To obtain a Schengen visa, it is very important to prove your financial solvency. Whether you will receive a visa largely depends on how much you manage to convince the consul that you have the necessary funds. One of the important documents that can be used to confirm financial security is an extract or certificate from the bank for a Schengen visa.
Certificate from the bank for a Schengen visa
The financial document provided to the consulate must fulfill its main function, namely to show that the visa applicant is able to pay all his travel expenses independently and has no intention of staying in a foreign country. To do this, the applicant must have a clear connection with his homeland - a job with a good salary, real estate, a bank account. After all, if a person has enough money, then he is unlikely to have thoughts of illegally emigrating to Schengen countries. At least, if he has such a desire, he will carry them out using accessible business schemes, and not hiding on a tourist visa. The more money a person can confirm, the more respectable he looks in the eyes of an embassy inspection officer. European countries are interested in wealthy tourists who will come to them to spend their hard-earned money. This means that such people have a much greater chance of getting a visa for several years.
In addition to the certificate, one of the following documents can be used as a financial guarantee:
- the original statement of the applicant’s account, certified by the bank’s seal and the signature of the person who issued the document. The statute of limitations for the statement must be no more than 30 days;
- original and photocopy of the passbook;
- photocopy of the front side of the card (the card must indicate the owner's first and last name) + ATM receipt (ATM receipt is valid for 3 days from the date of receipt);
- bank guarantee from the inviting party (private person). It consists in the fact that the bank blocks a certain amount in the inviting person’s account in the name of the applicant. As a rule, such a document is drawn up by large world-famous banks. Insurance companies also prepare a similar document.
The latter type of confirmation is used extremely rarely. Basically, applicants provide the consulate with an original bank statement about their account balance. Please note that the embassies of some countries require not just a statement reflecting the amount as of a certain date, but a document showing the flow of funds for the last 3-6 months. Personally, I also always submitted extracts and even if the embassy did not require it, I showed the flow of funds. Of course, if you deposited the entire amount on this day, then it is better not to show the movement so as not to raise unnecessary questions. In addition, making an extract is quick and easy. It is issued immediately upon the client’s request by a bank employee. Some banks charge an additional fee for issuing a certificate, but not for an extract. In this case, the bank in which you have an account does not matter and does not affect the issuance of a visa. Whether it is Sberbank, Tinkoff or Alfa Bank - it doesn’t matter. You can keep your money in the financial institution you see fit. Even if it is a small local bank.
Most Russians provide documents confirming their financial status in ruble equivalent. But this is optional. You can open an account in dollars, euros, or pounds sterling. Some embassies, in the case of currencies other than those I listed above, require the bank to display the currency conversion rate on the certificate at the time of issue.
Documents for Schengen visa
You can show part of the money from the financial guarantee for the Consulate in its salable form. Booking air tickets is not only a confirmation of the timing of your trip, but also part of your financial viability as an applicant for a commercial visa. The same goes for hotel reservations. This is all deducted from the total amount of the financial guarantee (trip budget).
A natural type of financial guarantee is not a photograph of you against the backdrop of five hundred euros laid out like a fan. This is documentary evidence of your financial solvency. Several financial guarantee options:
1) Certificate from work indicating a good salary. 2) Bank account statement with an amount sufficient to cover your travel expenses.
How much money do you need in your Schengen account?
Each country sets its own required minimum limit that a visa applicant must have in his account. Below I have compiled a table for the most popular Schengen countries indicating the amount of funds that need to be confirmed at the embassy. Information is provided from the official websites of the consulates of countries in Russia
| № | A country | Minimum per trip | Amount in euros per person |
| 1 | Germany | Not specified | Not specified |
| 2 | Greece | Not specified | Not specified |
| 3 | Spain | 580,77 | 64, 53 |
| 4 | Italy | 269,6 | 44,93 |
| 5 | France | Not specified | Not specified |
Not many countries specify a minimum threshold. But you need to understand that 20 euros per day will be very little to obtain a visa. Even if you plan to save money and spend little on your trip, this is your right. No one will actually control the expenses incurred. But before receiving a visa, you need to convince the consulate of sufficient financial standing. It is advisable to have more than 55-65 euros per day in your account, even for those countries that have not indicated the minimum amount of financial security on their websites.
If an applicant for a Schengen visa does not have enough funds, he can provide a sponsorship letter. In this case, the sponsor guarantees payment of all expenses incurred during the trip.
What they write about visa guarantees on the forum
Since I (as the Bolsheviks said) am far from the people and can only give recipes to those who work in business like me, I will provide general links. You can ask questions in these topics if you haven’t found the answer to your question here.
Financial documents for obtaining a visa to Italy Financial documents for obtaining a visa to France Financial support for a visa to Spain Financial guarantees for a visa to Germany Documents for a visa to Greece Financial support for a visa to the Czech Republic
Schengen visa for the unemployed Certificate from work for applying for a Schengen visa Certificates from work when applying for a Czech visa
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Sample certificate from a bank for a Schengen visa
You are unlikely to need the provided sample certificate for a Schengen visa, since the bank prepares the certificate independently upon your request. There are no strict requirements for the wording of the embassy. The period for issuing the certificate should be no more than 30 days.
A bank certificate or account statement for a Schengen visa is required to confirm financial solvency. Now you will have no doubts about how to get them and how to process them correctly.
Have a nice trip!
About the author: Ekaterina
On the pages of my blog you will find information about the places I have been, secrets and life hacks of independent travel.
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Rules for issuing a bank certificate for obtaining a visa
In order for a certificate from a banking institution to be accepted and serve as a sufficient basis for issuing a visa, you need to ensure that it is completed correctly. Basic rules for registration that will help satisfy the requirements of consulate employees:
- The document is issued with the seal and signature of the head of the department.
- The account can be either a debit or a credit account with a sufficient available limit of funds.
- The balance amount is usually indicated in the account currency and, at the client’s request, in the euro equivalent on the date of issue of the certificate.
- The document must not be older than 30 days.
These are the basic requirements, but there are a couple more nuances that are worth taking into account:
- the certificate is issued, most often in the state language (for example, Russian), but this may not be suitable for the visa department of the consulate, which means that the document will also need to be translated into English and certified;
- they will not approve a visa if a potential tourist provides information about his deposit account, since such deposits usually cannot be withdrawn ahead of schedule, that is, the person will not be able to spend this money abroad.
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Certificate from Sberbank for obtaining a visa
For example, one of the largest credit institutions - Sberbank of Russia - offers its clients several options for obtaining the required document on the account status:
- personally;
- by mail;
- mini-statement from an ATM;
- through an electronic account.
The electronic online service, of course, saves a lot of time, but since a certificate from Sberbank for a Schengen visa, printed at home, will not be stamped, you still need to visit the bank branch. Moreover, the balance on the card can be confirmed at any office, and information about the movement of funds can only be confirmed at the branch where the account was opened.
The applicant may ask to have the certificate sent to him by mail, but this should take into account the loss of time. After all, no one will need expired paper.
Application form for a Schengen visa: form and sample filling
Discussion: 8 comments
- Vladimir:
12/20/2017 at 15:54A very useful article for travelers. Everything is thought out and described in detail.
Answer
Catherine:
12/23/2017 at 00:57
Thanks a lot. I wrote from my own experience, since I received a Schengen visa more than once.
Answer
12/21/2017 at 15:17
I went through this whole process. If you really want to, you can do anything!! The main desire.
Answer
- Catherine:
12/23/2017 at 00:58
That's for sure. If you wish, collecting documents for a visa will be easy.
Answer
12/23/2017 at 01:10
Your articles are very useful for people who travel frequently. I will take note, the information may be useful to me too.
Answer
- Catherine:
12/26/2017 at 01:34
Thank you. I try to write based on my experience. I have received a Schengen visa many times.
Answer
12/29/2017 at 04:32
I applied for a Schengen visa about 15 years ago, I’ve already forgotten everything. Your articles contain useful information for travelers.
Answer
- Catherine:
12/29/2017 at 15:50
Thank you. Over time, information is forgotten.
Answer
What documents can supplement the certificate?
A bank certificate for a visa is certainly not the only document that can confirm a person’s solvency. It can be supplemented or replaced, for example, with an extract from the state register of real estate ownership or, for example, with the assets of an enterprise.
Many consulates of countries, especially those that have strict requirements for guests from abroad, require that the document in question be supplemented with a certificate from the employer. This source is supposed to reflect the fact of employment, as well as the level of a person’s salary. Actually, the corresponding document in some cases is even more important for consulates than a visa certificate from a bank.
Of course, the size of the deposit a person owns also plays a role. Let's study this aspect in more detail.
Summary
So, we have studied what it is intended for and how a bank certificate for a visa is issued. The validity period of this source is determined based on the standards adopted by the consulate of a particular state, but, as a rule, it is assumed that the document will be issued no earlier than 1 month before the visa applicant submits documents to the migration office of the country to which he plans to go.
The certificate in question must reflect the fact that the person has a deposit or other account with an amount sufficient to live in the host state for the period of stay in it, which will most likely correspond to the duration of the visa. In some cases, it is important not how long ago the certificate was issued, but when the deposit was opened, information about which is given in the document, or when the main amount of money was placed on it.
Many consulates welcome the execution of the document in question by a bank located abroad, in particular in the country to which a Russian citizen is going to travel. In this case, the likelihood of assessing his solvency as corresponding to a high level increases.
The document in question must contain all the necessary information and must also be duly certified by bank employees. If the migration standards of a particular state require the provision of the certificate in question in English or another language convenient for the consulate, the document should be translated from Russian using the services of competent companies.
