Schengen visa requirements from Pakistan

The core document set

• Passport issued within the last ten years, valid at least three months past your return date, with two blank pages
• Two biometric photographs, 35x45mm, white background, taken in the last six months
• Schengen-compliant travel insurance, minimum EUR 30,000 medical cover and repatriation, valid across the Schengen area for every day of the trip
• Confirmed return flight reservation, not a paid ticket
• Accommodation covering every night
• Six months of bank statements, stamped and signed by the branch on every page
• Employment NOC with approved leave dates, or business registration if self-employed
• Three months of salary slips, or the tax return
• CNIC copy, front and back
• Day-by-day itinerary
• Cover letter

Where you apply

Three centre operators handle Schengen intake in Pakistan, and which one you deal with depends on the country rather than on your city. Gerry's takes most missions, VFS takes some, and TLScontact takes others. Not every mission accepts applications in all three cities, so an applicant in Karachi may have to travel to Islamabad for certain destinations.

Check the destination page for the country you want before booking anything.

The main destination rule

Apply to the country where you will spend the most nights. If the nights are split evenly, apply to your first point of entry. This is not a guideline, it is the rule the consulates enforce, and applying elsewhere because the appointment queue is shorter is a recognised refusal pattern.

The timeline

The appointment queue is almost always longer than the decision. Missions decide in fifteen calendar days as standard and up to forty-five in peak season, but you cannot start that clock until biometrics are done, and biometrics may be six to ten weeks out.

Start eight weeks before you intend to travel, and ten if you are travelling between May and August.

Questions