The Wanderers, Author at The Wanderers Stories

Don’t mess with your Schengen Visa Application

By Abhik Dutta

Its that time of the year when travellers are gearing up for the summer holidays. The excitement of researching for destinations and things to do there, finding great deals for all the travel arrangements and ultimately booking them is a certain high. For those traveling overseas there’s one more important thing to look into. And thats the visas. There are destinations where visas are given on arrival to Indians, some payable (like Thailand, Kenya etc) and some free of cost (like Maldives, Mauritius etc). Both are relatively hassle free. Then there are those destinations which need prior visas. And its this specific issue that I want to give some advise on.

Most Embassies are now seeing a flood of applications. US, UK, the Schengen countries as well as countries like Australia, New Zealand etc of all whom require prior visas. All countries have their rules and regulations and these are very well defined on their websites including the VFS website. Traveling to the US, UK, Australia, NZ and other non-Schengen countries obviously requires that one applies to these specific Consulates/ Embassies for visas, but the problem is highlighted when traveling to a Schengen country. The Schengen area has 26 member states and obtaining a Schengen visa from any Schengen country allows free travel within the Schengen member states. Details of the application process, documents required, the fee structure and number of days it usually takes to process the visa..all this information is mentioned very clearly on these official websites. One can even apply for a Schengen visa 90 days in advance. But the problem is the Indian travellers penchant for last minute bookings to these countries and then realising that they have very little time to apply for a visa to a specific country where its taking time to process the visa. So, what do they do? They turn to “jugad”. The ‘jugad’ here is very simple. Travelers show their flight routing to country X, show hotel bookings and an itinerary in country X and apply for visa to Country X. After obtaining a visa, they will revert to the original plan of traveling to Country Y without any intention of traveling to Country X. This is called “dummy” bookings and it turns out that its a pretty dumb thing to do these days. While many have gotten away thus far since Schengen rules permit free travel within the member states, some have suffered while resorting to this method.

Airlines have denied boarding to passengers at the airport when they found out that the person who had recently obtained a visa for travel to Country X showing a specific flight routing wasn’t even traveling to that country. The Consulate through the airline exercised their right to deny them boarding. They have also blacklisted a few agents who have been doing ‘dummy bookings.’ Why are the Consulates getting strict on this? One of the reasons could be to clamp down on illegal immigration which, lets admit, is reaching alarming proportions for Indians traveling overseas. They are just disappearing. And thats impacting genuine travellers as well.

So, whats the solution?

Follow the rules.
Do not do dummy bookings for countries that you are not visiting.
Apply well in advance as Schengen countries accept applications 3 months in advance
Do not force travel agents to make dummy bookings for your visas. Not only will you get into trouble, but you will get the agent into trouble as well.
Understand country specific rules while applying for Schengen visas. Its not a uniform process for all 26 member states. While 80% of the rules are similar, 20% rules can vary. Eg, for traveling in Spain the Consulate in Mumbai requires that you also show proof of your intercity travel within Spain e.g. train ticket, flight ticket etc whereas its a not a requirement in the Delhi Embassy. Many Schengen countries (e.g. Italy) just ask you for a proof of travel between Schengen countries e.g. going from Geneva to Rome but not Rome to Venice. Denmark Embassy requires that you submit a colour photocopy of every single page of your current passport and previous passport which is not a requirement in other Schengen countries. Slovenia requires that you make a personal appearance at the VFS centres and give your biometrics even if you have travelled to a Schengen country in the last month whereas other Schengen countries exempt you from personal appearance for biometrics if you have travelled to a Schengen country after Nov 2015. Slovenia also requires that all members of the group (after receiving VISA approval) show proof of hotel payment (from the hotel/ accommodation in Slovenia) “due to several cancellations of the hotel after the visas were handed over.”
Go through this website: httpss://www.schengenvisainfo.com/frequently-asked-questions-schengen-visa/

Hopefully this article will help you understand the seriousness of the visa process.

For any doubts you should get in touch with the concerned Consulate, Vfs centre or a reliable travel agent who will be able to guide you correctly. You can also get in touch with us on +91 22 67023377

We wish you a fabulous holiday season!

Colombia- once is not enough

By Abhik Dutta

A land of Magical realism

A jeep crosses a stream in the Valle de cocora

When Lonely Planet places Colombia second on its list of Best in Travel Top countries & 10 destinations.

You cannot afford to miss, one tends to sit up and notice that tiny country hedged between the Andes, the Amazon, the Pacific and the Caribbean “somewhere in Latin America”. When I visited Colombia on a 2-week trip a couple of years ago, I knew the place was something special. Whether it was drifting down the Amazon & camping on a hammock in the mosquito-infested jungle or walking through the narrow cobbled streets of charming Cartagena de Indias or wandering through the coffee triangle of Manizales, Pereira and Quindio and the famed Valle del Cocora or the colourful old town of Salento, or visiting a local pub in Bogota, the sense of stumbling upon a hidden gem was palpable throughout.

During my brief stay in Bogota (where I went to attend a travel fair), I met up with many travel partners from all over Colombia who spoke to me about places I was not fortunate enough to visit on this trip. Like the archipelago of San Andres, Providencia and Santa Catalina which was declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2000 and the legendary “sea of seven colours.” I came to know of Santa Marta, the first city in Colombia and the oldest in South America & a port of entry for those looking to conquer the “New world” in the 16th Century. I heard of the Gorgona National Park on the Pacific Coast, considered as one of the most bio-diverse & rainy areas on Earth and a paradise for nature lovers and adventurers. A place where the hump back whales arrive from the North in search of warmer waters. And in the midst of it is Nuqui, the Pacific Coast’s Eden, approachable only by air & a paradise for bird lovers, water sports enthusiasts, fishing and unspoiled nature; inspiring artists and poets with its incredible views of lush forest, beaches, waterfalls, stones and boulders of many colours. Then there’s the town of Villa de Leyva, just 200kms from Bogota, declared a national monument in 1954 and best explored on foot. Some spoke of the remote and hidden town of Santa Cruz de Mompox, situated on an island of the same name on the western bank of the Magdalena river, 200kms from Cartagena, that inspires tales of romance and nostalgia. A place that Colombia’s most famous son, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, described in his novel “The General in his labyrinth” as follows: Mompox does not exist, sometimes we dream of her, but she does not exist. In 1995, UNESCO declared this place a World Heritage Site.

Cartagena de indias- look for beaches and you have it here (the Caribbean coast)

Cartagena de Indias. Old town. Look for colours of the rainbow and you have it all here in this enchanting place. Home of Magical Realism — Cartagena de Indias. Old town. Look for colours of the rainbow and you have it all here in this enchanting place.

Other names flashed by. San Augustin (a UNESCO World heritage site) & Tierradentro, the salt desert of Guajira, Santander, Bucaramanga, Barranquilla (the golden gate of Colombia), Ciudad Perdida & of course Cali (the capital of Salsa) and Medellin.

There was more. Much more. I was convinced I had to return to this place to soak in its magical realism.

Sunset in the Amazon, always larger than life

6 things you need to know about Colombia:

It is not the country that you see in Narcos. That man died in 1995. If thats the reason for going (or not going) to Colombia, think again.
It will be the most sought after destination in Latin America. Soon. Go there before Starbucks opens a store in Leticia.
It is one of the safest places in the Americas. (Despite “Narcos”)
It is a bird watchers paradise. Colombia leads the world in avian biodiversity; it is home to 1889 species, or 20 % of all bird species on Earth. 197 species of migratory birds are also temporary residents. 71 species of birds found here are unique to Colombia.
Barranquilla Carnival, February: This 4-day festival has been awarded the status of a “Masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity” by UN cultural body UNESCO. The event features various days of parades, music, drinking and dancing in a city already famous in Colombia for its active party scene. It is arguably the second biggest and best annual celebration in Latin America’s carnival calendar, falling only slightly below the levels of hedonism witnessed at the street parties of Rio de Janeiro.
The people are honest and helpful. Don’t corrupt them.

Check out our latest package: Colombia: Colours, Culture & Coffee

All photos by Abhik Dutta, The Wanderers