A Schengen visa allows you to visit several European countries in one trip
Thus, if you set out to go abroad, for example, to relax at a resort in Austria and at the same time look at real estate in the Czech Republic or, say, Italy, you can open a tourist visa to Austria and through it “travel” to the Czech Republic, Italy, etc.
However, getting a Schengen visa is not always easy, especially since this year, when the EU introduces a new Visa Code. Now each country has its own requirements for visa applicants, and even if your passport is full of many stamps of previously obtained Schengen visas, that still does not give you a 100% guarantee that you will be “let through” again. Past refusals of visa issuance add to the problems, especially if your identity has been “exposed” in the “black list” of persona non grata.
Which countries are the most “picky” about issuing Schengen visas and which new requirements are very significant? According to 2009 statistics, the “most difficult” countries in terms of obtaining visas are Italy, Germany, Greece, the Czech Republic, etc. However, for example, business immigration to the Czech Republic is considered from a slightly different angle.
Moreover, as noted, visa refusals in a certain percentage were related to excessively voluminous and detailed information provided to the embassies. And, as practice has shown, more data means more reasons to “nitpick” and find errors. Any, even the slightest inaccuracy, discrepancy, missing, false or concealed information, spelling and grammatical errors are indisputable reasons to close the door for you.
Moreover, for example, when applying for a visitor visa at the German embassy, you may be asked to provide proof of your close friendship with a citizen of that country – a printout of regular phone calls, email correspondence, show joint photographs, tell the story of your acquaintance down to listing the family members of the inviting party. In addition, the inviter must have an income not lower than required. And if you intend to apply for a work visa, you cannot avoid a test and interview in the official language.
What are the solutions? In principle, in difficult cases, most people proceed as follows: they get a Schengen visa to the nearest more lenient country and through it visit the desired country. However, if there are “pitfalls” in your visa history, that may also prove to be a futile endeavor.
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