’ see ‘Permission to Enter’ and ‘Permission to Stay’

‘Level of Confidence’ (LoC) is determined through a process required of IDSPs called ‘identity checking’ which is made up of 5 parts. Each step of the identity checking process is scored, and these scores are used to determine the Level of Confidence which has been achieved.

‘Negative Verification Notice’ (NVN) is a negative confirmation that a person does not have the right to work from the Employer Checking Service. If an employer receives an NVN, but continues to employ this person, the employer will not have a statutory excuse and may be liable for a civil penalty or be committing a criminal offence.

‘Non-EEA citizens’ means the citizens of countries outside the EEA.

An ‘online right to work check’ means the response generated by the Home Office online right to work checking service in relation to a person.

‘Permission to Enter’ also known as ‘Leave to Enter’. Immigration documents and guidance may refer to either term, both are appropriate. This means that a person has permission from the Home Office to enter the UK.

‘Permission to Stay’ also known as ‘Leave to Remain’. Immigration documents and guidance may refer to either term, both are acceptable. This means that a person has permission from the Home Office to be in the UK.

‘Positive Verification Notice’ (PVN) is a positive confirmation of a person’s right to work from the Employer Checking Service. This will provide the employer with a statutory excuse for six months from the date specified in the Notice.

‘Pre-settled status (PSS)’ means limited leave to enter or remain issued under the EU Settlement Scheme. Pre-settled status is initially given for five years and will be extended unless the person no longer meets the requirements for it.

‘Right to work’ means allowed to be employed by virtue of qualifying immigration status.

‘Right to work checks’ refer to prescribed manual document checks, prescribed Home Office online right to work checks and prescribed use of an Identity Service Provider (IDSP).

‘Settled status’ means indefinite leave to enter or remain issued under the EU Settlement Scheme. The person will usually have lived in the UK for a continuous five-year period and not have left the UK for more than five years in a row since then. A person with settled status can stay in the UK indefinitely.

‘Statutory excuse’ “refers to an employer’s defence against liability for a civil penalty, which can be obtained where the prescribed right to work checks have been carried out.

‘Valid application’ means individuals who comply with the validation requirements of an application process, including the enrolment of biometrics, if required, and the provision of evidence of nationality and identity.

‘Check a job applicant’s right to work: use their share code’ means the Home Office online checking service on GOV.UK which enables employers to check whether a person has a right to work and, if so, the nature of any restrictions on that person’s right to do so.

‘We’ or ‘us’ in this guidance mean the Home Office.

‘You’ and ‘your’ in the guidance mean the employer.

2. How to establish a statutory excuse for right to work checks

You must conduct a right to work check before you employ a person to ensure they are legally allowed to do the work in question for you. If an individual’s right to work is time-limited, you should conduct a follow-up check shortly before it is due to come to an end.

A statutory excuse is an employer’s defence against a civil penalty. In order to establish a statutory excuse against a civil penalty in the event that an employee is found to be working illegally, employers must do one of the following before the employee commences employment:

a manual right to work check (all)

a right to work check using IDVT via the services of an IDSP (British and Irish citizens only)

a Home Office online right to work check (non-British and non-Irish citizens)

Conducting any of these checks as set out in this guidance and in the code of practice will provide you with a statutory excuse.

You can also use the Employer Checking Service where an individual has an outstanding application, administrative review or appeal and their digital profile is not yet enabled to evidence this, or if their immigration status requires verification by the Home Office, for example in the case of Crown Dependencies.

Conducting a manual document-based right to work check

There are three steps to conducting a manual document-based right to work check. You need to complete all three steps before employment commences to ensure you have conducted a check in the prescribed manner, in order to establish a statutory excuse.

Step 1: Obtain

You must obtain original documents from either List A or B of the acceptable documents at Annex A.

Step 2: Check

You must check that the documents are genuine and that the person presenting them is the prospective or existing employee, the rightful holder and allowed to do the type of work you are offering. You must check that:

• photographs and dates of birth are consistent across documents and with the person’s appearance in order to detect impersonation;
• expiry dates for permission to be in the UK have not passed;
• any work restrictions to determine if they are allowed to do the type of work on offer (for students who have limited permission to work during term-times, you must also obtain, copy and retain details of their academic term and vacation times covering the duration of their period of study in the UK for which they will be employed);
• the documents are genuine, have not been tampered with and belong to the holder; and
• the reasons for any difference in names across documents can be explained by providing evidence (for example, original marriage certificate, divorce decree absolute, deed poll). These supporting documents must also be photocopied and a copy retained.

Step 3: Copy

You must make a clear copy of each document in a format which cannot manually be altered and retain the copy securely: electronically or in hardcopy. You must also retain a secure record of the date on which you made the check. Further information can be found under ‘Retaining Evidence’ below.

You must copy and retain copies of:

Passports: any page with the document expiry date, the holder’s nationality, date of birth, signature, immigration permission, expiry date, biometric details, photograph and any page containing information indicating the holder has an entitlement to enter or remain in the UK (visa or entry stamp) and undertake the work in question (the front cover no longer has to be copied).

All other documents: the document in full, including both sides of an Immigration Status Document and an Application Registration Card.

All copies of documents taken should be kept securely for the duration of the worker’s employment and for two years afterwards. The copy must then be securely destroyed.

We recommend you use our:

employers’ ‘ Right to Work Checklist ’ to ensure you have correctly carried out all the steps you need to; or

online interactive tool ‘ Check if someone can work in the UK ’, which will take you through the process by asking you a series of questions.

Both will help you to confirm that you have undertaken each step correctly to establish your statutory excuse.

Acceptable documents

The documents you may accept from a person to demonstrate their right to work are set out in two lists – List A and List B as set out in Annex A of this guidance.

List A contains the range of documents you may accept for a person who has a continuous right to work in the UK (including British and Irish citizens). If you conduct the right to work checks correctly before employment begins, you will establish a continuous statutory excuse for the duration of that person’s employment with you. You do not have to conduct any follow-up checks on this individual.

List B contains a range of documents you may accept for a person who has a temporary right to work in the UK. If you conduct the right to work checks correctly, you will establish a time-limited statutory excuse. You will be required to conduct a follow-up check in order to retain your statutory excuse.

Checking the validity of documents

When you are checking the validity of the documents, you should ensure that you do this in the presence of the holder. This can be a physical presence in person or via a live video link. In both cases you must be in physical possession of the original documents. For example, an individual may choose to send their documents to you by post to enable you to conduct the check with them via live video link. You may not rely on the inspection of the document via a live video link or by checking a faxed or scanned copy of the document.

The responsibility for checking the document is yours. Whilst it may be delegated to your members of staff (this includes agency workers engaged by you and working under your control), you will remain liable for the penalty in the event the individual is found to be working illegally and the prescribed check has not been correctly carried out. You may not delegate this responsibility to a third party where you are carrying out a manual check of original documents.

Whilst you may use a third party to provide support in terms of technical knowledge or specialised equipment to prevent the employment of illegal workers, the responsibility for performing the check (in order to obtain a statutory excuse from a civil penalty) will remain with you as the employer.

If you are given a false document, you will only be liable for a civil penalty if it is reasonably apparent that it is false. This means that a person who is untrained in the identification of false documents, examining it carefully, but without the use of technological aids could reasonably be expected to realise that the document in question is not genuine.

You will not obtain a statutory excuse if:

it is reasonably apparent that the person presenting the document is not the person referred to in that document, even if the document itself is genuine.

you know that the individual is not permitted to undertake the work in question.

you know that the documents are false or do not rightfully belong to the holder.

You may wish to read the online guidance about recognising fraudulent identity documents. Guidance on examining identity documents can be found on GOV.UK. You can also compare identity and travel documents against the images published on:

PRADO - Public Register of Authentic travel and Identity Documents Online

These are archives of identity and travel documents.

If you wish to access Home Office online training on document fraud, please contact the Immigration Enforcement Checking & Advice Service training team at: [email protected]

If someone gives you a false document or a genuine document that does not belong to them, you should use this link to report the individual to us or call our Employer Enquiry helpline on 0300 790 6268 (Monday to Thursday, 9am to 4:45pm; Friday 9am to 4:30pm).

Retaining evidence

You must keep a record of every document you have checked. This can be a hardcopy or a scanned copy in a format which cannot be manually altered, such as a jpeg or pdf document. You should keep the copies securely for the duration of the person’s employment and for a further two years after they stop working for you. The file must then be securely destroyed.

You should also be able to produce these document copies quickly in the event that you are requested to show them to demonstrate that you have performed a right to work check and retain a statutory excuse.

You must also make a note of the date on which you conducted the check. This can be by either making a dated declaration on the copy or by holding a separate record, securely, which can be shown to us upon request. This date may be written on the document copy as follows: ‘the date on which this right to work check was made: [insert date]’ or a manual or digital record may be made at the time you conduct and copy the documents which includes this information. You must be able to show this evidence if requested to do so in order to demonstrate that you have established a statutory excuse. You must repeat this process in respect of any follow up check.

You may face a civil penalty if you do not record the date on which the check was performed. Simply writing a date on the copy document does not, in itself, confirm that this is the actual date when the check was undertaken. If you write a date on the copy document, you must also record that this is the date on which you conducted the check.

COVID-19 temporary adjusted checks

The temporary adjustments to right to work checks, introduced on 30 March 2020, ended on 30 September 2022.

Since 1 October 2022, employers must carry out one of the prescribed checks as set out in this guidance before employment begins.

You do not need to carry out retrospective checks on employees who had a COVID-19 adjusted check between 30 March 2020 and 30 September 2022 (inclusive). You will maintain a statutory excuse against liability for a civil penalty if the check undertaken during this period was done in the prescribed standard manner or as set out in the COVID-19 adjusted checks guidance . However, any individual identified with no lawful immigration status in the UK may be liable to immigration enforcement action.

Using an Identity Service Provider (IDSP)

Since 6 April 2022, employers have been able to use IDVT via the services of an IDSP to complete the digital identity verification element of right to work checks for British and Irish citizens who hold a valid passport (including Irish passport cards).

Digital identity verification conducted by IDSPs is the process of obtaining evidence of the prospective employee’s identity, checking that it is valid and belongs to the person who is claiming it.

If you use the services of an IDSP for digital identity verification, holders of valid British or Irish passports (or Irish passport cards) can demonstrate their right to work using this method. This will provide you with a continuous statutory excuse. It is your responsibility to obtain evidence of the IDVT check from the IDSP. You will only have a statutory excuse if you reasonably believe that the IDSP has carried out their checks in accordance with this guidance.

You must not treat those who do not hold a valid passport, or do not wish to prove their identity using an IDSP less favourably. You must provide individuals with other ways to prove their right to work and should carry out a manual document-based right to work check in these circumstances.

Prior to the 6 April 2022 changes to right to work checks, employers were already able to use IDSPs to enhance their pre-employment checking processes and minimise the risk of fraud. The Home Office previously published guidance on the use of IDVT for this purpose. You may, therefore, find IDSPs who offer their services in relation to supporting manual checks of physical documents, or checks via the Home Office online right to work checking service.

However, other than where you use an IDSP expressly for right to work checks of British or Irish citizens with a valid passport (or Irish passport card), it is not possible to establish a statutory excuse against liability for a civil penalty if the manual document-based check, or online service right to work check, is performed by an IDSP.

For a detailed guide on how to complete a right to work check using an IDSP, please refer to Annex C of this guidance.

Basic steps to conducting a RTW check using an IDSP:

IDSPs can carry out digital identity verification to a range of standards or levels of confidence. The Home Office recommends that employers only accept checks via an IDSP that satisfy a minimum of a Medium Level of Confidence. A list of certified providers is available for you to choose from on GOV.UK: Digital identity certification for right to work, right to rent and criminal record checks . It is not mandatory for you to use a certified provider: you may use a provider not featured within this list if you are satisfied that they are able to provide the required checks.

Satisfy yourself that the photograph and biographic details (for example, date of birth) on the output from the IDVT check are consistent with the individual presenting themselves for work (i.e., the information provided by the check relates to the individual and they are not an imposter). This can be done in person or by video call.

You must retain a clear copy of the IDVT identity check output for the duration of employment and for two years after the employment has come to an end.

Should you be found to be employing individuals without their identity and eligibility being verified correctly in the prescribed manner, you will not have a statutory excuse in the event the individual is found to be working illegally by reason of their immigration status. The employer remains liable for any civil penalty if there is no statutory excuse.

Conducting a Home Office online right to work check

A Home Office online right to work check will provide you with a statutory excuse against a civil penalty in the event of illegal working involving the subject of the check. You can do an online check by using the online service, entitled ‘Check a job applicant’s right to work: use their share code’ on GOV.UK.

It will not be possible to conduct a Home Office online right to work check in all circumstances, as not all individuals will have an immigration status that can be checked online. The online right to work checking service sets out what information you will need to complete an online check. In circumstances in which an online check is not possible, you should conduct the manual check.

Currently, the Home Office online service supports checks for a range of individuals, depending on the type of immigration documentation they are issued with. The use of digital proof of immigration status forms part of our move towards a UK immigration system that is digital by default. This will be simpler, safer and more convenient.

Some individuals have been issued with an eVisa and can only use the online service to prove their right to work.

Biometric Residence Card (BRC), Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) and Frontier Worker Permit (FWP) holders are also only able to evidence their right to work using the Home Office online service. This means you cannot accept or check a physical BRC, BRP or FWP as proof of right to work.

How does the service work?

Individuals using the service must select one of the three reasons for sharing their immigration status. For prospective or existing employees, they must select choose to prove their right to work in the UK.

After selecting the correct option, in this case ‘Prove your right to work to an employer: get a share code’ the individual can then generate a 9-character long share code that can be passed on to an employer which, when entered alongside the individual’s date of birth, enables you to access the required information.

The share code will be valid for 90 calendar days from the point it has been issued and can be used as many times as needed within that time.

Share codes can only be used for the purpose they were originally selected for. All share codes begin with a letter denoting the purpose the share code can be used for. Where a share code begins with the letter ‘W’, this will indicate that the share code has been generated by a prospective or existing employee to evidence their right to work. Employers will not be able to accept or use share codes which begin with the letter ‘R’ or ‘S’ as these are designed for other services.

If a share code has expired, or the individual has used a code generated by another service, you must ask them to resend you a new right to work share code.

Where an individual provides you with a share code, you must carry out the check by accessing the employer part of the online service at ‘Check a job applicant’s right to work: use their share code’ page on GOV.UK in order to obtain a statutory excuse against a civil penalty. It is not sufficient to view the details provided by the prospective or existing employee on the migrant part of the service.

The online service allows checks to be carried out by video call. You do not need to see physical documents as the right to work information is provided in real time directly from Home Office systems.

Step 1: Use the Home Office online service

The individual may provide the share code to you directly, or they may choose to send this to you via the service. If they choose to send it to you via the service, you will receive an email from [email protected].

To check the person’s right to work details, you will need to:

access the service Check a job applicant’s right to work: use their share code

enter the ‘share code’ provided to you by the individual, and

enter their date of birth

It is not sufficient to simply view the details provided to the individual on the migrant part of the service and doing so will not provide you with a statutory excuse.

The above image is an example of the message an employer receives when an individual has sent their share code to the employer via the online service.

You must check that the photograph on the online right to work check is of the individual presenting themselves for work (i.e. the information provided by the check relates to the individual and they are not an imposter). This can be done in person or by video call.

If the image of the individual on their digital profile is showing incorrectly or is of poor quality, you should advise the individual to update the image on their account. They can do this by visiting: Update your Visas and Immigration account details . Further information and support is also available via the UKVI Resolution Centre .

You must only employ the person (or continue to employ an existing employee, if you are conducting a follow-up check) if the online check confirms they have the right to work and are not subject to a condition preventing them from doing the work in question.

If you employ someone on the basis of the online check, but it is reasonably apparent from the photograph that the individual working is not the individual to whom the information provided in the check relates, you may face a civil penalty in the event of illegal working or risk being found guilty of a criminal offence.

The above image is from the online service and shows the individual has a continuous right to work.

The above image is from the online service and shows the individual has a time-limited right to work and confirms the date that their permission to enter or stay expires.

The above image is from the online service and shows the individual has a restricted, time limited right to work. It confirms the hours they can work and the date that their permission to enter or stay expires.

Step 3: Retain evidence of the online check

You must retain evidence of the online right to work check. This should be the ‘profile’ page confirming the individual’s right to work. This is the page that includes the individual’s photo and date on which the check was conducted. You will have the option of printing the profile or saving it as a PDF or HTML file.

You should store this securely, (electronically or in hardcopy) for the duration of employment and for two years afterwards. The file must then be securely destroyed. You should also be able to produce these document copies quickly in the event that you are requested to show them to demonstrate that you have performed a right to work check and retain a statutory excuse.

You must repeat this process in respect of any follow up check.

Biometric Residence Permits

Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) provide evidence of the holder’s immigration status in the UK. They contain the holder’s unique biometric identifiers (fingerprints, digital photograph) within the chip. They also display a photograph and biographical information on the face of the document and details of entitlements, such as access to work and/or public funds.

As part of the development of a border and immigration system that is digital by default, physical documents are to be phased out by the end of 2024, replaced with a system of digital immigration status (eVisa) . Therefore, you may see BRP cards with an expiry date of 31 December 2024 where the holder has permission to stay in the UK that ends after that date. This is not an error and the holder’s rights and entitlements are unaffected as the date refers to the expiry of the document only, and not to the holder’s immigration status. When the holder provides you with a share code to prove their right to work, their online profile will display the expiry date of their immigration permission, rather than the card expiry date of 31 December 2024.

A follow up check is not needed until the employee’s permission is due to expire. Where the 31 December 2024 was taken as the expiry date, a follow up check will be required.

Further information about BRPs and the Home Office transition to eVisas is available at:

Biometric residence permits (BRPs): What a BRP is

Online immigration status (eVisa)

For migrants overseas who are granted permission to enter the UK for more than six months, they are issued with a vignette (sticker) in their passport which is valid for 90 calendar days to enable them to travel to the UK. Following their arrival, they will have 10 calendar days or before their vignette expires (whichever is later) to collect their BRP from the Post Office branch detailed in their decision letter.

BRP holders must still collect their card, but they prove their right to work using the Home Office online service rather than showing the physical document. Those permitted to work in the UK are strongly encouraged to collect their BRP before they start work in order to use the information to generate a right to work share code. If they need to start work for you prior to collecting their BRP, they will be able to evidence their right to work by producing the short validity vignette in their passport which they used to travel to the UK. You will need to conduct a manual right to work check on the basis of this vignette, which must be valid at the time of the check. However, as this will expire 90 calendar days from issue, you will have to repeat the check using the online service, for the statutory excuse to continue.

If you employ someone on the basis of the short validity vignette and they are unable to access their BRP information to use the online service when the vignette time expires, you are not required to immediately terminate the employment if you believe the employee continues to have the right to work. However, once the 90 calendar days has expired, you will not be able to establish a statutory excuse if it transpires that the employee is working illegally.

Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) and National Insurance numbers

Some individuals are automatically issued a National Insurance Number (NiNo) as part of their immigration application. This currently applies to most migrants and dependants who have been granted permission in any skilled worker category or as a refugee, including those granted settled status through a protection route. In such cases, the NINo will appear in the remarks on the reverse of the BRP or on their online profile. In these cases, there is no need for the migrant or the employer to make a separate application to the Department for Work and Pensions to obtain one.

Changes to the way in which biometric cards are used to evidence right to work

The way in which Biometric Residence Card, Biometric Residence Permit and Frontier Worker Permit (“Biometric cards”) holders evidence their right to work has changed.

Since 6 April 2022, biometric card holders are required to evidence their right to work using the Home Office online service only. Employers cannot accept physical cards for the purposes of a right to work check even if it shows a later expiry date. Biometric cards have been removed from the lists of acceptable documents used to conduct a manual right to work check.

Retrospective checks will not be required on biometric card holders who, before 6 April 2022, used their physical card to demonstrate their right to work. Employers will maintain a statutory excuse against a civil penalty if the initial checks were undertaken in line with the guidance that applied at the time the check was made.

If an employer chooses to undertake a retrospective check and identifies an existing employee who no longer has a right to work, they are required to take the appropriate action.

When to contact the Home Office Employer Checking Service to verify right to work

In certain circumstances, you will need to contact the Home Office’s Employer Checking Service (ECS) to establish a statutory excuse. These are when:

You are presented with a document (non-digital CoA or an acknowledgement letter or email) confirming receipt of an application to EUSS on or before 30 June 2021.

You are presented with a non-digital CoA confirming receipt of an application to the EUSS on or after 1 July 2021.

You are presented with a valid Application Registration Card stating that the holder is permitted to undertake the work in question. Any work will be restricted to employment in a shortage occupation.

You are satisfied that you have not been provided with any acceptable documents and are unable to carry out a check using the online service.

The person presents other information indicating that they have an outstanding application for permission to stay in the UK with the Home Office, which was made before their previous permission expired or has an appeal or administrative review pending and, therefore, cannot provide evidence of their right to work.

You consider that you have not been provided with any acceptable documents, but the person presents other information indicating they are a long-term resident of the UK who arrived in the UK before 1988.

In the above circumstances, you will establish a statutory excuse only if you are issued with a Positive Verification Notice (PVN) confirming that the named person is allowed to carry out the type of work in question.

You should not contact the ECS where employment commenced before 29 February 2008 and has been continuous ever since. You will receive a Negative Verification Notice because this employment is out of scope of the civil penalty scheme. This notice does not require you to take action and does not indicate that they do not have the requisite permission to work.

The ECS aims to provide a response within five working days of receiving a valid request. It is your responsibility to inform the person you intend to employ, or continue employing, that you are carrying out this check on them.

To find out if you need to request a verification check from the ECS and to conduct that check, you should use the online tool ‘ Use the Employer Checking Service - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) ’.

Application Registration Card and asylum seekers

The Application Registration Card (ARC) is the card used by asylum claimants to demonstrate they have made an asylum claim. Since 2017, ARC closely resemble the Biometric Residence Permit, including extra security features, a biometric facial image and an expiry date. Whilst the earlier version of the ARC is no longer being issued, the cards already in circulation will continue to be acceptable until they expire.

Asylum claimants are provided with accommodation and support to meet their essential living needs if they would otherwise be destitute. Asylum claimants can apply for and may be granted permission to work if their claim has been outstanding for more than 12 months through no fault of their own.

Claimants granted permission to work on or before 3 April 2024 are restricted to working in jobs on the shortage occupation list published by the Home Office. Their ARC will state “work permitted shortage OCC”.

You may accept a new biometric style or an old-style ARC, provided you verify the right to work and any work restrictions by obtaining a Positive Verification Notice (PVN) issued by the ECS. This excuse will expire six months from the date of the PVN, when a follow-up check must be undertaken if the statutory excuse is to be retained.

The follow up check must be carried out before the six-month statutory excuse expires. Any permission to work granted will come to an end if their claim is refused and any appeal rights are exhausted. Provided you have obtained a PVN from the ECS, you will continue to have a statutory excuse for the duration stated in the PVN unless you become aware that the worker is working illegally within that six-month period and you continue to employ them in spite of that knowledge.

Anyone who is granted permission to stay in the UK as a refugee, or who is granted humanitarian protection has unrestricted access to the labour market. A refugee may demonstrate their right to work through the Home Office online service (if they have a BRP) or Immigration Status Document, requiring a manual check (an older form of document issued to refugees and certain other categories of migrant prior to the introduction of the BRP).

Outstanding applications, Appeals and Administrative Reviews

If you request verification from the ECS, because the employee or potential employee has an outstanding application with us or appeal or administrative review against a Home Office decision, you should wait at least 14 calendar days after the application, appeal or administrative review has been delivered or posted to us or the court, before requesting a verification check. This is because it takes this amount of time for most cases to be registered with the Home Office.

In order to make the verification request with the ECS, you must obtain confirmation from your employee or potential employee of when the application, appeal or administrative review was made to the Home Office. This information must be included in the request form.

In-time applications (3C leave)

Where an in-time application to extend or vary leave is made and the application is not decided before the person’s existing leave expires, section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971 extends the person’s existing leave.

An application for further immigration permission to stay in the UK must be made before existing permission expires for it to be deemed ‘in-time’. Upon doing this, any existing rights (including a right to work) will continue until that in-time application (and any appeal or administrative review) has been determined. Where section 3C is triggered, it will extend leave while any appeal or administrative review they are entitled to is pending.

The Home Office online service now supports a range of individuals, who have outstanding, in-time applications for permission to stay in the UK. Where an individual advises you that they have an outstanding, in-time application, and they are an eVisa holder, you should ask them to provide you with a share code. Once in receipt of the share code, you can use the online service to carry out the right to work check as set out in this guidance.

In such circumstances, the online service will provide confirmation of the individual’s right to work and will provide you with a statutory excuse for a period of six months. This is the standard duration when right to work checks are conducted on individuals who have an outstanding, in-time immigration application. Upon any subsequent application to renew the right to work, you must carry out a follow-up check.

Some users may not be supported by the online service at this time as work continues to move to digital by default. In circumstances where the individual is unable to provide you with a share code, yet they have an outstanding, in-time application, please contact the ECS for verification of this.

Appeals and Administrative Reviews

Administrative reviews have replaced some rights of appeal where the applicant believes our decision to refuse their application is incorrect. For decisions made in the UK, the review application must be made within 14 calendar days from notification of the decision. Any previous permission to work continues during the period that an administrative review can be made and, if made, will continue until the administrative review has been determined (decided or withdrawn). This will normally be within 28 calendar days.

Where an application for an administrative review is brought after the period for making an application has expired, we may decide to accept the application as valid. If so, any permission to work will continue from the date that the administrative review is accepted. This will be confirmed by a PVN from the ECS. The individual will not be permitted to work between the date that their previous permission to work expired and the date the administrative review was deemed valid.

Further detail on administrative reviews can be found on GOV.UK.

Windrush generation individuals

The Government has put in place additional safeguards to ensure that those who have lived lawfully in the UK since before 1988 are not denied access to work.

In some circumstances, individuals of the Windrush generation (those who arrived in the UK before 1973) and those non-UK citizens who arrived in the UK between 1973 and 1988, may not be able to provide documentation from the lists of acceptable documents to demonstrate their entitlement to work in the UK. The Home Office has established the Windrush Help Team which is handling applications under the Windrush Scheme for confirmation of indefinite leave to remain, including a biometric residence permit or applications for British citizenship.

In these circumstances, you should contact the Employer Checking Service (ECS).

The ECS will notify the Windrush Help Team, who will contact the individual to confirm their circumstances and arrange for their status to be resolved. Working with the Windrush Help Team, the ECS will be able to confirm an individual’s right to work in these circumstances and will do so by issuing you with a PVN.

A PVN issued by the ECS will provide you with a statutory excuse for six months from the date stated in the PVN. The information provided by the ECS will clearly set out whether a repeat check will be required, and if so, when.

The Windrush Help Team can offer support and guidance about the Windrush Scheme and advise individuals on how to apply. It can also help vulnerable people or those who need additional support. If a prospective or existing employee has been affected, they can contact the Windrush Help Team via the above link or by calling 0800 678 1925.

EEA citizens

Following the UK’s exit from the EU, the Immigration and Social Security Coordination (EU Withdrawal) Act 2020 ended free movement law in the UK on 31 December 2020 at 23:00 (11pm) GMT. There followed a grace period of six-months during which relevant aspects of free movement law were saved to allow eligible EEA citizens and their family members resident in the UK by 31 December 2020 to apply to the EUSS. This period ended on 30 June 2021.

Right to work checks for EEA citizens since 1 July 2021

EEA citizens and their family members are required to have immigration status in the UK. They can no longer rely on an EEA passport or national identity card to prove their right to work as this only confirms their nationality. They are required to provide evidence of lawful immigration status in the UK, in the same way as other foreign nationals.

There is no requirement for a retrospective check to be undertaken on EEA citizens who entered into employment before 1 July 2021. You will maintain a continuous statutory excuse against liability for a civil penalty if the initial checks were undertaken in line with the guidance that applied at the time you made the check.

If you choose to carry out retrospective checks, you must ensure that you do so in a non-discriminatory manner. The Code of practice for employers: avoiding unlawful discrimination while preventing illegal working provides practical guidance on how to avoid unlawful discrimination when conducting right to work checks.

Irish citizens

Irish citizens continue to have unrestricted access to work in the UK. They can prove their right to work using their Irish passport or Irish passport card (in either case, whether current or expired), or their Irish birth or adoption certificate together with an official document giving the person’s permanent National Insurance number and their name issued by a government agency or a previous employer.

Eligible Irish citizens may choose to apply to the EUSS (see below for information on how to check the right to work of an EUSS status holder).

Irish citizens can also apply for a frontier worker permit, this permit can be issued digitally or as a physical permit, so they can prove their right to work using the Home Office online right to work service .

How EEA citizens are required to prove their right to work

Eea citizens granted status under the eu settlement scheme (euss).

The majority of EEA citizens now prove their right to work using the Home Office online service.

The Home Office no longer requires employers to carry out repeat checks on holders of presettled status. Accordingly, a right to work check on holders of pre-settled and settled status granted under the EUSS is only required prior to the commencement of employment.

Where initial checks were correctly undertaken prior to the commencement of employment on a holder of pre-settled status, and providing you are not knowingly employing someone without the right to work, the Home Office shall not take civil penalty action against you.

If you choose to carry out follow-up checks, you must ensure that you do so in a nondiscriminatory manner. The Code of practice for employers: avoiding unlawful discrimination while preventing illegal working provides practical guidance on how to avoid unlawful discrimination when conducting right to work checks.

Frontier workers

A ‘frontier worker’ is an EEA citizen who is resident outside the UK but is economically active (employed or self-employed) in the UK. They have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement, the EEA European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Separation Agreement and the Swiss Citizens’ Rights Agreement (‘the Agreements’) to enter the UK and work for as long as they remain a frontier worker.

Frontier workers are issued with a frontier worker permit either digitally or, in a small number of cases, physically. Using the online service, as set out in this guidance, will provide you with a statutory excuse against liability for a civil penalty.

It is mandatory for frontier workers to obtain a frontier worker permit as evidence of their right to enter the UK. However, it is not mandatory for frontier workers, who have rights under the Agreements, to use a frontier worker permit to evidence their rights (including their right to work) in the UK.

Consequently, it is open to any frontier worker protected under the Agreements to demonstrate the existence of their rights in a different way to using the online service. To obtain a statutory excuse against liability for a civil penalty in such cases, if a frontier worker chooses not to provide a share code, or they were issued with a physical permit, you must request a right to work check from the ECS.

In these cases, you must obtain a copy of the employee’s documents which evidence that they were exercising rights as a frontier worker on 31 December 2020 and have continued to do so, as these will form part of your statutory excuse.

Before providing you with a response, the ECS may contact you and ask you to send them a copy of the documents you have checked. The ECS will confirm if the individual has the right to work, and when you need to carry out a follow-up check. Where the ECS can issue a Positive Verification Notice (PVN) in the absence of a frontier worker permit, you will be required to carry out a follow-up ECS check in six months to maintain your statutory excuse.

If you choose to employ the individual as a frontier worker, without checking their frontier worker permit via the online service or securing a PVN from the ECS, you will not establish a statutory excuse against liability for a civil penalty should the individual be found to be working illegally.

Evidence required in the absence of a frontier worker permit:

evidence of the applicant’s own identity and that they are an EEA citizen – such as a passport or national identity card

evidence they are primarily resident outside of the UK, such as utility bills or bank statements which include proof of address outside the UK

evidence they were working in the UK as an employed or self-employed person on 31 December 2020

evidence they have continued to be employed or self-employed in the UK since 31 December 2020

Retained frontier worker status

A frontier worker who has (or had) temporarily stopped working can still be treated as a worker if they can provide proof that they are, or were:

temporarily unable to work because of illness or an accident

in duly recorded involuntary unemployment

involuntarily unemployed and in vocational training

temporarily unable to work following pregnancy or childbirth

voluntarily stopped working to start vocational training related to their previous occupation

Guidance on what is considered sufficient evidence for retaining frontier worker status can be found in the frontier worker permit case working guidance here: Frontier Worker Permit Scheme Guidance .

Service provider from Switzerland

A ‘Service provider from Switzerland’ (SPS) is an individual of any nationality, who is required by their employer (who must be based in Switzerland) or Swiss national who is self-employed, to execute contracts to temporarily provide services for a party based in the UK. The contract to carry out work must have been signed and started before 11pm on 31 December 2020. Eligible companies have rights under the Swiss Citizens’ Rights Agreement to enable employees, or self-employed Swiss nationals to travel to the UK to provide services for up to 90 calendar days per year. An SPS must obtain their visa in advance of travel.

An SPS visa is a hard copy document without an online checking function. The visa will be in the form of a vignette and will identify the individual as a ‘Service Provider from Switzerland’, and can be issued in two ways:

(All nationalities) within a passport

(Swiss citizens only) on an official form (“Form for Affixing a Visa”) - If the individual is a Swiss citizen, they can choose to apply to the immigration route using their Swiss identity card. In this circumstance, the vignette will be attached to an official Home Office form

As an employer you are not required to carry out a right to work check on an individual with an SPS visa, as they are not in your employment. You may, however, be asked to provide a copy of the contract held with the Swiss company for which the visa holder is carrying out work or services.

The SPS visa specifies that an individual is permitted to provide services for up to 90 calendar days per calendar year or less if there is another employee working on the same contract. The 90 days’ work can be spread over the entire calendar year. The visa allows the individual to enter and leave the UK multiple times during the visa period.

Further information is available in the Service Providers from Switzerland Guidance .

Applications submitted to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS)

EEA citizens, and their family members, who have made a valid application to the EUSS have temporary protection of rights under the Withdrawal Agreement, the EEA EFTA Separation Agreement or the Swiss Citizens’ Rights Agreement, which gives them a right to work until their application is finally determined. This includes pending the outcome of any administrative review or appeal against a decision to refuse status. Employers should not treat those with an outstanding, valid application less favourably.

Certificate of Application (CoA)

Where an individual has been issued with a CoA, you must first check whether this is a ‘digital’ or ‘non-digital’ CoA. A CoA is evidence that an individual has made a valid application to the EUSS and should be used to evidence their right to work until their application (and any appeal or administrative review) is finally determined.

Digital Certificate of Application

Most individuals with an outstanding valid application made to the EUSS have been issued with a digital CoA. In this instance, you should check with the individual and ask them to provide you with a share code. This means you can check their right to work immediately via the online service and do not need to contact the ECS. The online service will provide confirmation of their right to work and advise when a follow-up check is required.

Previously, where the individual had a digital CoA to evidence a valid application made to the EUSS on or after 1 July 2021, the online service would direct the employer to verify this via the ECS. Since 1 October 2023, employers have no longer been directed to verify such a check with the ECS.

Non-digital Certificate of Application

A ‘non-digital’ CoA is a PDF document attached to an email or a letter, sent to the individual, advising them how prospective employers can verify their right to work. Where a prospective employee provides you with a ‘non-digital’ CoA as evidence of an application made to the EUSS, you should check with the individual and ask them to provide you with a share code to verify their right to work as per the ‘Digital Certificate of Application’ section above.

If they have not been issued a digital version and are unable to provide you with a share code, you should contact the ECS. You must make a copy of the ‘non-digital’ CoA and retain this copy, together with a PVN from the ECS. In doing so, you will have a statutory excuse for six months from the date stated on the PVN.

You can request a right to work check from the ECS using the online form ‘request a Home Office right to work check’ on GOV.UK.

EU Settlement Scheme status granted by a Crown Dependency

The Crown Dependencies (the Bailiwick of Jersey, the Bailiwick of Guernsey, and the Isle of Man) each operate their own equivalents of the EUSS for those eligible to apply. The UK and the Crown Dependencies recognise status granted under each other’s scheme, so an individual granted settled or pre-settled status by a Crown Dependency will be considered to have settled or pre-settled status in the UK.

The Isle of Man and Guernsey issue a letter to those granted EUSS status. Jersey issues a letter and operates an immigration status checker service for individuals to obtain confirmation of their status at any point.

When presented with a letter or email confirmation of EUSS leave from a Crown Dependency, you must request a right to work check from the ECS. You must keep a copy of the Crown Dependency letter or email and retain this with the response from the ECS to have a statutory excuse against liability for a civil penalty.

The Home Office will no longer require employers to carry out repeat checks on holders of presettled status. Accordingly, a right to work check on holders of pre-settled and settled status granted under the EUSS will only be required prior to the commencement of employment. Where initial checks were correctly undertaken prior to the commencement of employment on a presettled status holder, and provided you are not knowingly employing someone without the right to work, the Home Office shall not take civil penalty action against you.

Outstanding EU Settlement Scheme applications in a Crown Dependency

Where an individual has an outstanding application to the EUSS of the Crown Dependencies they will have a letter or email notification confirming their outstanding application. You must request a right to work check from the ECS.

You must retain a copy of the letter or email notification with the response from the ECS to have a statutory excuse against liability for a civil penalty.

EEA citizens with Indefinite Leave to Enter or Remain

EEA citizens with Indefinite Leave to Enter or Remain (ILE/R) are not required to make an application to the EUSS but can do so if they wish.

Since 1 July 2021, EEA citizens with ILE/R are required to prove their right to work in the same way as other foreign nationals who do not have a digital status. You can carry out a manual check of their Home Office documentation such as an endorsement / vignette in a current passport stating ‘Settlement’, ‘Indefinite Leave to Enter or Remain’ or ‘No Time Limit’. Some citizens may have a current Biometric Residence Card (BRC) to confirm their ILE/R and this can be used to access the online right to work service.

Further information:

If you encounter EEA citizens who believe that they have ILE/R but do not have a document to confirm this, please encourage them to:

• apply to the Windrush Scheme to get proof of their ILE/R status
• see if they are eligible to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme , if they have reasonable grounds for the delay in making their application

If they are from Malta or Cyprus, they may also be able to apply for British citizenship through the Windrush Scheme .

Applications for either scheme are free of charge.

Points-Based Immigration System

EEA citizens who come to the UK to live, work or study since 1 January 2021 need to obtain immigration status under the points-based system in the same way as other foreign nationals. The majority of EEA citizens will be provided with an eVisa. However, this will be dependent upon the immigration route and how they made their application. Some EEA citizens will have a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP). Those with a valid BRP must use the online right to work service.

To prove their right to work from 1 July 2021, individuals will provide you with a share code and their date of birth which will enable you to check their Home Office immigration status via the online service, ‘Check a job applicant’s right to work: use their share code’ available on GOV.UK.

EEA citizens and non-EEA family members without lawful immigration status

We recognise that employers wish to have a lawful and stable workforce and maintain compliance with the Right to Work Scheme. You will have a continuous statutory excuse against a civil penalty if you carried out an initial right to work check in the prescribed manner as set out in legislation and guidance that applied at the time you completed the check. For example, where an EEA citizen provided their valid passport or national identity card to you to prove their right to work prior to 30 June 2021.

There may be situations in which you identify an EEA citizen or non-EEA family member in your workforce who has not applied to the EUSS and does not hold any other form of permission to stay in the UK.

You may become aware of this if you have chosen to carry out a retrospective check, completed an internal audit or have been made aware that your employee does not have a lawful status in the UK.

If an employer identifies an existing employee who no longer has a right to work, they are required to take the appropriate action. This may include contacting the Home Office for support or taking steps to terminate employment.

If an EEA citizen, or a non-EEA family member, applies for a job but has not applied to the EUSS and has no alternative immigration status in the UK, then they will not be able to pass a right to work check.

It should be noted that the criminal offence of employing an illegal worker is generally reserved for the most serious cases of non-compliance with the Right to Work Scheme. It is not intended for employers who have employed EEA citizens or non-EEA family members in good faith having completed a right to work check in the prescribed manner.

Family members

Where they were resident in the UK before 11pm GMT on 31 December 2020, non-EEA family members of EEA citizens are required to make an application to the EUSS to continue living in the UK after 30 June 2021. They will provide a share code and their date of birth which will enable you to check their Home Office immigration status via the online service, Check a job applicant’s right to work: use their share code available on GOV.UK.

Eligible family members of persons of Northern Ireland who were resident in the UK by 31 December 2020 can apply for an EUSS family permit to join or visit their family member in the UK. EUSS family permits are valid for six months.

Those with a valid passport will be issued with a EUSS family permit vignette. Where an individual presents a vignette, the employer must take a copy of the passport as well as the vignette and ensure the photographs are of the same person. For more information please see EU Settlement Scheme Family Permit guidance on GOV.UK.

Family members who wish to stay in the UK beyond the validity of their family permit should apply to the EUSS within 3 months of arriving in the UK. Where a joining family member makes a valid application to the EUSS, they will receive a CoA issued by the Home Office. They will be able to use their CoA for the purpose of a right to work check, please see the section above which gives more details regarding CoAs.

Support for employees and employers carrying out a right to work check

Employer enquiry helpline / ukvi resolution centre.

If you need help carrying out a right to work check you should call the Employer Enquiry helpline: Telephone: 0300 790 6268 Monday to Thursday, 9am to 4:45pm Friday 9am to 4:30pm. If you need access to a device or the internet, many local libraries have computers where you can access the internet. Please visit your local library to access these facilities.

If you wish to access Home Office online training on right to work checks, please contact the Immigration Enforcement Checking and Advice Service training team at: [email protected] .

Further support available

If any of your existing or prospective employees require further advice or support with regard to their immigration status, they can access information on ‘ View and prove your immigration status: get a share code ’ on GOV.UK. This also provides further information on how to prove immigration status, how to update personal details, and support available.

If your employee needs help accessing or using their Home Office online immigration status services, they can contact the UKVI Resolution Centre: Telephone: 0300 790 6268, select option 3, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays), 8am to 8pm Saturday and Sunday, 9:30am to 4:30pm.

3. Who do you conduct checks on?

You should ask all prospective employees to demonstrate their right to work through a manual document check, using the services of an IDSP, or by using the Home Office online right to work checking service. You cannot mandate how an individual proves their right to work. To ensure that you do not discriminate against anyone, you should provide every opportunity to enable an individual to prove their right to work.

Discrimination

You should not discriminate when conducting right to work checks. You should:

be consistent in how you conduct right to work checks on all prospective employees, including British citizens

ensure job selections are made on the basis of suitability for the post

ensure that no prospective job applicants are discouraged or excluded, either directly or indirectly, because of known or perceived protected characteristics.

You should not:

discriminate when conducting right to work checks

only check the status of those who appear to you likely to be migrants

make assumptions about a person’s right to work in the UK or their immigration status on the basis of their colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, accent, surname or the length of time they have been resident in the UK.

Otherwise, you may be acting in a discriminatory manner, and it could be used as evidence against you in proceedings under the Equality Act 2010 or the Race Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1997, as amended.

The Code of practice for employers: Avoiding unlawful discrimination while preventing illegal working provides practical guidance on how to avoid unlawful discrimination when employing individuals and conducting right to work checks. We strongly recommend that you refer to this code and the Code of practice on preventing illegal working: Civil penalty scheme for employers when conducting right to work checks.

Anyone who believes that they have been discriminated against, either directly or indirectly, by an employer, a prospective employer or an employment agency, because of their race or a protected characteristic may bring a complaint before an Employment Tribunal, or an Industrial Tribunal in Northern Ireland. If the claim is upheld, the Tribunal will normally order the employer to pay compensation, for which there is no upper limit.

If you need expert advice and support on discrimination, you can call the Equality Advisory Support Service (EASS) on 0808 800 0082.

In Northern Ireland the advisory service is provided by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland . The telephone helpline number is 028 90 500600.

4. When do you conduct follow up checks?

You need to recheck the right to work of those individuals who have time-limited permission to work in the UK. This should occur when their previous permission comes to an end. The follow-up check is designed to prevent people from overstaying their immigration permission where this is time-limited. The Employer Checking Service (ECS) can confirm the right to work of an individual who has an outstanding application or appeal to the immigration system.

Contacting the Home Office

On the date on which your employee’s permission expires, to continue to employ them you must be reasonably satisfied they:

have submitted an in-time application to extend or vary their permission to be in the UK

have made an appeal or an administrative review against a decision on that application which is outstanding

are unable to provide acceptable documentation but presents other information indicating they are a long-term lawful resident of the UK who arrived here before 1988.

In such cases, your statutory excuse will continue from the expiry date of your employee’s permission for a further period of up to 28 calendar days to enable you to obtain a positive verification from the ECS or carry out a Home Office online check . This ‘grace period’ does not apply to checks carried out before employment commences. In such circumstances, you should delay employing the individual until such time you are able to carry out a prescribed check or you receive a six-month PVN from the ECS.

During either the initial 28 calendar days, or the six-month PVN period your employee provides evidence that their case has been determined with permission to stay granted, you can maintain a statutory excuse for the duration of their immigration permission by conducting a check in the normal way. A letter from a solicitor indicating a successful case outcome or a copy of a successful court judgment will not provide you with a statutory excuse.

You can reasonably satisfy yourself of a pending application through, for example, a Home Office acknowledgment letter or a Home Office or appeal tribunal reference number and proof of date of postage. If your employee cannot provide this evidence, this does not necessarily mean that they have not made an application, appeal or applied for an administrative review.

In the event a follow-up check confirms an employee is working illegally in your workforce, you are advised to take steps to terminate employment and report the circumstances to the Home Office via the UKVI Helpline on 0300 790 6268 select the employer’s option, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays), 8am to 8pm Saturday and Sunday, 9:30am to 4:30pm. You must state that you are reporting illegal working in your workforce and request a Unique Reference Number (URN).

Transfer of undertakings

Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (TUPE) Regulations 2006 provide that right to work checks carried out by the transferor (the seller) are deemed to have been carried out by the transferee (the buyer). As such, the buyer will obtain the benefit of any statutory excuse established by the seller.

However, if the seller did not conduct the original checks correctly, the buyer would be liable for a penalty if an employee, who commenced work on or after 29 February 2008, is later found to be working illegally. Also, a check by the buyer may be the only way to determine when any follow-up check should be carried out in respect of employees with time-limited permission to work in the UK.

For these reasons, employers who acquire staff in cases of TUPE transfers are advised to undertake a fresh right to work check on those staff they have acquired. Employers are not required to have a statutory excuse in respect of employment which commenced before 29 February 2008, where the individual has been in continuous employment prior to that date. This includes where employment has continued as part of a TUPE transfer.

We recognise that there may be practical problems in undertaking these checks before employment commences for workers acquired as part of a TUPE transfer, and for this reason a grace period has been provided during which you should undertake the check. This period runs for 60 calendar days from the date of the transfer of the business to correctly carry out fresh right to work checks in respect of those TUPE employees acquired. There is no grace period for any subsequent follow-up checks.

This 60-day grace period applies in all situations where there is a “relevant transfer” [footnote 1] , even if the transferring business is subject to “terminal” insolvency proceedings falling within regulation 8(7) of the 2006 TUPE Regulations, such as cases involving compulsory liquidation [footnote 2] .

Changes in the Employer’s legal constitution

Where the employer is a corporate body and there has only been a change in the employer’s legal constitution, for example, a change from a private limited company to a public limited company or change from a partnership to a limited company or a limited liability partnership or a TUPE transfer within the same group of companies, the right to work check does not need to be repeated because of this change. This is only the case when the employer is effectively the same entity and is only changing its legal status. Where there is any doubt, we recommend that the employer checks the person’s right to work, rather than risking liability for a civil penalty should an employee be found to be working illegally.

5. What are the sanctions against illegal working?

Illegal working is tackled through a ‘whole government approach’. Co-ordination across agencies in government, including HMRC, to ensure that illegal working is detected more effectively, is conducted through the sharing of intelligence and joint enforcement operations. When illegal working is identified, a range of sanctions are applied.

If you are found to be employing someone illegally and you have not carried out the prescribed checks, you may face sanctions including:

civil penalty of up to £60,000 per illegal worker

in serious cases, a criminal conviction carrying a prison sentence of up to five years and an unlimited fine

closure of the business and a compliance order issued by the court

disqualification as a director

not being able to sponsor migrants

seizure of earnings made as a result of illegal working

review and possible revocation of a licence in the alcohol and late-night refreshment sector and the private hire vehicle and taxi sector.

You may also appear in the publication of non-compliant employers in Employers: illegal working penalties .

This is a quarterly report showing the total number of civil penalties for illegal working issued to non-compliant employers in each region of the UK. The report shows the number of illegal workers found and the value of the penalty issued.

Employment of illegal workers within the previous three years means you have been issued with a civil penalty or warning notice in respect of a breach of the 2006 Act for one or more workers which occurred within three years of the current breach, and where your liability was maintained following the exercise of any objection and/or appeal, or you have committed an offence under section 21 of the 2006 Act, as amended by the Immigration Act 2016, during the same period.

Civil penalties

The amount of any civil penalty issued is determined on a case-by-case basis. The ‘Code of practice on preventing illegal working’ explains how a penalty is calculated, including mitigating factors which may reduce the penalty amount.

If you are found liable, you will be issued with a Civil Penalty Notice setting out the total penalty amount you are required to pay, and the date by which you must pay it. It will also inform you how you can exercise your right to object, following which you will be able to appeal. The employer must always object against the penalty notice before appealing to the court, except if served with a penalty notice for a higher amount following an objection.

Further information is contained in the ‘Employer’s guide to administration of the civil penalty scheme’ which sets out in more detail the stages of the civil penalty process, how the penalty is calculated, the range of notices you may receive and the deadlines by which you need to take action at each stage.

Receipt of a civil penalty could also affect your ability to sponsor migrants who come to the UK in the future (including those under the points-based immigration system) or your eligibility to hold a Gangmaster’s licence. Being issued with a civil penalty may also affect your ability to hold a licence in the private hire and taxi sector and the alcohol and late-night refreshment sector.

If an employee is undertaking a role which is different from that for which the certificate of sponsorship was issued and permission to enter or stay was granted, you are employing the worker illegally. Further information on sponsoring migrants may be found on Sponsorship: guidance for employers and educators .

If you are an employer who is subject to immigration control, you should also be aware that if you are liable for a civil penalty, this will be recorded on Home Office systems and may be taken into account when we consider any future immigration application that you make.

The offence of employing an illegal worker

You will commit a criminal offence under section 21 of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006, as amended by section 35 of the Immigration Act 2016, if you know or have reasonable cause to believe that you are employing an illegal worker. You may face up to five years’ imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.

It is illegal to employ someone aged 16 or over who is subject to immigration control and who is not allowed to undertake the work in question (by reason of their immigration status). The civil penalty scheme is the sanction applied in most routine cases involving the employment of illegal workers. If you know that you are employing someone who is not allowed to carry out the work in question, you will not have a statutory excuse, regardless of whether you have conducted right to work checks. However, in more serious cases, prosecution may be considered where it is deemed the appropriate response to the non-compliance encountered.

The offence of illegal working

Working illegally is a criminal offence. Illegal workers face having their wages seized. They may also be prosecuted and can be imprisoned for up to six months.

The Immigration Act 2016 made it an offence to work illegally in the UK. A person commits this offence if they are subject to immigration control, and they work when they are disqualified from working by reason of their immigration status. The offence applies when they know, or have reasonable cause to believe, that they are disqualified from working.

‘Disqualified from working by reason of their immigration status’ means that they:

have not been granted leave to enter or remain in the UK; or

their leave to enter or remain in the UK

is invalid,

has ceased to have effect (whether by reason of curtailment, revocation, cancellation, passage of time, or otherwise), or

is subject to a condition preventing the person from doing work of that kind.

As well as including those working illegally under a contract of employment, the offence also applies to work undertaken by those who are self-employed. The offence covers both informal and formal working arrangements.

The offence carries a maximum penalty of six months’ imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine in England and Wales and six months’ imprisonment and/or a fine of the statutory maximum in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Wages gained from illegal working may be seized as the proceeds of crime and assets may be confiscated.

Closure notices and compliance orders

The 2016 Act (Section 38 and Schedule 6) introduced illegal working closure notice and compliance order provisions to provide a power to deal with those employers who have continued to flout the UK’s laws by using illegal labour where previous civil and/or criminal sanctions have not curbed their non-compliant behaviour. Serious or persistently non-compliant employers may face temporary closure of their business. The employer is then placed under special conditions to support compliance, as directed by the Court, and may be inspected by Immigration Officers.

The provisions commenced on 1 December 2016. The notice prohibits access to the premises and paid or voluntary work on the premises, unless it is authorised in writing by the Home Office. The closure notice does not prevent access to the premises by any person who habitually lives there. In addition to the issue of the notice, consideration will also be given to the service of penalties or prosecution for illegal working and other immigration offences.

Whenever an illegal working closure notice has been issued, and which has not been cancelled, the Home Office must make an application by complaint to a Magistrates’ Court for a compliance order. The application is sent to the Court and served on the respondent before the hearing and forms the basis of the application to the court for the compliance order. The aim of a compliance order is to prevent an employer operating at the premises from employing illegal workers. The employer is placed under special conditions to support compliance, as directed by the Court, and may be inspected by Immigration Officers.

Preventing illegal working in licensed sectors

The Immigration Act 2016 amended existing licensing regimes in high-risk sectors of the economy (private hire vehicles and taxi sector and the alcohol and late-night refreshment sector). Licences will not be issued to those who break the UK’s immigration laws and may be revoked where an existing licence holder commits immigration crime or receives a civil penalty for employing illegal workers.

Licensing authorities carry out right to work checks when considering applications for licences in the taxi and private hire vehicle sector and the alcohol and late-night refreshment sector. Applicants need to provide evidence of their right to work in the UK and licences will not be issued to those who do not have the right to do the work in question.

Where the holder of a licence breaches immigration laws or receives a civil penalty, this will be grounds for licensing authorities to review, suspend or revoke a licence. In the case of licences for sale and supply of alcohol and late-night refreshment, the Home Office as a responsible authority under the Licensing Act 2003 receives a copy of these applications and may make representations to the relevant licensing authority when we believe that to grant a licence will be prejudicial to preventing immigration crime and illegal working in licensed premises.

Immigration Enforcement have the same power of entry as licensing enforcement officers to facilitate joint operations and inspections for immigration offences in relation to the licensable activity. Provisions commenced in April 2017 in England and Wales. Equivalent provisions in regulations will be made for Scotland and Northern Ireland.

6. Do you have any questions?

In the first instance, please refer to the relevant section in this guidance:

The online interactive tool: ‘ Check if someone can work in the UK ’

The online interactive tool: ‘Employer Checking Service Enquiries’

An employer’s ‘Right to Work Checklist’

The code of practice on preventing illegal working: Civil penalty scheme for employers

The code of practice for employers: Avoiding unlawful discrimination while preventing illegal working

Guidance on ‘ An employer’s guide to the administration of the civil penalty scheme ’

If you cannot find the answer to your question, please contact the Employer Enquiry helpline on 0300 790 6268.

7. Annex A: Lists of acceptable documents for manual right to work checks

Where a right to work check has been conducted using the online right to work checking service, the information is provided in real-time directly from Home Office systems and there is no requirement to check any of the documents listed below.

List A – acceptable documents to establish a continuous statutory excuse

A passport (current or expired) showing the holder is a British citizen or a citizen of the UK and Colonies having the right of abode in the UK.

A passport or passport card (in either case, whether current or expired) showing that the holder is an Irish citizen.

A document issued by the Bailiwick of Jersey, the Bailiwick of Guernsey or the Isle of Man, which has been verified as valid by the Home Office Employer Checking Service, showing that the holder has been granted unlimited leave to enter or remain under Appendix EU(J) to the Jersey Immigration Rules, Appendix EU to the Immigration (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Rules 2008 or Appendix EU to the Isle of Man Immigration Rules.

A current passport endorsed to show that the holder is exempt from immigration control, is allowed to stay indefinitely in the UK, has the right of abode in the UK, or has no time limit on their stay in the UK [footnote 3] .

A current Immigration Status Document issued by the Home Office to the holder with an endorsement indicating that the named person is allowed to stay indefinitely in the UK, or has no time limit on their stay in the UK, together with an official document giving the person’s permanent National Insurance number and their name issued by a government agency or a previous employer.

A birth or adoption certificate issued in the UK, together with an official document giving the person’s permanent National Insurance number and their name issued by a government agency or a previous employer [footnote 4] .

A birth or adoption certificate issued in the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or Ireland, together with an official document giving the person’s permanent National Insurance number and their name issued by a government agency or a previous employer.

A certificate of registration or naturalisation as a British citizen, together with an official document giving the person’s permanent National Insurance number and their name issued by a government agency or a previous employer.

List B Group 1 – documents where a time-limited statutory excuse lasts until the expiry date of permission to enter or permission to stay

A current passport endorsed to show that the holder is allowed to stay in the UK and is currently allowed to do the type of work in question [footnote 5]

A document issued by the Bailiwick of Jersey, the Bailiwick of Guernsey or the Isle of Man, which has been verified as valid by the Home Office Employer Checking Service, showing that the holder has been granted limited leave to enter or remain under Appendix EU(J) to the Jersey Immigration Rules, Appendix EU to the Immigration (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Rules 2008 or Appendix EU to the Isle of Man Immigration Rules.

A current Immigration Status Document containing a photograph issued by the Home Office to the holder with a valid endorsement indicating that the named person may stay in the UK, and is allowed to do the type of work in question, together with an official document giving the person’s permanent National Insurance number and their name issued by a government agency or a previous employer.

List B Group 2 – documents where a time-limited statutory excuse lasts for six months

A document issued by the Home Office showing that the holder has made an application for leave to enter or remain under Appendix EU to the immigration rules (known as the EU Settlement Scheme) on or before 30 June 2021 together with a Positive Verification Notice from the Home Office Employer Checking Service.

A Certificate of Application (non-digital) issued by the Home Office showing that the holder has made an application for leave to enter or remain under Appendix EU(J) to the Jersey Immigration Rules or Appendix EU to the Immigration Rules (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Rules 2008, or Appendix EU to the Isle of Man Immigration Rules together with a Positive Verification Notice from the Home Office Employer Checking Service.

A document issued by the Bailiwick of Jersey, the Bailiwick of Guernsey or the Isle of Man showing that the holder has made an application for leave to enter or remain under Appendix EU(J) to the Jersey Immigration Rules or Appendix EU to the Immigration Rules (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Rules 2008, or Appendix EU to the Isle of Man Immigration Rules together with a Positive Verification Notice from the Home Office Employer Checking Service.

An Application Registration Card issued by the Home Office stating that the holder is permitted to take the employment in question, together with a Positive Verification Notice from the Home Office Employer Checking Service.

A Positive Verification Notice issued by the Home Office Employer Checking Service to the employer or prospective employer, which indicates that the named person may stay in the UK and is permitted to do the work in question.

8. Annex B: Employment of specific categories of workers

Sponsored work routes.

You will usually need a sponsor licence to employ someone to work for you from outside the UK. This includes EEA citizens who arrived in the UK after 31 December 2020.

You will not need a sponsor licence to employ certain categories of workers, including:

those with settled or pre-settled status under the EUSS

those with indefinite leave to remain / settlement in the UK

For an overview of the requirements for a sponsor licence, see ‘ UKVI Visa sponsorship for employers on GOV.UK ’.

For detailed information on the requirements, see ‘ Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors ’ on GOV.UK.

Supplementary Employment

A worker can take supplementary employment if they have been granted entry clearance or permission on any of the following routes:

• Skilled Worker
• the Intra-Company routes in place before 11 April 2022
• Senior or Specialist Worker (but only if they qualify under a transitional arrangement )
• T2 Minister of Religion
• International Sportsperson
• Creative Worker
• Government Authorised Exchange
• International Agreement (but only if the worker has been granted as an employee of an overseas government or international organisation)
• Religious Worker

In addition to the job specified on the certificate of sponsorship (CoS), workers sponsored on these routes are able to carry out supplementary employment, provided it meets the following conditions:

• in either a job on the Immigration Salary List or a job in the same profession and at the same professional level as the job for which the CoS was assigned; and
• is for no more than 20 hours a week; and
• the individual continues to work for their sponsor and any supplementary work takes place outside of their contracted hours for their sponsored employment.

Overtime with the employer, and in the employment, specified on the worker’s CoS is not considered to be supplementary employment but forms part of the worker’s sponsored employment. Any overtime must comply with the Working Time Regulations and meet the relevant salary criteria of the route on which the worker is being sponsored.

Where you are providing supplementary employment to a sponsored worker, you must carry out a right to work check in accordance with this guidance. The check must confirm they can do supplementary employment.

You should also take steps to ensure the supplementary employment meets the above requirements by, for example, asking the worker to provide a letter or other evidence from their sponsor confirming:

• They’re still working for their sponsor;
• The job description and occupation code of their sponsored employment (if their supplementary employment is not in on the Immigration Salary List ;
• Their normal working hours

You should also ask the worker if they are doing any other supplementary employment with another employer to ensure they will not be doing more than 20 hours a week in total of supplementary employment.

For further information on supplementary employment, see Sponsor a worker: sponsor guidance part 2 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) section S8 of Part 2 of the sponsor guidance (sponsor a worker).

Not all international students are entitled to work while they are in the UK, but some are allowed to take limited employment if the conditions of their permission to study permit this.

A student who has been granted permission to be in the UK and is permitted to work may have an endorsement in their passport which states that they are permitted to work and the number of hours of work permitted during term time, for example,10 hours or 20 hours a week. Alternatively, they may have an eVisa or a BRP which will also show this information online, in which case employers can do a check by using the online service, entitled ‘Check a job applicant’s right to work: use their share code’ on GOV.UK.

A week is considered in this context to run from Monday to Sunday. If permission to work is not stated in one of these documents, the student is not permitted to work. Students who have the right to work are permitted to work full-time before their course starts, during vacations or during the period they hold permission for after they have completed their course.

Study term times may end on any day of the week, depending upon the education provider. Therefore, if the educational institution’s term time ends on a Friday, full-time work would be permitted from the next day (in this scenario, a Saturday). Students should confirm with their sponsor what the term end date is and verify this with their employer as part of the right to work checking process when considering working full time hours. This will allow employers to ensure students are not in breach of their visa conditions.

Students are not permitted to fill a permanent full-time vacancy unless they are applying to switch into the Skilled Worker or Graduate routes during their study. Changes to the Immigration Rules allow students with valid applications for these routes to take up permanent, full-time vacancies either, up to three months prior to the course completion date for the Skilled Worker route, or once they have successfully completed their course of study for the Graduate route) or where they have permission under the Doctorate Extension Scheme. Students are not permitted to work as an entertainer or professional sportsperson.

For students who have limited permission to work during term-times, you must also obtain, copy and retain details of their academic term and vacation times covering the duration of their period of study in the UK for which they will be employed.

The dates should be provided by the sponsoring education provider, either directly or indirectly if the student is providing a letter or email, they have received from their sponsoring education provider setting out the required details.

It would be for you, as the employer, to determine if the information provided is sufficient, whether received from the sponsoring education provider directly or via the student. For instance, where information showing course dates on the education provider’s website differs from that in any letter received, you may wish to seek further clarification.

More information about student work entitlements is available in the Student route caseworker guidance .

Work placements

Work placements are intended to enable the student to gain specific experience of working in the field for which they are studying. Work placements are distinct from any employment that a student may (if permitted) take while they are following a course of study.

Students, including child students aged 16 or over, are allowed to undertake work placements where they are integral and related to the course and are assessed as part of the course. Where their student sponsor is a Probationary Sponsor, such courses must be at least RQF level 6 or SCQF level 9. Activity as part of a course-related work placement is restricted to no more than one third of the total length of the course undertaken in the UK unless:

the student is following a course at degree level or above and is sponsored by Higher Education Provider (HEP) with a track record of compliance, or by an overseas HEI to undertake a short-term Study Abroad Programme in the UK, in which case the work placement is restricted to no more than 50 per cent of the total length of the course.

the student is a child student aged 16 or over, in which case the work placement can form no more than 50 per cent of the total length of the course.

there is a statutory requirement for the course to include a specific period of work placement which exceeds this limit.

Student sponsors should provide a letter addressed to you as the work placement provider confirming that the work placement forms an integral and assessed part of the course and does not, by itself or in combination with other periods of work placement, breach the above restrictions. The letter must also include the terms and conditions of the work placement, including the work that the student will be expected to do, and how and when they will be assessed. You are strongly advised to obtain and retain such a letter as evidence of the work placement and that the work placement restrictions have not been breached as you may be liable for a civil penalty if your student employee does not comply with their immigration conditions.

While your student employee is undertaking a work placement as required by their course, this period of placement does not count towards the period of term time employment permitted by their immigration conditions.

Further information on Student visa , including work placements, is available on GOV.UK.

The student route replaced Tier 4 on 5 October 2020. Where a student holds Tier 4 leave, they will be considered to hold the same work rights as someone who holds Student immigration permission.

Impact of a change in circumstances on a student’s right to work

The student has made an application to the Home Office to vary their immigration permission – If the student is in the UK and has made a valid in-time immigration application (one made before their existing immigration permission expired), their existing conditions and work entitlements continue until their application is decided. If the application is approved, their immigration permission will be varied, and they will get new conditions of permission to stay. If the application is refused, their existing conditions continue to apply until their immigration permission expires.

The student has stopped studying or their sponsor has lost its licence – If there has been a significant change in the student’s circumstances which means they no longer qualify for their grant of Student immigration permission, the Home Office will curtail their permission. Any permission to work will expire on the new date that the student’s leave will expire following curtailment. Curtailment can be with immediate effect or take effect 60 calendar days from the date the student was notified that their leave was curtailed.

Voluntary Work

Individuals, including students, who have been granted immigration permission to be in the UK are permitted to volunteer. Visitors can volunteer for a registered charity for a maximum of 30 calendar days during their visit, but volunteering cannot be the main purpose of their visit. Individuals who have limited permission to work in the UK may not carry out any voluntary work.

The legal distinction between volunteering and voluntary work can be quite complex. However, there are some key questions to consider when assessing whether an activity is voluntary work.

It is likely to be voluntary work if:

there is an obligation on the individual to perform the work and in return an obligation on the organisation to provide it. The obligation does not have to be in writing.

the individual is rewarded for that work, either through money or benefits in kind.

An obligation to work or receipt of remuneration is likely to mean that the individual is working under a mutuality of obligation. Where there is mutuality of obligation, it is voluntary work.

However, as the legal distinction is not always clear, we recommend that those involved seek independent legal advice for their specific activity.

An individual who is not permitted to work might commit a criminal offence by engaging in voluntary work when they are subject to contractual obligations. In such circumstances, their employer might also be liable for a civil penalty for employing an illegal worker.

Students, including child students aged 16 and over, can do voluntary work if they are permitted to work, but this work and any other (for example, paid) work must not exceed the total number of hours they are permitted to work during term time. For example, if a student is permitted to work 20 hours a week during term-time and has paid work of 15 hours a week during term time, they cannot do more than 5 hours voluntary work. If they are not permitted to work they cannot do voluntary work.

9. Annex C: Digital identity verification – Guidance for employers and Identity Service Providers (IDSPs)

1.1 This guidance follows the Home Office announcement of 27 December 2021 and updated information available on GOV.UK about digital identity certification for right to work, right to rent and criminal record checks . It sets out how employers can comply with their responsibilities to conduct right to work (RTW) checks, when using Identity Service Providers (IDSPs) to complete the identity verification element of checks involving British and Irish citizens who hold a valid passport (including Irish passport cards).

1.2 ‘Identity Document Validation Technology (IDVT)’ are forms of technology operated for the purpose of verifying the identity of a person, whereby a digital copy of a physical document relating to that person is produced for verification of the document’s validity, and whether that person is the rightful holder of the document.

1.3 ‘Identity Service Provider (IDSP)’ is a provider of identity verification services using IDVT. In the context of this guidance, an IDSP may be certified to provide identity verification to specific levels of confidence, specified by government standards. IDSPs are sometimes referred to as ‘identity providers’.

1.4 ‘IDVT identity check’ means the response generated by an IDSP, using IDVT, when undertaking identity verification with respect to a person.

1.5 The relevant changes to legislation came into force from 6 April 2022.

1.6 IDSPs act on behalf of the employer (with the employer becoming a ‘relying party’ in that transaction).

1.7 This guidance sets out the required steps to verify a person’s identity and eligibility using IDVT, for the purposes of RTW checks in order to obtain a statutory excuse against liability for a civil penalty.

1.8 Employers and IDSPs must discharge their duties in accordance with this guidance and RTW legislation.

1.9 Changes to the RTW regulations permit the use of IDSPs for identity verification, enabling employers to delegate elements of the checking process to IDSPs. This allows employers and IDSPs to utilise IDVT to carry out remote digital checks when using these services. Where the services of an IDSP are used, employers are encouraged to:

Use an IDSP that is a certified provider.

Provide appropriate training and guidance to their staff for example, on what information they must obtain from an IDSP to confirm verification of identity, what the information can be used for, and the additional steps they must take to establish eligibility to work.

1.10 The 2018 Identity Document Validation Technology guidance recognises the role of IDSPs in identity verification and should be read in conjunction with this guidance.

1.11 This guidance makes extensive reference to the UK Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework . The UKDIATF will make provision for IDSPs to be certified as providers of identity verification services.

1.12 Certification provides a number of benefits. It is capable of providing reassurance the services can be trusted and are secure. It allows a single identity provider to complete a fully remote pre-employment checking process. It can also provide certainty for employers in an evolving technology and digital identity framework.

1.13 The UKDIATF defines:

the organisational responsibilities of IDSPs that must be met, in order to be certified, and references the Government Good Practice Guide 45 (GPG45) as the standard that is used to define how identities should be verified.

the ‘levels of confidence’ (LoC) in identity verification and ‘identity profiles’ that can meet the aforementioned levels of confidence.

2. A right to work check using IDVT via the services of an IDSP

2.1 The Home Office prescribes the nature of the checks required and the information that must be retained by employers in order to have a statutory excuse against liability for a civil penalty. The responsibility for the check remains with the employer, and they must ensure the IDSP they select to complete the identity verification element of the check carries out a prescribed check prior to the commencement of employment.

2.2 Employers will obtain a statutory excuse where they can demonstrate that they have complied with all the statutory requirements to conduct right to work checks. Where they have used an IDSP, the statutory excuse will only be obtained where that IDSP has also complied with the required steps. Should they be found to be employing an individual without their identity and eligibility being checked correctly in accordance with legislation and this guidance, the employer will not have a statutory excuse in the event the individual is found to be working illegally by reason of their immigration status.

3. Documents

3.1 For the purposes of verifying identity for RTW checks through IDVT, only the following specified documents can be accepted:

valid British passports

valid Irish passports

valid Irish passport cards

3.2 For employers to be able to rely upon the IDVT identity check carried out by an IDSP to prove eligibility for the purpose of a RTW check and obtain a statutory excuse, a valid British or Irish passport (including passport cards) must be provided to the IDSP and checked by them using IDVT for the purposes of identity verification.

3.3 If an individual is reliant upon an expired British or Irish passport (including passport cards) to prove their eligibility for the purpose of a RTW check, an IDVT check is not valid. The employer will need to carry out a manual check of the original document in the prescribed manner to obtain a statutory excuse.

4. Required steps to be taken by the IDSP

4.1 The IDSP must take all reasonable steps to check the validity of the document and take all reasonable steps to verify the prospective employee is the rightful holder of the document. The IDSP must also record in a format that cannot subsequently be altered the date on which the check was carried out.

4.2 For each identity verified by the IDSP using IDVT, the following information must be obtained during the check. This must be provided to the employer (relying party) in a clear, legible format which cannot be altered, and must be stored securely by the relying party in electronic or hard copy for audit and investigation purposes:

5. Required steps to be taken by the employer

5.1 Where an IDSP is used, employers retain obligations that they must comply with under the RTW Scheme. The employer needs to complete the following steps before employment commences to ensure a prescribed check has been undertaken, in order to establish a statutory excuse.

Use an IDSP to check a prospective employee’s valid British or Irish passport (or Irish passport card) using IDVT.

Obtain an output of the IDVT identity check from the IDSP containing a copy of the IDVT identity check, and the document checked, in a clear, legible format that cannot be altered.

Carry out their own due diligence to satisfy themselves to a reasonable belief that their chosen IDSP has completed the check correctly in the prescribed manner.

Satisfy themselves that the photograph and biographic details (for example, date of birth) on the output from the IDVT identity check are consistent with the individual presenting themselves for work (i.e., the information provided by the check relates to the individual and they are not an imposter).

Where names differ between documents, the employer must establish why this is the case and must not employ that individual unless they are satisfied that the documents relate to them. A statutory excuse will not be obtained where it is reasonably apparent that the prospective employee is not the individual linked to the identity which was verified by the IDSP.

Employers must retain this information securely for the duration of employment and for a further two years after the employment has ended. The copy must then be securely destroyed.

The following parts of this guidance set out various recommendations in addition to the requirements set out above.

6. Verifying identities IDSPs

6.1 This guidance recommends that, in order for an IDSP to carry out an identity check, the IDSP should undertake identity verification following GPG45. Verifying an individual’s identity following GPG45 requires IDSPs to follow a process known as ‘identity checking’. This process is made up of 5 parts:

get evidence of the claimed identity

check the evidence is genuine or valid

check the claimed identity has existed over time

check if the claimed identity is at high risk of identity fraud

check that the identity belongs to the person who’s claiming it

6.2 Each step of the process is scored, and these scores are used to determine what Level of Confidence (LoC) has been achieved.

7. Identity profiles

7.1 There are several ways to combine the scores for each part of the identity checking process. These combinations are known as identity profiles. GPG45 has four LoCs. IDSPs can carry out digital identity verification to a range of standards or levels of confidence. The Home Office recommends that employers only accept checks via an IDSP that satisfy a minimum of a Medium LoC.

7.2 This is the minimum LoC recommended for RTW checks. Employers may choose an IDSP who proofs individuals to a higher LoC (i.e., in employment situations, where there may be a requirement for a Standard, Enhanced, or Enhanced with Barred Lists DBS check) if their business needs require, but this is not needed for the purposes of undertaking eligibility checks for RTW.

7.3 An activity history or identity fraud check is not required to meet some identity profiles. The Home Office recommends, where possible, an identity fraud check is undertaken on the claimed identity for all profiles, including those where GPG45 profile does not require it.

7.4 GPG45 treats all profiles within a level of confidence as being equal. The Home Office recommends that the strongest piece of evidence available is used to prove the identity exists, such as a passport, and the strongest method of matching the individual to this evidence.

8. Operational Procedures Manual (OPM) for identity verification

8.1 The OPM (available at Appendix A) details how IDSPs can complete identity verification to the recommended LoC, in relation to GPG45.

9. Certification and audit of IDSPs

9.1 Whilst it is not mandatory for employers to use a certified IDSP for the purposes of right to work checks, the Home Office recommends employers use a certified IDSP. This will provide assurance that their chosen IDSP has been independently assessed as being capable of providing ID verification services in accordance with this guidance and the standards set out in the trust framework. However, as set out above and regardless of whether or not the IDSP is certified, the responsibility for the check remains with the employer, and they must ensure the IDSP they select to complete the identity verification element of the check carries out a prescribed check prior to the commencement of employment.

9.2 The UKDIATF is currently in its ‘beta’ version (v0.3) following two earlier prototypes (or ‘alphas’). IDSPs who choose to become certified, to carry out RTW checks on behalf of employers must have a valid certificate against a current version of the UKDIATF. To remain certified, IDSPs must maintain their UKDIATF certification, including uplifting to any new publications in line with the dates specified within the UKDIATF, IDSPs will be required to undertake annual surveillance audits and biennial recertification against the version of the UKDIATF which is current at the time.

9.4 In addition to this guidance, an Operational Procedures Manual (OPM) is available at Appendix A for IDSPs. The OPM provides additional guidance around how to verify an individual’s identity, alongside how GPG45 should be used to meet government guidance for digital identity verification.

9.5 IDSPs who choose to become certified will be certified by an independent certification body to assure that they are capable of providing identity verification services in accordance with this guidance and meet the standards set out in the UKDIATF. Further information about the certification bodies available to certify IDSPs can be found here .

9.6 This guidance recommends that, in order for an IDSP to carry out an identity check, the IDSP should undertake identity verification following GPG45. The Home Office has adopted specific profiles of GPG45 as the basis of this guidance for IDSPs carrying out RTW checks. This guidance is consistent with the standards set out in the UKDIATF.

9.7 Therefore, IDSPs that are certified and assessed to meet the terms of the UKDIATF, and whose certification includes those specific profiles, will be able to demonstrate to employers that they are capable of complying with this guidance.

9.8 Certified IDSPs carrying out identity verification for RTW checks must be:

9.8.1 Certified they are aware of the purpose of the checks (i.e., to demonstrate they know that the identity checking is to determine eligibility to work in the UK. IDSPs must be aware and acknowledge the sanctions and criminal offences that supplement the RTW Scheme and identity checking in the event of noncompliance.

9.8.2 Certified that the requirements in 9.8.1 are also met by ensuring appropriate training of their employees and members of staff involved in the identity checking process, with appropriate records maintained of such training.

9.8.3 Certified to demonstrate the information security requirements in section 10.1 –10.2 are met.

9.8.4 Certified to demonstrate the identity assurance requirements in 11.1 – 11.3 are met.

10. Certified against industry standards for information security

10.1 Certified IDSPs must have appropriate information security management systems in place to look after people’s data and keep it secure.

10.2 They must be certified to confirm that they meet an industry standard for information security management. This involves demonstrating that they have adequate processes in place to look after information securely and safely, and how they set up, maintain, and continuously improve an information security management system (ISMS). The ISMS must meet the requirements of ISO/IEC 27001:2013 or another recognised standard that includes all the requirements of ISO/IEC 27001:2013.

11. Certified against government standards for identity assurance

11.1 Certified companies also have to be certified by an independent certification body, to assure that their service meets recommended Home Office standards for identity assurance.

11.2 Certification must be conducted by a certification body which is approved by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). This will require the certification body to be accredited by, or part of the pilot assessment to become accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) against the UKDIATF.

11.3 Certification will confirm the IDSP meets the recommended standards set out in this guidance, for example, that they have reached a medium level of confidence and identify profiles required.

Appendix A: Right to Work Scheme digital identity operational procedures manual (OPM)

1.1 This OPM provides additional guidance for identity service providers (IDSPs) to undertake identity verification, on behalf of employers for the purposes of verifying an individual’s identity, as part of a right to work (RTW) check.

1.2 This OPM references the UK digital identity and attributes trust framework (UKDIATF) and the Government Good Practice Guide 45 (GPG45).

1.3 Therefore, the UKDIATF and GPG45 should be followed as normal unless otherwise specified.

2. Verifying identities

2.1 This section should be read with reference to the guidance in Annex D above.

Choosing an identity profile

2.2 GPG45 treats all profiles within a Level of Confidence (LoC) as being equal. Home Office recommends that the strongest piece of evidence available is used to prove the identity exists (for example, a valid passport), and the strongest method of matching the individual to this evidence.

Medium level of confidence

2.3 To achieve a ‘medium’ level of confidence, the following profiles can be used. A single document is acceptable using digital means, as long as it meets the strength, validity, and verification scores detailed below.

2.4 Profiles marked as ‘M1’ only require a single high-strength document. Profiles marked as ‘M2’ require two documents - the second document is only checked for ‘Strength’ and ‘Genuine / Valid’. Profiles marked ‘M3A’ require three documents.

2.5 Although some identity profiles do not require an activity history or identity fraud check to be completed, the Home Office recommends, where possible, an identity fraud check is undertaken on the claimed identity for all profiles, including those where GPG45 profile does not require it.

3. Scoring identity evidence

3.1 GPG45 provides a detailed explanation of how identity evidence is scored. This document details specific guidelines applicable to Home Office RTW check requirements. Home Office guidance may restrict how evidence is scored or may provide additional guidance where it is considered that GPG45 does not provide sufficient clarity to enable IDSPs to operate as Home Office intends.

3.2 Where an IDSP is certified, they will have a valid certificate against a current version of the UKDIATF, following GPG 45 guidance as specified in a current version of the UKDIATF, and must, therefore, refer to the published versions of both UKDIATF and GPG45.

3.3 IDSPs applying to become certified will be required to undergo a specific audit and certification.

3.4 In so doing, IDSPs must be certified by an independent certification body, which is approved by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). This will require the certification body to be accredited by, or part of the pilot assessment programme to become accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) against the UKDIATF. Certification will confirm the IDSP has been independently assessed as being capable of providing ID verification services in accordance with this guidance and the standards set out in the UKDIATF.

3.5 The following information provides additional clarity to enable IDSPs to operate as Home Office intends. Please note, headings correlate to those within GPG45.

Get evidence of the claimed identity:

3.6 No amended or supplementary requirements to GPG45.

If the user has changed their name:

3.7 No amended or supplementary requirements to GPG45.

Scoring evidence of the claimed identity:

3.8 score 1.

Evidence that only score 1 are not acceptable.

3.9 Score 2

No amended or supplementary requirements to GPG45.

3.10 Score 3

3.11 score 4, check the evidence is genuine or valid:, 3.12 score 1, 3.13 score 2.

Detailed below are some clarifications to the GPG45 requirements and a number of examples.

If the evidence is being checked by a person, they must:

be trained in how to detect false documents by a specialist trainer; evidence of the trainer’s specialist capability will be required to be presented to the certification auditor

refresh their training at least every 3 years

All other requirements are as documented in GPG45.

3.14 Score 3

The requirement to confirm any physical security features are genuine and assess UV or IR security features is for physical, in person checks only.

Any evidence protected by cryptographic security features will have a score of 3 if it is ensured that these security features are genuine. Therefore, for a mobile-based automated process, mobile chip checking capability must be used to obtain a minimum score of 3.

All requirements are as documented in GPG45.

3.15 Score 4

Document validation technology:.

3.16 Please refer to Identity Document Validation Technology guidance .

Check the claimed identity has existed over time – activity history

3.17 No amended or supplementary requirements to GPG45.

Check if the claimed identity is at higher risk of identity fraud

3.18 The Home Office recommends an identity fraud check is undertaken on the claimed identity for all profiles, including those where GPG45 profile does not require it.

Check that the identity belongs to the person who’s claiming

3.19 The Home Office recommends the highest-strength identity document available is used to prove the identity belongs to the individual claiming it.

This means that biometric verification of an individual should be used where documents containing biometric information have been used to prove the identity is real. Sources such as digital authentication of bank accounts as verification of identity are preferred to knowledge-based verification (KBV) as they present a simpler user journey and are less susceptible to user error. All other requirements are as documented in GPG45.

Reusable Identities

IDSPs or attribute service providers who want to create a reusable digital identity or attribute service, must link the digital identity and/or attributes to an authenticator (such as a password, piece of software, or device).

In addition to GPG45, you must follow the guidance on using authenticators to protect an online service . This is also known as GPG44.

The reusable digital identity must be protected in accordance with GPG44 medium protection and include medium quality authentication factors as a minimum. It is recommended that one of the authentication factors used is biometric information.

Right to work checks and an employer’s statutory excuse against liability for a civil penalty are not transferrable from one employer to another.

The IDSP must be able to assure the employer, at the time the identity is asserted, that there exists in relation to the employee a relevant IDVT document. A relevant IDVT document is a current British or Irish passport (or Irish passport card). If the document has expired the assertion is not valid for the purposes of the Scheme. The check must be completed prior to the commencement of employment.

It is the responsibility of the IDSP to ensure that the asserted identity meets the identity assurance requirements and the prescribed requirements specified in legislation and this guidance at the time the identity is asserted. An employer will only obtain a statutory excuse if they are reasonably satisfied that the IDSP has complied with the requirements of the Scheme at the time the identity is asserted.

Further information on the required steps to be taken by an IDSP and an employer when carrying out the checks in line with the requirements of the Scheme can be found in sections 4 and 5 of Annex C in this guidance.

Appendix B: Glossary

Certification.

Is when an independent auditor checks that organisations follow the rules of the trust framework.

Independent certification builds trust that approved IDSPs will protect an individual’s privacy and keep their data safe and secure.

Certification will be undertaken by an independent certification body to assure their service is capable of providing ID verification services in accordance with this guidance and the standards set out in the UKDIATF.

Disclosure and Barring Service

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS delivers disclosure and barring functions on behalf of government. This includes DBS checks for England, Wales, Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man, and barring functions for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. More information about DBS and their work to make recruitment safer can be found on the DBS website .

Enhanced DBS check/certificate

An Enhanced DBS certificate is a DBS product that shows spent and unspent convictions, cautions plus any information held by local police that is considered relevant to the role being applied for.

Enhanced with Barred Lists DBS check/certificate

An Enhanced with Barred Lists DBS certificate is a DBS product that shows the same as an Enhanced DBS certificate, alongside whether the applicant is on the Adults’ Barred List, Children’s Barred List, or both.

Good Practice Guide 45

The Good Practice Guide 45 (GPG45) is the government standard for identity verification, against which IDSPs will be certified.

Identity profile

GPG45 has four levels of confidence in terms of proof of identity. These are:

low confidence

medium confidence

high confidence

very high confidence

This guidance document refers to medium confidence and high confidence only.

There are several ways to combine the scores you get for each part of the identity checking process. These combinations are known as ‘ identity profiles ’.

Identity service providers

An identity service provider (IDSP) is a provider of identity verification services. In the context of this Home Office guidance document, they may be certified to provide identity verification to specific levels of confidence, specified by government standards. IDSPs are sometimes referred to as ‘identity providers’.

Identity verification

Identity verification (IDV) refers to the process of proving that an identity exists and that the individual making the claim is the owner of the identity.

Level of confidence

Completion of the identity proofing process will result in a proof that has a ‘level of confidence’ (LoC). The higher the LoC, the stronger the evidence required to support that LoC. The evidence needed to achieve an LoC is defined within GPG45.

Operational procedures manual

The operational procedures manual (OPM) is a document that provides detailed procedures for IDSPs to meet the Home Office guidance. The OPM aims to aid interpretation of GPG45, to allow IDSPs to develop solutions with certainty and provide a simple reference for auditors to certify against.

Relying party

The role of relying party is defined in the UKDIATF as an organisation that receives, interprets, and, depending on the use case, stores information received from other trust framework organisations. Relying parties do not need to be certified against the UKDIATF. The employer is the relying party when a right to work (RTW) check is carried out.

Standard DBS check/certificate

A Standard DBS certificate is a product of DBS that shows spent and unspent convictions, cautions.

UK digital identity and attributes trust framework

The UK digital identity and attributes trust framework (UKDIATF) is published by the Department for DScience, Innovation and Technology. This guidance is being created in line with the UKDIATF.

11. Annex D: Employment of Ukrainian nationals

Introduction.

In response to the evolving conflict in Ukraine, the Home Office has introduced visa schemes to support Ukrainian nationals, and their family members, to come to the UK. Those who are granted a visa under these schemes are able to work, rent a home, and access, benefits and public services, such as medical treatment and education.

On 14 February 2022, changes were made to the Standard Family Visa route to make it easier for dependants of British citizens who were resident in Ukraine to apply. Successful applicants were issued with a visa in their passport. On 1 March 2022, the scheme was extended to include family members who were not living in the Ukraine as a family unit. Where requirements for a Standard Family Visa were not met, visas were issued in some cases stating Leave Outside the Rules (LOTR). These visas allowed travel to the UK, where they then collect a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP). The Standard Family Visa concession then closed on 4 March 2022, as the established Ukraine Schemes were introduced.

The Ukraine Schemes

On the following dates, further visa routes were launched:

4 March 2022 - the Ukraine Family Scheme

18 March 2022 - the Homes for Ukraine Scheme

3 May 2022 - the Ukraine Extension Scheme

These schemes are fee free and do not include salary or language requirements for applicants.

Under these schemes, successful applicants are able to stay in the UK for up to three years.

Under each scheme individuals are able to work, study, rent a home and access benefits in the UK.

Ukrainians with a valid Ukrainian Passport

A concession to the Ukraine Schemes was introduced on 15 March 2022, which allowed those with a valid Ukrainian passport to submit an application, without attending an overseas Visa Application Centre (VAC) to submit biometrics. Those who are assessed without submitting their biometrics are issued with a permission to travel letter. Permission to travel letters are not evidence of immigration rights to access work benefits and services in the UK.

Since 7 December 2023, the Home Office ceased this concession and aligned the Ukraine scheme application processes with those used by other visa nationals to the UK, requiring all new applicants to attend an overseas VAC to provide their full biometrics prior to the consideration of their application.

If their application is approved, they will need to collect their visa before traveling to the UK. Applicants who applied to the schemes before 7 December 2023 will continue the pathway they used to apply. Therefore, those who have already received a Permission to Travel Letter will still be able to use this to travel to the UK.

On arrival, Border Force should stamp the passport with permission to enter the UK, valid for six months with no restrictions on taking employment or recourse to public funds – Leave Outside the Rules (LOTR). This is a Code 1A or Amended Code 1 endorsement.

Where Border Force have granted LOTR for six months, the individual will need to obtain a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) which will be endorsed with up to 36-month permission to stay. This can be done at any point during the six-months validity of the stamp.

Those with a stamp or a visa in their valid Ukrainian passport, granting permission to stay under the Ukrainian Schemes, have a time-limited right to work. If an employer manually checks this document as outlined in this guidance and records it correctly, this will give them a time-limited statutory excuse. These endorsements are already included in the acceptable documents for a manual check under Annex A of this guidance, List B, Group 1, Number 1.

Employers will need to carry out a follow-up check of those individuals who have time-limited permission to work in the UK. This should occur when their previous permission comes to an end. All Ukrainian nationals arriving under the Schemes should obtain a BRP granting them up to 3 years (36 months) leave. BRP holders will need to use the Home Office online checking service as set out in this guidance to prove their right to work in the UK.

Example Code 1A and Code 1 stamps, endorsed with an Immigration Officer’s date stamp

In a small number of cases, when the Schemes went live, a Code 1A was not available, in place of this a Code 1 was used with the “no recourse to public funds” scored out in ink and possibly initialled by the Officer.

Similarly, a Code1/Code 1A may have been endorsed in Ukrainian passports, if those individuals had entry stamps to Ireland from 25 February 2022. The stamps were manually amended from ‘Leave to enter’ to ‘Leave to remain’ possibly with the Officer’s initials.

There may be situations in which you identify an individual who has an Irish entry stamp in their passport but does not have a Code 1/Code 1A stamp and does not hold any other form of permission to stay in the UK. In these situations, you must point the individual to the Home Office to make an application to stay in the UK.

Any prospective employee who is a Ukrainian national, who has not applied for permission to stay in the UK, will not have a right to work. This means you should not employ them until they have taken action to regularise their status in the UK.

Example Ukraine Scheme Entry Clearance Vignette / Visa

Ukrainian nationals who do not have a valid Ukrainian passport

If an individual does not have a valid Ukrainian passport, they will be required to provide their biometric information at a VAC and will then be provided with an entry clearance vignette attached to a ‘Form for Affixing the Visa’ (FAV). Shortly after arrival, a BRP is available for collection, and this can be used to access the Home Office online checking service as set out in guidance to prove a right to work. Where necessary, individuals can use their FAV document as proof of their right to work, in conjunction with confirmation from the Home Office Employer Checking Service (ECS) in the form of a Positive Verification Notice (PVN).

Therefore, once an individual with an entry clearance vignette attached to a FAV is in the UK, they are expected to collect their BRP urgently, which can be used for right to work checks as normal, and a statutory excuse obtained for the full period of permission to stay. This means, once they have collected their BRP employers are not required to make a check with the ECS. Where employers contact the ECS and Home Office systems show that the individual has a BRP available, employers will receive a response from the ECS directing them to advise the individual to collect their BRP and prove their right to work using the Home Office online checking service. In this scenario ECS will not issue a PVN to provide a statutory excuse and employers should use the online checking service.

Example of a Form for Affixing the Visa (FAV)

as defined by Regulation 3 of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (the “TUPE Regulations”)  ↩

The employment protections set out in Regulations 4 (continuation of employment) and 7 (protection from dismissal) of the TUPE Regulations are dis-applied in Regulation 8(7) cases.  ↩

‘Definition includes those with a document which shows that the holder is entitled to readmission to the UK (RUK endorsement)’.  ↩

Definition includes a full birth certificate issued by a UK diplomatic mission (British Embassy or British High Commission) and consular birth certificates.  ↩

This includes a current passport endorsed with a stamp showing an individual has been granted leave to enter and there are no work-related conditions attached. If, under the conditions of the individual’s leave, work was restricted or prohibited the endorsement placed in the individual’s passport would explicitly set that out as a condition.  ↩

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برای ویزای شینگن ایسلند Cover Letter ایجاد کنید

by به Femina | مار 15، 2023 | نامه , دسته بندی نشده

آیا برنامه ای برای سفر به ایسلند دارید؟ اگر بله، احتمالاً باید برای ویزای شینگن ایسلند نامه پوششی ایجاد کنید. همراه با درخواست ویزای خود، باید یک نامه پوششی ارسال کنید که اغلب به عنوان نامه ویزا یا نامه شخصی شناخته می شود.

به احتمال زیاد، دلیل ورود شما به این صفحه، گرفتن نامه پوششی برای ویزای شینگن ایسلند بوده است.

چگونه نامه پوششی دریافت کنیم؟

اگر می خواهید برای ویزای شینگن که به درستی ساختار یافته و توسط بیش از 50,000 مشتری از آن استفاده می شود، نامه پوششی دریافت کنید، می توانید با استفاده از برنامه FlightGen یکی را تهیه کنید. تنها کاری که باید انجام دهید این است که به سوالات مربوط به ویزای شینگن خود پاسخ دهید و نامه پوشش شما با فرمت عالی برای شما ایجاد می شود.

FlightGen ایجاد می کند پیوندی نامه پوششی که شامل نامه شخصی و همچنین برنامه سفر می شود که در غیر این صورت، سند جداگانه دیگری بود. در واقع، این فرمت دقیقی است که ما برای همه مشتریان ویزا استفاده می کنیم.

نامه پوشش هنگام درخواست ویزای شینگن ایسلند چه می کند؟

توضیحی در مورد هدف شما از سفر به ایسلند در یک نامه پوششی وجود دارد که گاهی به آن نامه ویزا نیز گفته می شود و به کنسولگری ایسلند خطاب می شود. باید حاوی اطلاعاتی مانند مدت زمان ماندن، سوابق بانکی و سایر اسناد مهم باشد. هدف از نامه پوششی متقاعد کردن افسر ویزا برای صدور ویزا برای ایسلند است.

با توجه به این واقعیت که شما درخواست ویزای شینگن برای ایسلند می کنید، نامه پوشش شما باید تمام کشورهای شینگن را که بازدید می کنید و همچنین یک برنامه سفر دقیق برای کل اقامت شما در منطقه شینگن را ذکر کند.

محتوای یک جلد نامه باید برای هر متقاضی سفارشی شود زیرا بسته به درخواست ویزا متفاوت است. شما نمی توانید بدون ایجاد تغییرات قابل توجه برای مطابقت با نیازهای منحصر به فرد خود از پوشش نامه شخص دیگری برای درخواست ویزای خود استفاده کنید.

به همین دلیل، توصیه می کنیم که هر نمونه را مرور کنید (که در قسمت های بعدی ارائه شده است) و نامه پوشش خود را در یک صفحه خالی بنویسید (یا از برنامه FlightGen بخواهید یکی برای شما ایجاد کند!!).

نامه پوشش شما برای ویزای شینگن اولین نقطه تماس شما با سفارت خواهد بود.

نامه پوشش شما در بالای تمام مدارک ویزای شما قرار می گیرد. این به این دلیل است که این اولین مدرکی است که کنسولگری ویزا برای درک کامل درخواست شما و تصمیم گیری در مورد اعطای ویزای شما بررسی می کند. همچنین می توانید با افسر ویزا در این مکان به صورت حضوری صحبت کنید.

با دقت و صریح بودن در درخواست ویزا و در عین حال غیرشخصی ماندن، می توانید از این امر سود ببرید. یک کنسولگری ماهر ویزای ماهر می تواند به سرعت تشخیص دهد که آیا ویزای شما را رد یا تایید می کند یا خیر.

هنگام درخواست ویزای شینگن، چه اطلاعاتی باید در یک Cover Letter گنجانده شود؟

نامه پوششی برای ویزای شینگن باید شامل جزئیات ذکر شده در زیر به ترتیب ارائه شده برای اثربخشی باشد:

• نزدیکترین محل کنسولگری ایسلندی شینگن به شما که یافتن آن به صورت آنلاین ساده است.
• نوع ویزای درخواستی را در قسمت موضوع به وضوح بیان کنید.
• به نظر می رسد روزهای اضافی در ایسلند بر اساس تاریخ شروع و پایان سفر وجود دارد.
• هدف سفر شما، که به افسر ویزا در درک مقاصد متقاضی کمک می کند.
• اطلاعات در مورد منبع بودجه برای سفر. این می تواند نامزد، همسر نامزد، یک مهمان یا یک تجارت باشد.
• این نامه همچنین می تواند به عنوان سندی برای اقامتگاه ها باشد.
• برنامه روزانه سفر در داخل ایسلند؛ ویزای توریستی یا تجاری شینگن. ویزا برای ورزش، درمان پزشکی و ویزیت ضروری نیست.
• افسر ویزا برای تعیین میزان ثبات مالی متقاضی به اطلاعاتی در مورد حرفه و پیشینه کاری متقاضی نیاز دارد.
• فهرستی از مواد کمکی همراه با درخواست ویزا که به افسر ویزا اجازه می‌دهد تمام داده‌های مربوطه را ارزیابی کند.
• اطلاعات تماس متقاضی در صورت نیاز به توضیح بیشتر.

به طور کلی، بهبود درخواست ویزای متقاضی و افزایش شانس آنها برای دریافت ویزا با گنجاندن این اطلاعات حیاتی در نامه پوششی شما امکان پذیر می شود.

مترادف نامه جلد

نام‌های متعددی برای یک نامه همراه وجود دارد، بنابراین تشخیص آن‌ها ضروری است. جایگزین های متداول برای نامه پوششی عبارتند از:

• پوشش نامه شخصی
• یک معرفی نامه
• سفارت با ویزا نامه
• نامه پوشش ویزای شینگن
• نامه درخواست ویزا از مهاجرت
• نامه ای که ویزا را تایید می کند
• معرفی نامه برای درخواست ویزا
• هدف نامه سفر
• نامه ای به سفارت برای درخواست ویزا
• نامه پوششی برای ویزای شینگن
• نامه درخواست ویزا

این اصطلاحات همگی قابل تعویض هستند و معنی یکسانی دارند.

چگونه می توانم برای ویزای شینگن ایسلند یک Cover Letter بنویسم؟

با رعایت این مراحل ساده می‌توانید به سرعت و به راحتی از FlightGen برای ایجاد یک نامه پوششی صیقلی برای درخواست ویزای خود استفاده کنید:

• با خواندن آموزش FlightGen شروع کنید که بسیار مفید است.
• برنامه هوشمند را از فروشگاه ITunes یا Google Play (برای اندروید) (برای iOS) دانلود کنید.
• به سوالات ساده Letter Wizard پاسخ دهید.
• می توانید PDF را به قیمت 4.99 دلار خریداری کنید و پس از خواندن نامه خود آن را دانلود کنید.

آیا هنگام درخواست ویزای شینگن ایسلند نیاز به نامه پوششی است؟

آره. حتی اگر قوانین ویزای ایسلند به طور خاص بیان نکرده باشد که به دفتر تسهیل ویزا نیاز است، باید یک نامه پوششی به دفتر تسهیل ویزا بیاورید.

نمونه نامه های پوششی برای ویزای شینگن ایسلند (بر اساس هدف سفر)

فرمت ایسلندی برای پوشش نامه شما بسته به دلیل سفر، به نوع خاصی از ویزای شینگن نیاز دارید. ما فرض می کنیم که شما از وضعیت ویزای خود مطلع هستید.

نمونه نامه پوششی برای درخواست ویزای توریستی به ایسلند

اگر سفر شما به ایسلند صرفاً برای تفریح ​​است، از نمونه نامه پوششی برای ویزای توریستی ارائه شده در زیر استفاده کنید. شما باید یک برنامه سفر اولیه و اسناد اقامت داشته باشید، مانند رزرو هتل یا خوابگاه. برای اطلاعات بیشتر در مورد نامه پوششی برای ویزای توریستی.

فرمت pdf نمونه فوق را می توانید در زیر دانلود کنید  این با استفاده از برنامه FlightGen ما ایجاد شد.

نمونه نامه پوششی برای درخواست ویزای تجاری ایسلند

اگر درخواست ویزای شینگن تجاری ایسلند دارید، مدارک و کاربرد مورد نظر شما برای سفر متفاوت خواهد بود. از نوع پوشش نامه زیر استفاده کنید و آن را با شرایط خود سفارشی کنید.

نمونه نامه پوششی برای درخواست ویزای بازدید کننده ایسلند

اگر برای ویزای بازدید ایسلند درخواست می دهید، برنامه سفر شما نیازی به درج در پوشش نامه شما ندارد. مثال زیر را بررسی کنید تا یاد بگیرید که چگونه نامه ویزای خود را برای درخواست ویزای بازدیدکننده بنویسید.

نمونه نامه پوششی برای درخواست ویزای پزشکی

اگر مشکل پزشکی دارید و مایل به درمان در ایسلند هستید، از نمونه نامه پوششی برای درخواست ویزای پزشکی ایسلند که در زیر ارائه شده است استفاده کنید.

نمونه نامه پوششی برای درخواست ویزای همسر ایسلندی

آیا همسر شما شهروند ایسلند است؟ اگر می خواهید آنها را همراهی کنید، باید ویزای همسر شینگن ایسلندی که اغلب به عنوان ویزای همسر شناخته می شود، دریافت کنید. از آنجایی که نیازی به ارائه یک برنامه سفر دقیق ندارید، نامه پوششی برای این ویزا ساده است. همچنین، همسر شما باید پاسپورت ایسلندی یا اجازه اقامت داشته باشد.

می توانید نمونه نامه ارائه شده را مطابق با نیازهای منحصر به فرد خود تنظیم کنید، یا می توانید از برنامه FlightGen برای تهیه نامه پوششی برای ویزای همسر استفاده کنید.

نمونه نامه پوششی برای ویزای کار در ایسلند

قبل از اینکه بتوانید در ایسلند کار کنید، ابتدا باید ویزای کار ایسلند دریافت کنید که به شما اجازه می دهد در داخل و خارج از منطقه شینگن مشغول به کار شوید. در زیر نمونه نامه ای برای ویزای کار شینگن ایسلند آمده است.

نمونه نامه پوششی برای ویزای دانشجویی در ایسلند

یکی از بهترین مکان ها برای تحصیل، به ویژه مهندسی، ایسلند است. علاوه بر این، اروپا برای آموزش عالی با کیفیت قابل مقایسه به طور قابل توجهی ارزان تر از ایالات متحده و استرالیا است. برای تحصیل در آنجا به ویزای دانشجویی ایسلند نیاز دارید.

فرمت نامه پوششی ویزای شینگن دانشجویی ایسلند در زیر آمده است.

نمونه نامه پوششی برای درخواست ویزای ترانزیت ایسلند

هنگام عبور از یکی از فرودگاه های اصلی ایسلند، مانند کفلاویک، ویزای ترانزیت شینگن، نوعی ویزای کوتاه مدت است. نحوه نوشتن نامه ویزا برای ویزای ترانزیت شینگن ایسلند در مثال زیر نشان داده شده است.

چه مدارک دیگری برای ارائه درخواست ویزای شینگن ایسلند مورد نیاز است؟

• پاسپورت معتبر با مدت اعتبار شش ماهه و حداقل دو صفحه خالی.
• درخواست ویزای شینگن باید به طور کامل تکمیل و امضا شده باشد.
• دو عکس گذرنامه رنگی فعلی که با شرایط شینگن مطابقت دارد.
• یک بیانیه واضح از هدف و یک برنامه سفر دقیق (می توان با استفاده از برنامه FlightGen ایجاد کرد).
• صورت‌حساب‌های بانکی سه ماهه اصلی، به‌روز شده و تأیید شده توسط بانک (آنلاین بدون مهر بانکی پذیرفته نمی‌شود).
• بازگشت درآمد طی سه سال گذشته (فرم 16).
• برنامه پرواز (برای استفاده در برنامه های ویزا، از برنامه FlightGen استفاده کنید) برای تلفن های همراه (اندروید و iOS).
• رزرو در هتل ها.
• حفاظت از سفر (حداقل پوشش 30000 یورو) بیمه مسافرتی از HDFC Ergo از 300 روپیه شروع می شود. استفاده از پوشش بازدیدکنندگان را برای کشورهای دیگر در نظر بگیرید.

رایج ترین سوالات؟

برای درخواست ویزای شینگن برای ایسلند، باید نامه پوشش خود را به کجا ارسال کنم؟.

شما باید تمام مواد درخواستی خود، از جمله نامه پوشش خود را در قرار ملاقات ویزا بیاورید. معمولاً این کار در کنسولگری ایسلند یا در یک مرکز که ویزاها را پردازش می کند، مانند VFS یا BLSS انجام می شود.

Cover Letter هنگام درخواست ویزای ایسلند چقدر اهمیت دارد؟

اگرچه برای همه درخواست‌های ویزا یک نامه پوششی لازم است، اما ویزای شینگن به آن نیاز بیشتری دارد.

دو چیز را انجام می دهد. از آنجایی که به افسر ویزا اطلاعات بیشتری در مورد برنامه های سفر شما می دهد، پذیرش یا (رد کردن!) درخواست ویزای شما را برای آنها آسان تر می کند.

ما با مقایسه داده‌های موجود در انتشارات شما با داده‌های موجود در پوشش نامه شما شروع می‌کنیم. اگر چنین است، دریافت ویزای شما یک فرآیند ساده خواهد بود.

فقط متقاضیان ویزا می توانند با افسر ویزا در اینجا تماس بگیرند. اکنون شما این فرصت را دارید که برای پذیرش ویزای خود استدلال کنید.

درخواست شما برای ویزای ایسلند ممکن است بر اساس کیفیت نامه شما با موفقیت یا شکست مواجه شود.

Cover Letter برای درخواست ویزا باید شامل چه مواردی باشد؟

معرفی نامه ها گاهی اوقات به عنوان نامه های شخصی نیز شناخته می شوند (همچنین به عنوان نامه ویزا نیز شناخته می شوند).

هدف آن ارائه اطلاعات در مورد سفر شما به مقامات ویزا است. پس از آن، آنها آن را با اسناد پشتیبانی شما مقایسه می کنند.

اگر تمام اطلاعات دقیق باشد، درخواست ویزای شما به سرعت بررسی می شود.

چگونه باید نامه خود را هنگام درخواست ویزای ایسلند شروع کنم؟

برای دریافت معرفی نامه خود در اسرع وقت، از برنامه FlightGen استفاده کنید و اجازه دهید هوش مصنوعی کار را برای شما انجام دهد. اما، اگر می‌خواهید خودتان یکی بنویسید، ممکن است ایده‌هایی را از مثال زیر استخراج کنید.

نامه پوشش شما توسط برنامه FlightGen برای شما نوشته می شود.

برای اخذ ویزای ایسلند نکات اصلی کاورلتر من چیست؟

نامه پوششی شما باید شامل برنامه سفر تعطیلات، تاریخ ها و برنامه های روزانه شما و همچنین هرگونه مدارکی باشد که برای تایید ویزای شینگن ایسلند ارسال کرده اید.

هنگام درخواست ویزا چه مدرکی را باید همراه با نامه پوششی ارائه دهم؟

برای تایید ویزای شما، باید تمام مدارک مورد نظر خود را ارائه دهید. جزئیات مربوط به اسناد اضافی را که ممکن است داشته باشید ارائه دهید.

آیا هنگام تهیه متن نامه برای درخواست ویزا باید از همان اندازه و سبک قلم استفاده کنم؟

نه. اما یک تایپ با ظاهری آراسته به نوع ساده و واضح ترجیح داده می شود. از بیش از دو خط، با فاصله مناسب، با ارتفاع خط مناسب استفاده نکنید. در نتیجه افسر ویزا باید زمان آسان تری برای خواندن دعوت نامه شما داشته باشد.

کدام Cover Letter برای درخواست ویزا مؤثرتر است؟

بهترین نامه های پوششی تمام اطلاعات مورد نیاز در مورد سفر شما را به صورت واضح و مختصر در اختیار افسر ایسلندی قرار می دهد. برنامه FlightGen بزرگترین نامه های پوششی را در این زمینه ایجاد می کند.

Cover Letter برای درخواست ویزا باید شامل چه اطلاعاتی باشد؟

جزئیات زیر که باید در نامه پوشش خود ذکر کنید، برنامه سفر، تاریخ حرکت و زمان رسیدن است. هرگونه مدارک دیگری که برای تایید ویزای شینگن ایسلند مورد نیاز است باید ارائه شود.

در صورتی که کنسولگری نیاز به تماس با شما دارد، اطلاعات تماس خود را وارد کنید.

چه اشتباهاتی اغلب هنگام تهیه نامه پوششی برای درخواست ویزای ایسلند انجام می شود؟

اجتناب از بیان حقایق جزئی یا انتشار اطلاعات نادرست باید در هنگام ایجاد یک نامه پوششی اولویت اصلی شما باشد.