Schengen visa: financial support for individual entrepreneurs

Features of obtaining a visa for individual entrepreneurs

A Schengen visa for an individual entrepreneur is no different from a regular Schengen visa. It allows stay for a period of no more than 90 days in a six-month period. Issued at visa centers or diplomatic missions of Schengen countries.

A visa for an individual entrepreneur differs from a regular tourist or guest visa only in the set of documents required for registration. An individual entrepreneur will have to collect a package of papers to confirm his financial situation.

Types of visas

An individual entrepreneur can apply for a single or multiple-entry tourist visa to enter the Schengen country of category C in 2021. Single-entry - issued for one trip. Such permission is marked “01” in the foreign passport.

A multiple-entry visa allows for an unlimited number of trips to the selected state. But the total period spent abroad should not exceed 90 days per six months. When applying for a multiple-entry visa, o is indicated in the foreign passport.

In this video you will learn more information about the types of Schengen visas.

The difference between a tourist visa category C and a business visa category D

The Schengen visa for individual entrepreneurs may differ in terms of stay . If an individual entrepreneur is issued a short-term visa, then he has the right to stay in the territory of a foreign state from one to 90 days per six months. When issuing a long-term visa category D for doing business in this country - from 91 days or more.

Typically, long-term visas are issued for one year with the right to further extension. But to receive them, an individual entrepreneur must have grounds, for example, opening his own business in one of the Schengen countries.

In this video you can watch advice from an individual entrepreneur, the owner of the website Visasam.ru, where it is easier to get a regular tourist Schengen visa category C for a long period.

Are there any difficulties in obtaining a Schengen visa for an individual entrepreneur?

In fact, if you provide all the necessary documents and if they are compiled correctly, there should be no problems. Schengen countries are interested in tourists. There may be problems with obtaining it only if the person is a serious criminal or does not have enough funds to travel. The more money an individual entrepreneur has, the greater the chance of getting approval. That is why a sample certificate for a visa from the place of work for an individual entrepreneur is available at any visa center.

Those who are traveling abroad for the first time claim that obtaining a visa does not take much time. The main thing is to have an internal passport with you. With a Russian passport it is even easier to obtain permission to leave than with any other. Also, experienced travelers say that if you plan to go to a country where there is a big visa problem, then it is better to immediately apply for a visa in Russia.

Do it yourself or arrange through intermediaries

If you apply on your own, you will need to spend a lot of time collecting and preparing documents, visiting a diplomatic mission or a VC. A person may have difficulty filling out the questionnaire.

French Schengen visa

If an entrepreneur applies for a visa through intermediary companies, then he does not need to go through many bureaucratic procedures. Some intermediaries provide assistance in preparing and collecting the necessary documentation. True, you will have to pay extra money for the services, while if you apply on your own, you will only pay a visa and service fee.

Sample certificate of income from individual entrepreneurs

If an entrepreneur wants to go abroad, he needs a certificate for a visa; for an individual entrepreneur, the sample has a prescribed form. The document is also needed for hired workers who work in enterprises opened by individual entrepreneurs.

Documents for individual entrepreneurs for a Schengen visa

If an entrepreneur needs to obtain a Schengen visa, it is better for him to contact a visa center. Here he will be given an application form and provided with a list of papers that are required to obtain a permit.

But it is not always possible to contact a specialized center, so many businessmen apply for Schengen on their own.

To do this you need the following:

1. The form must be filled out in 2 copies.
2. Passport.
3. A certificate issued by the tax office.
4. International passport. You need to pay attention to its validity period; from the date of completion of the trip it should be valid for another 3 months. In order to affix a visa stamp, the document must have at least 2 blank pages.
5. A certificate from the bank showing the movements of funds over the last 6 months. With its help, the businessman confirms that he has funds in his account.
6. After purchasing an air ticket, copies are made of it.
7. Confirmation of reservation from the hotel where the entrepreneur will stay during the trip.
8. Photos. They are made in a fixed size of 35x34 mm.

Copies are taken from civil and international passports, they are even made from blank pages.

Sample design

If you have any doubts about the paperwork, you should contact the embassy of the country to which the businessman plans to travel. The visa service staff will clarify in what format the papers must be submitted.

There are Schengen member countries that require certificates to be issued in English and certified by a notary office. But most often, to confirm solvency, an entrepreneur needs to present a bank statement. If there is a large amount in the account, he will be allowed entry.

Help for an employee from an entrepreneur

If a Russian citizen is employed by an individual entrepreneur, he must request a certificate from his place of employment. The manager has 3 days to complete it. The document is drawn up after a written application is received from the employee. This condition is stated in Art. 62 Labor Code of the Russian Federation.

The received paper can be presented at the embassy; it is required to obtain a visa. By issuing it, the businessman confirms that the person is employed. He indicates the position of the worker, the date of his entry into work and length of service. The certificate also states the position and salary for a period of 3 to 6 months.

The organization to which the papers must be submitted has the right to require additional information to be included in the certificate, so it is better for the employee to find out in advance what data needs to be reflected.

Help for the individual entrepreneur himself

If a businessman himself needs a certificate from his place of work, he writes it out for himself. At the same time, he indicates income for 3-6 months. To confirm the figures, he produces a tax return if necessary.

The document drawn up by the individual entrepreneur for himself and the employee must be on company letterhead. The header indicates the registration data of the entrepreneur, the date the paper was drawn up and the certificate number.

It must be indicated that a certificate of income can be presented at the place of request. At the bottom of the paper, the entrepreneur writes his full name and signs. If there is a seal, then its imprint is placed on the document.

The information contained in the certificate must be complete. They provide detailed information about the company and the employee. Schengen for individual entrepreneurs and employees employed by individual enterprises is done quickly. But the certificate from the place of work must contain reliable information.

The paper is valid for 30 days. For this reason, it is better to take it a few days before submitting it to the visa service or embassy. Schengen registration takes from 5 to 10 days, this is the standard period. If the information reflected in the package of documents seems suspicious, an additional check will be launched.

Additional documents for the income certificate

The declaration is a confirmation of solvency, but employees do not have to submit Form 2-NDFL. You can confirm your high level of income by providing a bank account statement. If there is no money, then a petition is required. This is a sponsorship letter. To confirm the desire to return back to the country, they bring documents for real estate.

Many Schengen countries do not require proof of salary level. It is much more important for them that a person has money with him when traveling. For example, to visit Europe, you need to have an amount of 50 € for 1 day.

The visa application center and embassies check statements only in rare cases, so the tourist can first deposit funds into a bank account and then withdraw them when he receives the visa. But there are exceptions. These include situations where the traveler must bring a statement 3 months in advance.

Additional documents that an entrepreneur cannot do without are a certificate of registration as an individual entrepreneur. It is issued by the Federal Tax Service. It indicates the type of activity and date of registration. This paper is required when traveling to Italy and other Schengen countries.

To reduce the likelihood of refusal, it is worth attaching other documents to the certificate of employment that confirm that the company exists. These can be advertising brochures or business cards of the entrepreneur, which indicate his address and telephone number. If a businessman has a large amount of money in his bank account, problems with obtaining a visa rarely arise.

Tax reporting

Tax reporting helps a businessman confirm the existence of an enterprise and a high level of income. This document is also confirmation that the tourist has no intention of staying in Europe. He will return home to continue his entrepreneurial activities.

Required documents for individual entrepreneurs

To obtain a Schengen visa for individual entrepreneurs in the Russian Federation, a package of documents is submitted, which includes:

• Passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation (original and copies of all available pages of the Russian passport).
• Foreign passport (original and copies of all available pages).
• Old expired foreign passports previously received by the applicant.
• Photocopy of registration of an individual entrepreneur.
• A document reflecting the movement of funds in the applicant’s bank account over the last 180 days.
• Tickets. If round-trip tickets have not yet been purchased, you must submit a document confirming your reservation. When applying for a short-term visa, tickets must be in both directions. If the applicant, after visiting a Schengen country, does not intend to return to his home state, then tickets to a third country are presented.

Find out how to get a Schengen visa to France for an individual entrepreneur from the video, which describes my personal experience.

If an individual entrepreneur intends to travel by car, then in order to obtain a visa to the Schengen country, instead of tickets, a driver’s license, a technical map of the vehicle and car insurance are submitted.

• Reservation of a hotel room for the entire period of stay in a foreign country. If the applicant does not intend to live in a hotel, then he must submit a real estate lease agreement or documents on the ownership of real estate in one of the Schengen countries where the Russian entrepreneur intends to go.
• Photographs.
• Application form pre-filled in duplicate.
• Certificate from the place of employment.
• Tax return in form 3-NDFL, certified by the Main Directorate for Migration Issues of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia (formerly FMS).
• A certificate from the bank confirming the availability of funds in the bank account.
• Receipt for payment of state duty.
• TIN, OGRNIP or Unified State Register of Individual Entrepreneurs (individual entrepreneurs that were registered in 2021).
• Agreement for the processing of personal data.

Consent to the processing of personal data

International passport

To obtain a visa, a foreign passport must be valid for at least 3 months from the date of expected return from a foreign country.

It must be intact and contain all pages. The international passport must contain at least two blank pages for visa stamps.

Filling out the form

The application form for a Schengen visa is the same for all Schengen countries. The Schengen application form consists of 37 points. The application form is filled out manually or electronically (depending on the country where the individual entrepreneur intends to go).

The form must be filled out without spelling or syntax errors. When filling out by hand, corrections, cross-outs and blots are prohibited.

Basic rules for filling out the application form for a Schengen visa:

• The application form must be filled out in English. Some Schengen countries, for example, Bulgaria, allow certain data to be indicated in Russian.
• The form must be filled out in block letters (by hand).
• Last name and first name are indicated in Latin letters (the same as in the international passport).
• The TIN column is not filled in by Russian residents.
• The address entered is where the applicant lives.
• Filling is carried out only with ballpoint pens of black or blue color.

An example of filling out an application form for a Schengen visa

Sample filling:

P. 1. Last name (in Latin letters), which is indicated in the current foreign passport.

P. 2. Last name that was previously changed. Usually the surname changes upon marriage or after adoption.

P. 3. Name (in Latin letters), as indicated in the current foreign passport.

P. 4. Date of birth.

P. 5. Place of birth (as in a civil passport, for example, MOSCOW).

P. 6. Country of birth. If a person was born on the territory of the Russian Federation before 1991, then it is necessary to indicate not “RUSSIAN FEDERATION”, but “USSR” (USSR).

Clause 7. Valid citizenship. If a person has citizenship of the Russian Federation, then “RUSSIAN FEDERATION” is indicated.

P. 8. Gender.

P. 9. Marital status. You can indicate “married” if the marriage is official. If a person lives in a civil marriage, then Fr.

Item 10. To be completed for a minor child. If the form is being filled out for an individual entrepreneur, it is better to write “not applicable.”

Item 11. Not to be filled in by citizens of the Russian Federation.

Item 12. Type of travel document. Need about (implies foreign passport).

P. 13. Series and number.

Clause 14. Date of issue.

Item 15. Expiration date of the foreign passport.

Clause 16. Authority that issued the document. Important! FMS transliterate as FMS.

Item 17. Actual residential address and contact telephone number.

Clause 18. This line is not filled in by residents of the Russian Federation, only by foreign residents who reside or reside on the territory of the Russian Federation. The name and number of the residence permit, for example, residence permit or temporary residence permit, are indicated.

P. 19. Occupation. Individual entrepreneurs can indicate: “PRIVATE BUSINESSMAN”.

P. 20. Place of employment. The organizational forms of LLC, CJSC and ODO are written as OOO, ZAO and ODO. Individual entrepreneurs enter the name of their individual entrepreneur.

P. 21. The main purpose of the trip to the Schengen country.

Item 22. Country of destination. If an individual entrepreneur intends to visit several countries, then he should indicate the one where he will stay for the most time.

Clause 23. State of first entry.

P. 24. Select the type of entry permit requested: single or multiple entry visa.

Clause 25. Estimated number of days that the individual entrepreneur intends to spend on the territory of the Schengen group state.

Sample of filling out an application form for a Schengen visa, 2 pages.

Clause 26. Validity period of the last visa permit (if any).

P. 27. Answer whether the individual entrepreneur has undergone the fingerprinting procedure. If fingerprinting has already been done, then “Yes” is written.

P. 28. Last Schengen country visited.

Item 29. Date of entry into the country.

Item 30. Date of departure from the country.

P. 31. Details of the inviting person. If an individual entrepreneur applies for a tourist visa, then enter the hotel number where he intends to reside.

Item 32. To be completed only if a business visa is issued.

Clause 33. Minor children indicate personal information of their parents or guardians. If the applicant is traveling to the country by invitation, then the details of the inviting person are entered.

Item 34. To be completed if the applicant intends to visit close relatives in the Schengen country.

Clause 35. Filled out if there are close relatives who reside or are citizens of European Union countries.

Clause 36. Actual place of residence and date of filling out the application form.

P. 37. Signature. It must be identical to that indicated in the foreign passport.

Learn more about filling out the Schengen visa application from the video below.

Certificate from place of employment

An individual entrepreneur issues a certificate of employment to himself. There is no established form of an individual entrepreneur’s certificate for a Schengen visa; it is drawn up in any form.

Example of a certificate for individual entrepreneurs

LLC "Upgrade"

Address: Moscow, st. Lenina, 25, office 360

Tel.. Fax. E-mail: @ljodrjg.ru

From 02/18/2019

Given to Alexander Andreevich Smirnov that he has been working at Upgrade LLC as a senior manager since 04/15/2016 with an average monthly salary of 60,000 rubles.

General Director…………………………………..………………(signature)

Chief accountant……………………………………………………………(signature)

Help 2-NDFL

Certificate 2-NDFL is a tax certificate for individuals. An individual entrepreneur can submit such a certificate only if he is an employee of an organization and a tax payer.

If an individual entrepreneur is engaged in running and developing only his own business, then instead of personal income tax he submits a copy of the declaration under the simplified tax system and a receipt from the tax service confirming that the reporting for his individual entrepreneur has been accepted.

Sample certificate 2-NDFL

Income proof

Individual entrepreneurs who do not have employees are not tax payers. Therefore, they do not have the right to issue themselves a certificate confirming their income.

To confirm income, individual entrepreneurs can submit the following documents:

• Book of accounting of income and expenses.
• Documents from banking institutions about the receipt and flow of funds in the current account.
• Cash receipt orders.
• Work performance certificates.

Bank account certificate

A certificate from a bank account is submitted to confirm the availability of the necessary amount to stay in the territory of the Schengen country where the visa applicant intends to go. In order for a certificate to be accepted for consideration by employees of a visa center or diplomatic mission, it must be correctly completed:

• On the seal.
• The signature of the head of the bank branch must be present.
• The account balance is indicated in the account currency.
• Must be issued one month before the expected filing date.

Bank account statement for visa application

Certificates can be issued both from current accounts and from deposit accounts.

If a cash flow statement is required, then you need to take a certificate that reflects at least the last three months, and preferably six months.

Each country included in the Schengen zone puts forward its own requirements regarding the availability of funds to stay on its territory.

Required amount to visit Schengen countries

Insurance

Insurance is a mandatory document for obtaining a Schengen visa.

Insurance for Schengen visa

Basic requirements for a health insurance policy:

• The amount of insurance coverage is at least 30,000 euros.
• Must be valid in the country where the individual entrepreneur is applying for a visa.
• The validity period must be 15 days longer than the expected trip abroad.
• Must not contain franchises.
• Availability of a minimum set of medical services. The requirements require that the following be included:
• Call an ambulance.
• Call a doctor at home.
• Providing first aid in the event of an insured event.
• Possibility of outpatient treatment.
• Possibility of treatment in a hospital.
• Reimbursement of expenses for the purchase of medicines.
• Repatriation of a foreign resident to his home country in the event of his death on the territory of a foreign state.
• Emergency dentistry.
• Reimbursement of expenses for telephone conversations with the insurance company’s service center.

Photo

Photo requirements:

This is the size your visa photo should be

• The number of photographs is two.
• Size - 35 by 45 mm.
• The face should occupy no less than 70 and no more than 80% of the total space in the photo.
• Photographs wearing glasses intended for vision are allowed only if the frames do not cover the eyes and the lenses do not create glare. It is prohibited to take photographs wearing sunglasses.
• The distance from the chin to the eye line is 13 mm.
• The distance from the top of the head to the top of the image is 2 mm.
• The photo should show the top of the shoulders.
• The photo must be clear.
• It is not permitted to take photographs wearing hats. The exception applies only to Muslim women and people who are forced to wear headbands for medical reasons.
• The photo must be in color.
• The background is light.
• No corners or frames.
• The gaze is directed straight.

What documents are needed for a Schengen visa

The list of documents for obtaining a Schengen visa, which allows you to travel to most European countries after a one-time application, is standard. However, please note that some countries may require additional evidence. The general list in 2021 is as follows:

1. International passport. Its validity period must not end later than 14 weeks after completion of the trip.
2. General Russian passport. You must provide copies of all pages with information, with the exception of travel to France or Spain - here you will need copies of all pages, including blank ones.
3. Application form for a visa.
4. Color photograph of a traveler.
5. Medical insurance covering treatment for a minimum of 30 thousand euros. This policy must be valid in all Schengen countries.
6. Airline or train tickets. If you plan to travel by car, documents for the car are provided.

Important! If you intend to enter a Schengen country through other countries by car, you should obtain transit visas through these countries in advance.

7. Documents will be required confirming the financial viability of the future traveler and his employment in his country. Here, along with a bank account statement, a certificate from your place of employment must be provided.
8. Some countries require additional guarantees of return to the country of departure for the first entry - a marriage certificate, an extract from the real estate register, etc.

Depending on the purpose of travel, visa centers of different countries may also require:

• for tourists - confirmation of hotel reservation;
• for those making private tours - an invitation from a citizen of the destination country or the host company;
• for those visiting several points, the route is drawn up in any form.

For those who have not reached the age of majority, the list of documents is the same, only the application is signed by one of the parents.

Important! If a minor travels abroad alone or with one of the parents, you should pay attention to the specifics of obtaining a visa for this option.

Registration deadlines

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An application for a short-term Schengen visa must be submitted no earlier than 30 days before the expected departure date. Documents are usually processed within 5-7 working days (depending on the country where the applicant intends to travel).

Visa processing times may be reduced if you apply for a visa through a travel agency

When is a visa issued?

This is influenced by many external factors; receiving it can take a week or several months. One example can be given: if a person made a mistake somewhere or provided false data, he will either be denied a visa or returned for revision.

Therefore, we can make a small conclusion that the period for receiving the document depends on the reliability of the information. But there is legislation that specifies exact deadlines. They should not be less than 5 days and more than 10. It is also very important to submit documents to the visa center that contain a date not exceeding 30 days before the date of submission.

Price

If a Russian citizen independently applies for an exit visa, he only pays a consular fee of 35 euros (for a short-term visa). When applying for a long-term visa, the fee is 60 euros.

If the applicant is refused a visa, the consular fee is non-refundable.

Italian visa

You will also need to pay a visa center service fee, which may vary depending on the country where you are applying. It ranges from 1700 to 2600 rubles.

Features of drawing up a document for individual entrepreneurs

Before starting to develop a document, an entrepreneur needs to carefully study the specifics of his business. Today, there are two types of forms confirming the amount of income of private entrepreneurs. The order of use depends on what taxation system the businessman uses.

The income certificate submitted by an individual entrepreneur for himself is fundamentally different from the declarations prepared by tax agents, payers of taxes for their employees

Work on OSNO

In this case, a tax return is used to confirm the amount of income received over a certain period of time. This act is drawn up in the form “3-NDFL”. Every entrepreneur is required to prepare such reports at the end of each reporting period. The completed document is submitted to the tax service. Business experts recommend that beginners prepare several copies of this form. A tax return containing the signature of the inspector of this service can be used as a certificate of income.

An entrepreneur can also submit an application to the Federal Tax Service with a request to provide a certificate containing all the necessary information. This application is made in two copies, one of which remains with the businessman himself. On this form, the tax officer must sign and indicate the incoming document number. The application review period is one month. It is important to note that tax officials may refuse to issue the form on legal grounds.

Calculations using the simplified tax system

In this case, the entrepreneur needs to follow a procedure completely identical to the process described above. The only difference is the fact that in this case, an income journal is used to generate the document. The form itself depends on the purpose for which the applicant is drawing up the document. The income and expense ledger itself can be used to confirm the amount of income. Copies of this register must be accompanied by original copies of checks and bank payments.

UTII system

An individual entrepreneur's certificate of income to himself when using the UTII regime is generated on the basis of primary documentation. However, according to current laws, entrepreneurs working under this system are not required to maintain primary records. From this we can conclude that refusal to maintain primary documentation may complicate the process in question.

Despite the above rules, an entrepreneur using UTII is required to maintain documents that are used to calculate the tax base. These documents must reflect information about income received for the entire reporting period. Many experienced businessmen who use this mode generate all primary documents, including various time sheets, invoices and payments. In addition, at the end of each quarter, individual entrepreneurs must submit an interim report. All of the above acts can be used to justify the amount of income received.

As practice shows, when using UTII, an entrepreneur draws up a free-form income certificate . In most cases, the contents of the form are agreed upon with the management of the company to which the document is being sent. Photocopies of primary documentation can be used to confirm the amount of income. It is important to note that some banks refuse to accept this form when applying for a financial loan. However, government agencies rarely refuse to accept documents from a businessman. This policy is explained by the one hundred and ninety-ninth article of the Criminal Code. According to this act, any person who provides false information about the amount of his income may receive penalties in the form of a fine or imprisonment.

Common mistakes made when applying for a visa permit

To obtain a visa, documents and photographs must correspond to reality. Often people submit outdated photos, which can cause a visa refusal or delay in document review. Photographs must be taken no later than six months before submission.

If a person’s appearance has changed over the past six months (for example, hair color or haircut), then it is advisable to take the pictures again.

There are errors in personal data in a health insurance policy. If the application form is filled out by the applicant very carefully and checked personally, then an agent usually handles the insurance. The latter may indicate the last name or first name incorrectly.

It is recommended to check the correctness of the entered data by letter. An error is not always the reason for a visa refusal or delay in obtaining a visa.

If the personal data of the applicant in the health insurance policy is written incorrectly, then the person may have problems in the event of an insured event in a foreign country. Even if even one letter is different, the insurance company may refuse to provide its services.

Schengen visa cost

The most common mistake made by individual entrepreneurs is submitting a certificate from the place of employment (issued to yourself!), signed with your own hand. This cannot be done. The certificate must indicate the signature of the chief accountant and general director.

If the general director is an individual entrepreneur himself, then the certificate from the place of employment is replaced by a bank statement, registration of an individual entrepreneur and a certificate of tax registration.

How to fill out the form correctly

Consulates make decisions on granting a visa only on the basis of a completed application form, so it is important to enter the information correctly. The application form for a Schengen visa is the same among all eurozone countries; it consists of 37 points, which occupy 4 pages. When printing the questionnaire, double-sided printing is used.

We recommend you study! Follow the link:

Certificate of employment sample from individual entrepreneur

Those entrepreneurs who have decided not to resort to the services of companies and fill out the form personally need to know the rules:

• The filling language is English - the exception is a few countries, for example, Bulgaria, which allow data to be entered in Russian;
• employment information – paragraphs 19-20 of the questionnaire require entering information about the type of employment and the employer. The entrepreneur enters into paragraph 19 – Individual (or Private) businessman. It is recommended to indicate a specific type of activity. For example: an individual entrepreneur engaged in retail trade can add in brackets – a retail business. Paragraph 20 implies indicating the full name of the employer, for example, Individual businessman Petrov Ivan.;

• 
  First and last name must be entered as in the foreign passport;

• Citizenship is currently a point where mistakes are often made. It would be correct to indicate – Russian Federation;
• place of birth and citizenship at birth - items must correspond to the general passport, so citizens born in the USSR must indicate USSR in the citizenship section at the time of birth;
• the “Identification number” field is not filled in, since we are not talking about the TIN;
• address – indicate the address of actual residence, even if there is no registration for this place.

Other points of the questionnaire contain information about marital status, gender, and the authority that issued the identity document.

The application form can be filled out electronically using a computer. When filling out handwriting, the use of gel paste is prohibited; a blue or black ballpoint pen is allowed.