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Showing posts from June, 2020

What is the importance of Schengen Visa Insurance and Is it compulsory to take?

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Schengen Travel Insurance One of the most important requirements while traveling abroad is to have a valid travel health insurance policy in place to combat any unforeseen medical emergencies. A person traveling to the Schengen zone or the citizens of any country within the Schengen area are highly recommended to purchase a suitable  Schengen TravelVisa Insurance   for the expecting visitor from another country as the guarantor of the visitor. The importance of Schengen Visa Insurance The majority of European countries come under the domain of Schengen regulations. The Schengen area includes-Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. All the above 26 countries mandatorily require Schengen travel insurance, without which it is not possible to obta...

What is a Flight Ticket? How to Get Verifiable Flight Itinerary for Your Visa Application Without Paying for an Actual Ticket?

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A flight or airline ticket is either a paper-printed or an electronic document, purchased by a traveller from an airline company or a travel agency. The ticket proves that the traveller has a reserved seat on an airplane, which will take him / her to their destination. Almost all Embassies or Consulates of the Schengen Area are clear towards their visa applicants, telling them not to buy the full Air Ticket before the visa will be actually issued. Still, sometimes you will not get along with visa requirements submitting only the Flight Itinerary and Flight Ticket Reservation. This since particular Embassy or Consulate of Schengen country has the authority for asking you to provide the actual Airline Ticket, if it needs to make sure you actually have a planned trip to a specific destination in Europe. Most of the Embassies or Consulates accept Round-trip Flight Reservation with a Flight Itinerary as a form to prove you have a prearranged journey. Though, they want y...

Is Travel Insurance Necessary for Europe?

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Many U.S. citizens are under the impression that health care in Europe is ‘free’ and they question whether travel insurance is necessary for Europe. According to the Department of Health UK, hospital treatment through the National Health Service (NHS) “is free only to people who live on a lawful and properly settled basis (‘ordinarily resident’) in the United Kingdom (UK).” With some exceptions, if you do not normally live in Europe, you will have to pay for any medical treatment you receive regardless of whether you are a citizen or have lived or worked in the UK in the past. The following are the exceptions: •             Emergency treatment given inside an Accident and Emergency department or NHS emergency walk-in center. Treatment given after admission into a hospital is not free. •             Treatment for certain infections diseases (including ST...

Why do I need a hotel reservation for visa applications?

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Traveling these days is a lot different from what it used to be. Hearing stories of how others bribed the border patrols in Burma to travel the Golden Triangle or were starving with a stomach bug on a train trip through Europe makes anyone wish they were born 50 years ago; when traveling was a slower, present state of flow (or starvation). Not full of smartphones, Instagram-updates, flash packers and…. PAPERWORK… These days you need a visa to travel to most countries or continents, and the embassies require a lot of information from you; including a hotel reservation for visa applications. It takes the spontaneity, flexibility and not to mention FUN out of traveling. So how do you go about getting all the required documentation, including a hotel booking for visa applications without paying the full price or being denied the visa? Schengen visa flight reservation exists for this exact reason. We have been in your shoes, without finding any solution other than to actually boo...

What is not covered under Travel Insurance and Why do you need travel insurance for a Schengen visa?

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There are certain things that are not covered by travel insurance and you need to know what they are.   When you are considering which policy to buy, you must take note of these exclusions. In addition, the terms and conditions regarding any exclusions may vary between insurance companies, so it’s advisable to check thoroughly before purchasing the policy. If these are not covered, you may wish to consider taking additional cover to ensure you are fully protected. 1.           Pre-existing conditions such as asthma or diabetes 2.           Any sports which are deemed as high-risk such as skiing or scuba diving 3.           Travel to high-risk countries where there could be war, natural disasters or terrorism 4.           Acute onset of pre-existing conditions. This means a sudden or...

Essential things to know about Schengen Visa

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1. Now, you may wonder which countries fall in the Schengen Area. There are 26 countries that fall in the Schengen region - 23 from Europe, and other 3 being Switzerland, Norway and Iceland. You can travel to these 26 countries with a single visa. 2. Having stated that, it could get confusing as to which country you should approach, to  apply for a Schengen visa .  As a thumb rule, you apply with the country where you are staying for a longer amount of time. E.g. Say, you are staying in Spain for 5 days, Portugal for 5 days and Germany for 12 days, then you should apply your visa with Germany. If your stay is equally divided among 2 countries, then you must apply with the country that you’ll be visiting first. 3. If you have to travel to a European region that doesn’t fall in the Schengen area, you’ll need a valid visa for that country as well. E.g: If your itinerary is Switzerland + London, then you’ll need to have a valid Schengen as well as a UK visa....

Who needs a Schengen visa and What are the Types of Schengen Visa?

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Schengen Visa A Schengen Visa is the document issued by the appropriate authorities to the interested party for visiting/travelling to and within the Schengen Area. The Schengen Area is comprised of 26 countries that have agreed to allow free movement of their citizens within this area as a single country. Of the 26 countries bound by the Schengen agreement, 22 are part of the EU and the other 4 are part of the EFTA. Schengen area covers the majority of European countries, except for the United Kingdom and countries such as Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Ireland soon to be part of the agreement. However, there are countries that are not part of the EU like Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Lichtenstein yet do belong in the Schengen area and cherish the free movement policy. Who needs a Schengen visa? Thecitizens of the non-Schengen member countries are requested a mandatorySchengen Visa in order to enter the Schengen Zone.  There are exceptions to t...

What is Schengen? What exactly is Schengen visa issued for?

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Are you at a stage where your dream of the grand European tour is converging towards your plan for a European tour? Undoubtedly, Europe is one of the primary choices for Indians traveling abroad. This place has a perfect blend of history, traditions, and the comforts of modernity. But before that,  you would need a Schengen visa to travel to mostcountries in Europe. Schengen: Schengen refers to the EU passport-free zone that covers most of the European countries. With 26 countries, it is the most extensive free travel pass in the world. So which countries can you visit with a Schengen visa? All the 26 countries in the Schengen area (alphabetical order) are as follows: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. So, if you are planning that Gra...

IS TRAVEL INSURANCE NECESSARY IN EUROPE?

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If you need a visa for traveling to the Schengen Area (you can check it out on iVisa),  you will need Schengen Visa insurance to apply for it.  Take into account that not all countries are required to have a Schengen visa to visit the Schengen area. We will talk about which countries are required and which are not in the following section. But before jump in, let’s check why even if you don’t need a Schengen Visa, it can still be very helpful to buy Europe travel insurance. Here are a few of our own experiences that show how useful it can be to have travel insurance for Europe: •             I was studying English in Ireland with my cousin when he had to have emergency surgery for appendicitis. His insurance covered all the costs upfront. •             My brother was on a study tour in Italy when he came down with gastroenteritis and spent three days ...

The Ultimate Guide to Tourist Schengen Visa

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Are you sitting at your desk surrounded by tourist brochures to Europe and multiple windows open in your browser on how to apply for a Tourist Schengen Visa? While the prospects of travelling to Europe is definitely thrilling, obtaining a tourist visa, on the other hand, can be a strenuous task, particularly if it’s your first visa ever. However, with the right guidance, you can also get your Tourist Schengen visa approval quite easily. That’s why this article is a must-read before your visa application! WHAT IS A TOURIST SCHENGEN VISA? The Schengen visa was introduced after the Schengen agreement of 1985. The concept behind this was to remove border restrictions and promote free movement across European countries. Currently, there are 26 European countries that are part of this agreement. So, you can make inter-Schengen trips from any of these countries, without requiring multiple visas. If your sole purpose is travelling and enjoying your vacation,  you nee...

HOW TO BOOK A ROUND TRIP RESERVATION FOR SCHENGEN VISA APPLICATION

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One of the most important things to have for a Schengen Visa application is having a round trip reservation. Get it right, then you might have a bigger chance to get the visa you want. To do so, you must prepare everything completely. The consulate of the particular  Schengen country or Embassy willask you for details of a booked flight reservation.  Providing a flight itinerary for your journey to Europe is a must. So, how to book a round trip reservation for Visa Application? The followings are the comprehensive explanation: THE STEPS OF BOOKING A ROUND TRIP RESERVATION FOR VISA APPLICATION 1. First, visit website  https://www.schengenvisaitinerary.com/ This is the official website of Visa Reservation online. You do not need to go to anywhere anymore. 2. Then, choose the best package of travel for you   Do you know how to pick the best package for your travelling? Here, we give you a little advice: ·       ...

SHOULD YOU BOOK A FLIGHT OR HOTEL BEFORE VISA APPLICATION?

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Probably not! Purchasing flight tickets and booking accommodation is equivalent to a commitment to traveling on the dates you booked for. If your visa takes longer than expected to get processed, what do you do with the confirmed flight tickets and hotel booking? A full refund of the price is extremely rare, and you end up losing thousands of dollars for no good. Instead of going through all this hassle, how about opting for a flight reservation for visa and a hotel reservation for visa application that not only offers you more convenience and flexibility, but also ensure that your purpose is served. Visa rejection rates can be high for certain countries. Hence, most embassies accept a  flight itinerary or reservation document as proof oftravel on the specified dates.  However, do keep in mind that if you are reserving a flight itinerary for your visa application and not actually buying a ticket, it makes good sense to disclose that to the embassy upfront. The fligh...