Getting Schengen visa from a European country without stepping foot into it?
I have an upcoming travel for a conference in country A. But their consulate is pretty busy and I would like to get my visa sooner.
Can I go to the consulate of a different country B which doesn't need appointment for visa applications and get my visa from there? I can schedule to be in A for 5 days and in B for 7 days.
What if I change my plans later not to visit country B at all and go a country C or just stay in A the whole time? Will there be issues when entering or exiting Schengen states?
Best Answer
There are already many questions touching upon the subject (although perhaps no exact duplicate):
- Use of unused Schengen visa to travel to Switzerland
- What's the quickest Schengen consulate to issue a visa in London?
- Can I travel to Spain using a Greek Schengen visa even if I don't want to stay in Greece at all?
- Can I use my Schengen visa for a completely different purpose and entry point?
- Schengen visa requirements and "validation"
In a nutshell: going to different countries or changing plans with a multiple-entry visa valid for more than six months is not a problem at all. Using a single-entry visa for an entirely different purpose is a bit more tricky and showing up somewhere completely unexpected with no credible story can create problems. In your scenario, since you already know you don't really want to go to country B, you would in fact be committing fraud.
Incidentally, submitting a conference invitation/registration in country A could suggest that your real destination is country A and your random trip to country B was just added to skirt the regulations. In practice, it might be difficult for the consulate or the border guards to notice it and you might therefore be OK but it is certainly a valid reason to deny or annul the visa.
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Answer 2
You are supposed to apply for your Schengen Visa at the consulate/embassy of the country in which you are spending the bulk of your time. Or if none are taking the majority of your time, then you are supposed to apply to the first country to be entered.
Your itinerary of 5 and 7 days is probably in the gray area between the two. Best bet contact Embassy B and ask if you can apply.
Answer 3
There will be no issues. Once you have a Schengen Visa your itinerary can change. You will not be asked why you are not traveling to Country B. Even if they do, you can cite a change of plans and they won't care much.
Of course this only makes sense with a Uniform 'C' visa.
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