Do I have to supply a bank statement for my Schengen visa application if I have a sponsor?
Is it necessary to submit a bank statement which does not have enough funds,though I'm being supported by a friend in Germany when applying for a schengen visa to Germany from Zimbabwe?
Best Answer
You have submitted a sponsored Schengen application to the German consulate in Zimbabwe. Your sponsor has (presumably) submitted a "Verpflichtungserklärung" along with whatever else they thought necessary to establish their sponsorship capacity. You have some bank statements of your own that show that you do NOT have the capacity to travel without a sponsor.
A useful rule coming from 'best practices' is that the applicant should bring everything relevant and provide as much assistance as possible to the official so that they can reach an informed and balanced decision. Anything at all is preferable to an evidential gap that leaves something up to the decision-makers imagination. Applicants often fall down on this point because they think that less transparency somehow works in their favour, but it doesn't; in fact it works against them. Using that as a guideline, let's look at your question...
Is it necessary to submit a bank statement which does not have enough funds,though I'm being supported by a friend in Germany when applying for a schengen visa to Germany from Zimbabwe?
If you put this question to a lawyer, they would tell you: yes, bring them.
As soon as the decision-maker sees a "Verpflichtungserklärung" (or any other evidence of sponsorship) he will already assume that you are in reduced circumstances. And hence he will not expect a strong set of bank statements coming from you. That much is given.
But you can leverage your own statements to show that you are in a stable lifestyle and have on-going commitments to your homeland. Doing this is absolutely fundamental where sponsored applications are concerned and having a sponsor does not accomplish this. Failure on this point will invariably lead to refusal on...
Your intention to leave the territory of the Member States before the expiry of the visa applied for could not be ascertained.
Moreover, you can also leverage your own evidence to help show that you are being transparent and this goes a long way towards establishing that you are a bona fide visitor. Transparency is decidedly preferable to non-transparency in these situations. So bring a recent series of bank statements. If they are not asked for, you can even say, "...I have additional evidence which is favourable to me and I would ask that you now examine it...".
TIP: you can even annotate your bank statements to show specific instances that benefit your application. Lots of people don't think of this. Pre-loading your evidence for success can pay off big-time.
Related: Should I submit bank statements when applying for a UK Visa? What do they say about me?
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Is bank statement required for Schengen visa?
You must show evidence that you will be able to financially maintain yourself during your stay in the Schengen territory. You should be able to prove that through a bank statement of the past three months, which must not be older than three days.How much bank balance do I have to show for a Schengen visa?
Bank statement \u2013 this needs to show a minimum balance of \u20ac3000 over the last 6 months. If you do not have this amount in your bank, you could show a family member's/guardian's statement instead, with an accompanying letter stating that they are sponsoring your travel and stay.Is online bank statement valid for Schengen visa?
Yes. However, the e-bank statement will have to hold an original stamp from your bank to confirm the authenticity of the document and has to show the name of the account holder.How do I prove sufficient funds for visa?
How do I prove that I have enough money to travel? It's simple: Get a bank certificate or bank statement or both. A bank certificate is usually a one-page document that certifies that you have an account with that branch. Often, the latest available balance is indicated.Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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