Visa Application Tips: 4 Important Things to Get You Approved!

I am no stranger to visa applications. I perfectly know the struggle of applying for visas because I have to do it almost every time I fly out of my home country — it’s one of the many woes of being born in a third world country with a powerless third world passport. (Visa Application Tips)

For instance, application processes and interviews would always be especially rigorous for us not only due to the ‘poor’ standing of our nation but also because of the unfortunate records that others have set before us. However, in spite of all the horror stories that you may have heard, seen, or read, getting a visa is still and absolutely achievable. Take it from me, a 3rd-world national who was able to travel to over 60 countries and ALL the 7 continents despite all the odds and hassles of applying for visas!

Sure it’s tough, yes, but impossible? Not at all. So hopefully, with this article, I’ll be able to impart with you my top visa application tips.

DISCLAIMER: I do NOT guarantee that the pointers in this post will get you approved 100% when you‘re applying for a visa. In fact, NO ONE can give you a 100% guarantee; not even a lawyer, a consultant, a travel agent, or an embassy employee. Anyone who says otherwise is most likely going to be a scammer.

.

Take note as well that even if you have a friend who has the same income as you do and who has acquired a visa that you are also applying for, that wouldn’t instantly mean that you will get the visa too. This is because every consulate considers a LOT of varying factors. Hence, the situation of your friend or any other person will not always be the same as yours.

Without the aforementioned guarantee, what then can I give you in this article? Helpful tips to increase your chances of getting that approval.

The way I see it, applying for a visa is like dating — you lay out everything and put your best foot forward, hoping that by the end of it all, the answer will be a resounding YES from the other party. So in this situation, I would be your proficient and supportive best friend who will help guide you on this ordeal with a ton of visa application tips.

These are not only from the numerous visa experiences that I’ve had but as well as the lessons that I’ve learned from friends and research.

So without further ado, here are my top visa application tips with the top 4 things that consulates or embassies usually put strict attention to! (For each of these sections, I will also provide corresponding steps or workarounds that have worked really well.)

~ Top photo from Shutterstock

Accurate, Complete & Genuine Documents

• Accomplish the requirements. This is one of the visa application tips that is obviously common knowledge but it seems like some people think that skipping out on a few documents is fine — no, it’s not and it never will be. You can’t expect the embassy officers to say “Oh okay, just come back and submit this and that.” Even if they are as lenient like that, it’s always best to submit ALL the documents at once because most embassies would not even accept your application if it’s incomplete. At the very core, you should avoid wasting your time and effort; besides, do remember that appointments are often hard to get.
  • TIP: Make sure your passport is not expiring anytime soon. In addition, submit all the documents in an organized way. It helps to provide a checklist too in order to give the embassy a quick overview that you have prepared everything that’s needed (at times this is one of the basic requirements).
• Mind the details. Some embassies would NOT need an interview since they will merely rely on the documents you submit; given this process, they usually put precise instructions, and one of my top visa application tips is for you to remember that it’s vital you take note of their requirements.
  • Examples: they would want you to use only a specific kind of envelope, or that you have to staple your photo to the application form and NOT paste it, or they want you to write in blue ink. These steps might seem ridiculous or tedious but you should do it still; don’t slack off and don’t rebel. Make it a point to read the guidelines very well which should normally be on the embassy’s website.
• Only submit authentic documents. Don’t even try submitting fake or doctored/edited documents. After all, there is a high chance that you will not only get denied, but you will also be banned.
• Provide as much evidence as you can. One proof is fine, but if you can give more, then great! It will give them more assurance about the documents that you are trying to prove authenticity or genuineness to. In fact, overdelivering is always a good thing for as long as the things that you’re submitting are relevant. And of course, providing originals are always best!
• Show that you are ‘well-traveled‘. It can be through travel tickets/bookings or your passport stamps. Even if it’s not one of the requirements, it helps to show them this to send them a message that you have traveled before, that you always came back, and that you have never overstayed abroad.
  .

INTERVIEWS: Your interview can affect the documents you are submitting; but surely, if you are submitting genuine papers, there’s no need for you to be nervous about this because the questions are always basic: what is your purpose for visiting, how long do you intend to stay, etc. Depending on your answers, the visa officer can be more thorough with the questions but they are mostly just about your background.

One of my top visa application tips? Just be honest and precise. Simply answer what they ask for. DON’T launch into a full-blown storytelling spree. It’s not necessary for you to give out information when it’s not asked for! Besides, the officers unfortunately wouldn’t care about your story, no matter how sad or tragic it might be.

Additionally, wear something presentable (no need to be too formal). Arrive early, be confident, and speak in English (or if you’re more comfortable in speaking your country’s mother language, then feel free to do so — unless the embassy doesn’t allow it).

“Do I need to purchase and submit travel insurance?”

I highly advise that you get travel insurance for your trip; after all, most embassies would require you to do so. To avail of travel insurance, I highly recommend World Nomads since they offer the best price and coverage (they cover all countries worldwide too!).

If you want to cross-check this with another trusted provider, I recommend looking into SafetyWing especially since they have amazing plans catered for frequent travelers or digital nomads.

• • •

True & Reasonable Purpose of Entry

TRUE PURPOSE: Apply for the appropriate visa. Read about all the information and processes that the embassy has in order to ensure what kind of visa you should be applying for — in fact, go ahead and call the embassy if you ever need clarifications. This is crucial so that, for instance, you can avoid wasting your time on the requirements for a tourist visa if what you actually should be preparing are the prerequisites for, let’s say, a ‘visit a friend’ visa, which is often a more specific category.

Surely, if you plan to work abroad, don’t try and go for a tourist visa; please DON’T be one of those people who violate visa rules and conditions because that would paint your country’s fellowmen in the same bad light. You’re not helping others, nor are you helping yourself.

STRONG & REASONABLE PURPOSE: If you’re applying for a tourist visa then this shouldn’t be a problem; after all, you really wouldn’t have any other rationale for visiting a country abroad other than for… well, tourism. So supply them the itinerary that you want to do, the places that you want to see, and the experiences that you want to achieve and you should be fine.

The same applies to work, study, fiancé, or marriage visas because those are already self-explanatory — e.g. to work because you are being sent there by your company, to study because the university in that country is known for its outstanding program, etc.

If, however, you’re applying for a visa to visit a friend or family, embassies commonly need a compelling argument to justify your plans of visiting. The first application isn’t typically a problem because seeing a friend or family member for the first time should somehow already be a reasonable purpose; but for the next visits, you or your host must have a stronger cause as to why you want to come back. Such may hold true too if you are planning to apply for a 2nd tourist visa to the same country and so on.

Nevertheless, again, this is where dissimilarities can happen: some people can easily get a visa after the first time, but some people cannot. It’s always on a case-to-case basis.

You might be thinking now, “What are examples of strong reasons?” I think it all boils down to having significant or sensible events. For tourism, let’s say you’ve been to Belgium before but currently, you want to come back because you want to see the concert of Tomorrowland; provide them the tickets for that and your motivation for wanting to see them (it happens only once a year anyway). Or maybe you have a blog and you want to experience and promote the country even more, etc. Or you might want to take a gap year before you start working on your career.
.

As for friends or family visits, if there’s a birthday, wedding, or reunion, make sure you or your host mentions that too. At the same time, don’t forget to prove the relationship you have with your host.
.

Ultimately, just make sure you have a decent motive or just be true to what your intention is — most of the time, your situation (no matter how simple or complicated it might be) would already be enough of a reason.

TIP: One of my top visa application tips is no NEVER indirectly imply that you have plans of staying longer because that will go against the 4th section below. If you’re going on a student visa, don’t mention either your plans of working in their country after finishing your degree; it’s actually imperative that you have to express your desire to come back to your own country.

Or if you’re going on a tourist visa, don’t carelessly mention that their country has a very good education system that you find fascinating, because that might incidentally hint something to the embassy officer that you might want to study there — this is a bit of an exaggeration, but you get what I’m saying… Then again, I’m pretty sure you won’t say such things if you follow the tips I’ve mentioned in the 1st section: which is to be on point about your answers. Say nothing more, nothing less!

• • •

Sufficient Funds or Support

Every embassy wants you to convince them that you have enough money to support yourself because if you don’t, they would be skeptical about how you will be funding your stay and they will even doubt your purpose of visiting their country.

As a general rule for visa application tips, here are ways for you to prove your financial solvency…

• For employed persons this becomes very easy since your employment already fulfills the requirement to prove that you are solvent and that you have a job to come back to (thereby verifying the 4th section as well below). Ordinarily, they need you to issue all of the following:
  • Proof of employment (or COE – Certificate of Employment) with company stamp, stating your position, years of service, and monthly salary
  • Most recent payslips (often for the past 3 months)
  • Income Tax Return (ITR or any tax document) for the past year
• For self-employed persons it becomes tricky because even if you have your own business, they need to know that it’s established and sable. They also need to know that you have enough cash. So it helps to provide:
  • Copy of Official Business Registration/ Business Permit
  • Taxpaying certificate and/or tax statements
  • Bank Statement or Books of the company and Financial Reports for the last 3 months
  • Copies of personal credit cards, bank certificates, or bank statements in the last 3 months
  • Proof investments or financial assets
• For retirees take note of the following documents. If you happen to still have your own business after retiring, it helps to give related documents to that (just refer to the self-employed section above).
  • Proof investments or financial assets
  • Evidence of pension payments, such as receipts
  • Certification issued by competent authority stating the period of time and date of retirement
• For students or minors, depending if your sponsors are your parents or your school, or even both:
  • Sponsorship letter from parents or legal guardian, with attached documents showing their solvency (as employed, self-employed, unemployed, or retiree persons)
  • Certification from the institution/school confirming your enrollment and leave of absence; this document must specify the amount, term, and expenses that the scholarship includes
• For unemployed persons, provide as much proof as you can, submit:
  • Proof investments or financial assets
  • Copies of personal credit cards, bank certificates, or bank statements/books in the last 3 months.
  • Sponsorship letter from your sponsor, with attached documents showing their solvency
    .

NOTE: The requirements for employed and self-employed persons are applicable to freelancers too. Depending on your situation, you might have to provide not only your proof of employment but even the registry of your business. Also, please DON’T rely on this list alone; always double-check with your embassy since there might be some items that they would specifically want from you and which I have failed to mention here. After all, the documents I mentioned above are usually just the standard documents needed.

TIP: If you feel that your financial standing is weak, it will help to add a sponsor to your visa application so that it adds more strength to your case. Usually, sponsors can be immediate family members, relatives, friends, or even your partner. In line with this, you would need to provide enough proof to show your relationship with these sponsors and why they are sponsoring you — and that of course you ACTUALLY have the funds to cover your trip since the immigration officers can check on this before your actual entry into their country (they have the right to ask for proof of cash on hand, credit card, bank statement, etc.)

By the way, this is another area that you can overdeliver on, so feel free to provide as many documents as you can!

“What is the minimum amount of money do I need to show in my bank account?”

This is something I can’t answer specifically because every country would have its own minimum requirement, depending as well on the time period that you are going to stay. Therefore, I suggest that you call the embassy or check their website for any corresponding info about this.

In my experience with Schengen Visas, for example, most of the member countries would need you to show that you have EUR 50 (Php 2,500+) per day of your stay. This is the bare minimum, that’s why I suggest that you add way more money to it. In line with this, be wary of providing bank statements from a bank account that is obviously new and just recently ‘fed’ with money.

There is such a thing called as ADB or Average Daily Balance or something equivalent to a balance history in bank statements or certificates, and that will surely indicate the state of your bank account (which most embassies might assume is not really your money and something that you might have just borrowed to prove a false financial standing).

RELATED READ: How to Save Money for Travel

Meanwhile, as an additional way of showing that you can support yourself, embassies would surely need documents that show a hotel booking reservation. To obtain these documents you can (1) reserve directly with the hotel or (2) make a dummy online booking or reservation which can usually be done with Booking.com or through a travel agency.

NOTE: With Booking.com, they list hotels that have FREE cancellation and/or can be booked with no prepayment.

If however, you are going to stay over at a friend, partner or family’s house, the embassy would need details of your host like their ID cards, residence documents, proof of your relationship to them — all of which are easy to prepare.

• • •

Proof of Not Overstaying

In my opinion, this is where embassies put the most emphasis on — they need you to be bounded to your home country, and that you have strong ties that will compel you to come back at the end of your stay. They definitely don’t want you aiming for ways to stay longer (illegally) nor aiming for ways to become an immigrant without going through the necessary procedures in your home country.

What are examples of ‘strong ties’? They vary from country to country: they will consider your circumstances, travel plans, financial resources, and ties that will ensure your departure after the period of visit. Thus, other than the pieces of evidence already mentioned in the above sections, make sure that you’ve issued…

• For employed persons
  • Leave of absence and/or certificate of employment from your employer
  • A letter from you, stating any other reasons why you won’t overstay
• For self-employed persons
  • Mention an event that would necessitate your return (it can be a board meeting, company event, etc.)
  • Business registration
  • Proof of possession of real and personal property (real estate, etc.)
  • A letter from you, stating any other reasons why you won’t overstay
• For retirees
  • Proof of possession of real and personal property (real estate, etc.)
  • A letter from you, stating any other reasons why you won’t overstay
• For students or minors
  • School enrollment certificate
  • Approved leave of absence
  • A letter from you and your parents or legal guardian(s), stating the reasons why you won’t overstay (explanation of your family situation, your long-term plans in your residence country, etc.)
• For unemployed persons as available:
  • Proof of possession of real and personal property (real estate, etc.)
  • If applicable, a letter showing a job offer (wherein you’ll start working some time at the end of your trip)
  • If applicable, a letter showing the start of your studies (school enrollment certificate, wherein you’ll start studying some time at the end of your trip)
  • A letter from you, stating any other reasons why you won’t overstay (e.g.: you’re planning to set up a business, etc. but then you’ll also have to back up those statements with pieces of evidence)
    .

NOTE: These are NOT absolute. Chances are, one proof would already be enough; yet as usual, it helps to overdeliver on evidence. You can always ask the embassy for any other kinds of documents they might want from you to prove your situation.

Now, I understand that some procedures for visa applications would require a round-trip ticket to be booked and presented — this would already be another proof that you will NOT overstay, but I advise that you provide more pieces of evidence still since tickets are the most basic affirmation. (But of course, most embassies nowadays do NOT require you to have round-trip tickets to be booked and presented before/during the application. If you really need to present tickets, it should be enough to show a flight reservation or itinerary only).

WANNA GET FLIGHT RESERVATIONS? Use OneWayFly now — with them, you can easily get a flight reservation or proof of onward travel in just a few hours for only $16~. It’s definitely one of the easiest and fastest option online!

In case you’re wondering where to look for the best flight deals, my go-to platform is Skyscanner since it always presents the best deals across all existing airlines worldwide.

TIP: Your passport stamps also help in justifying that you are not someone who overstays abroad. Photocopy these pages on your passport along with your past visas and present them to the embassy.

Other FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)