₦airaland Forum

mclloyd22:
My own didn’t take long as a first time Schengen VV applicant. Submitted first week of October and on the 10th day I recieved my one month visa. Sometimes it’s all about the supporting documents in your application

If you don't mind. Kindly share a list of your supporting documents and type of visa you applied for (short-term or long-stay, business or tourism etc)

Flawlesso209:
omo, I wonder

Maybe one needs to start pestering TLS for answers. I might go to their office before the end of the day or maybe next week to even find out what exactly is going on.

Is this how we'll just not hear any thing back from TLS and their cohorts for over a month?

Yes, this is just what I feel is happening. Like when you look online (Reddit and other forums) when people apply for visa from "saner countries", they don't get meaninglessly delayed and the visa application center now coming to do damage control on behalf of the embassy. It's very stupid that these countries too take advantage of the "Nigerian factor" once they are in Naija.

Royals1st:
Embassies and consulates in Nigeria often take advantage of Nigerians because they know there is little government oversight to hold them accountable. They are aware that when you request your passport, it is interpreted as canceling your visa application, meaning no refund will be issued. This is part of a broader problem of scams involving embassies and consulates in Nigeria. Even when you request the return of your passport, it can take many working days, and getting a response to emails is another challenge. Unfortunately, the government is largely ineffective in protecting citizens, leaving people with nowhere to report such issues.

As in ehn

Just imagine the way this person you responded to now, their travel date has passed well. Would they now say they didn't apply early enough or what?

And TLS too seems to be in the dark because there's no news or update on their website about the delays other than the usual "we're experiencing high volumes of application bla bla bla"

It's crazy that they're just holding people's passports to ransom beyond the normal times.

Mobizl:
Nawa o, this isn't funny o and they are holding people's passports and delaying

cindermum:
Submitted (Lagos) 16th of September and nothing yet today, 20th Oct. I called TLS on the 17th Oct, which was on Friday and their personnel said it's still with the consulate.
Although it's my first schengen visa. Maybe that's the reason for the delay.

Please can you share the number you called? I've been looking for their number online but can't find any working number (both on their Google business page and website)

Adedayo12322:
I submitted my application already June 30th, and I explained the reason for the lump sum in a paragraph of my cover letter and attached transfer of property agreement to prove I sold the land truly, Cac, status report and I added the pictures of my poultry farm too

Best of luck!

Henry037:
VISA ALERT
FRANCE N/L ( NETHERLANDS)
Biometric- 5th May
PASSPORT COLLECTION- 19th May
Verdict- REFUSED

REAPPLIED IMMEDIATELY on 20th MAY
Biometric- 28th MAY
PASSPORT COLLECTION- 25th JUNE
Verdict- 45days, Single entry

( I have previously applied and used SCHENGEN VISA 4x with no refusal)

Congratulations! Do you mind sharing the following info?

What type of visa (Business or Tourism), What was the reason for the initial refusal and what did you do differently when reapplying to have boosted your chances.

Congratulations once again!

VisaZest:
Hi,

If I may weigh in on the conversation, my biggest concerns would be about your socio-professional situation a.k.a home ties.

In your cover letter, did you elaborate on what will bring you back to Nigeria? eg did you explicitly state the business you do and how important your physical presence is, did you mention your family in Nigeria and any other relevant commitments to bring you home?

Dropping a dot (.) here for future reference

maziemeka2024:
It was tourism

Document submitted.

Business registration document

Personal bank statements ( naira 15,000,000, dollar 4000)

Hotel reservation ( booking.com)

Dummy ticket from wakanow.com

Reference letter from bank

Copies of VISAS travel and return dates.

Property document

Cover letter also stating how much I intend to spend and available funds.

Itinerary stating the days and where I intend to visit and which days.

The only thing I did not include is booking any tour.

I wish I could find out the particular reason.

Everything looks fine here.

Booking a particular tour (or not) doesn't really impact the visa outcome. Although, for first time Schengen applicants, especially without 'travel history' (which is not your case as you mentioned Visas and Dates, and you have a valid UK visa), it's usually recommended to go above and beyond. Hence, why people often recommend booking tours or prepaying for some refundable activities.

You didn't mention insurance in your list of documents but I hope you added insurance to your list of submitted document.

However, the only thing I can flag here is the amount in your bank statements. The money you left there is just too much!

In fact, for Schengen visa application, $4,000 would've been enough but it's preferable to show a bank statement in your local currency hence the equivalent of $4,000, which is roughly ₦6,000,000 is fine.

With Schengen visa application, too little or too much money usually works against the applicant even if they can prove the source. Currently, a range of ₦5,000,000 to ₦6,000,000 is best.

Another thing, I like to chip in is, don't leave a round figure in your account when applying. It might come off to the visa officer that you've just left that money there for the purpose of visa application. Instead, aim to have rough figures like ₦5,273,650, ₦6,423,720. Those ones look more relatable.

In my opinion, all your documents are correct.

So, based on this money palaver, the visa officer might be wondering: why do you want to go for tourism in France with that humongous money? Are you planning to enter France and start a new life with the money there?

Those people are evil and once you're a visa applicant from a third-world country, all odds are against you even before you submit.

What I'll advise is:
1. Do more research on this refusal condition and see how you can prevent that in your next application/appeal
2. If you're not confident on it enough, find a travel agent who's experienced in Schengen visas. They might be able to guide you on what to do to avoid refusals in subsequent applications.

maziemeka2024:
Hello house, my visa application was refused. Stating that the information regarding the justification purpose and conditions of stay is not reliable.

Could it be the dummy ticket I used?

I currently have a 5 years UK visa.

Is there a way to know the exact reason?

Can I appeal the decision?

If this is the only refusal condition they stated, it's often ambiguous, so one cannot just pin point a particular reason. However, for anybody to be able to help, kindly answer these questions.

Was it a business visa (e.g. conference) you applied for or tourism?
If it was conference, maybe they couldn't verify your invitation or the conference was too close to when you submitted. If it was tourism, maybe your itinerary is not clear enough/convincing.

Also, what are the documents you submitted?
With the refusal condition they stated, the problem is mostly not from your documents otherwise, they might have also stated that your documents were incorrect or something. They have a specific wording for that (I can't remember right now).

Dummy tickets are usually not a problem but you can also check some of the documents you've submitted more closely.

Has anyone ever been able to make payments on Air France website using their normal Nigerian debit cards?

It says credit cards on the website but I would like to try with my normal GT, Access, or Zenith Bank card.

LadyCaplin:
Lagos: July dates are available.

what dates are available in July. I've created my account for some while now but I'm currently having difficulties logging in to the TLS website.

BabygirlFash:
In my personal opinion (I stand to be corrected), the purpose of including a cover letter is to share additional information/clear any doubts in the mind of the VO. Looking at this letter, all information shared can be found on your checklist/application form.

You see part I bolded so, I'm just overly worried/anxious because of my profile: single male applicant looking to travel.

I've read in different forums how one has to let the VO know that look, "I'm not trying to go to your country and stay indefinitely as I have other things doing at home", hence the reason why I kept including strong ties to Nigeria .

But it seems I'm doing analysis paralysis with the too much calculation I'm putting into the cover letter.

hunee:
Man. You like Rhetorics. Lol


'Must you tell them " I have strong ties to Nigeria"

Please make your letters very simple.

Thank you.

This must be the final version, I believe 🫠

austino677:
Hi edit your personal info

Thank you for spotting that!

hunee:
Version 2 is okay


Title *** is enclosed. Why repeating again? Avoid rhetorics na.




**These professional personal
**** I also own .....

You see those lines/paragraphs .

Please remove it.

Attach your documents. Supporting documents should be sufficient.


Please use this letter I gave as a guide.

Thank you once again 🫡


I've done further trimming and the letter is now shorter and simpler. Kindly see the attached image

hunee:
Hi, Goodevening.
This is what and how your letters should look like.
You can also use same as guide for company , vacation leave letters too.
Simple and light.
You can attach sufficient documents as support.

Tax document can be personal or company ,the one from JTB OR FIRS is fine.

Please tag me if you need further information.

Thank you.

I've worked on the cover letter to reduce the amount of irrelevant information using your sample as a guide. I'll attach two screenshots. The version 1 is the previous version and the version 2 is the latest one.

I really want to highlight the strong ties to home country (the text after my list of attached documents) because I'm a young single male traveller. The reason for this is based on what I've read online, visa issuing officers are always looking for the slightest chance to deny the application of applicants with my profile (young, single, male) so one has to provide enough proof that yes, I'll return home after my trip in order to further convince them.

But, I'm still looking forward to your opinion on that as well.

Thanks once again!

hunee:
IT's fine. We are learning.

Wow, this looks very simple, thank you for sharing.

So, you've been using this format to get France visas?


Also, the Tax document you mentioned in number 4 of your list, is it the company tax document or your personal tax?

auxtin1:
But it's bot compulsory it must be Mastercard or visacard, I hope verve will work as well?

Verve is supposed to work since they're probably using a Nigerian bank POS machine but just to be on the safer side, why not carry a MasterCard or VISA card.

austino677:
"land survey documentation on September" not in September

It's because I didn't add a specific date that's why it's "in September"

Like when you say, "I'll go to my village in December" and when someone else says "I'll go to my village on 25th December"

Thank you for spotting that though 🙏🏾

hunee:
It is constructive criticism my brother. Please accept it in light heart, In the end, i want you to succeed.
I will do my best to ensure you have a proper application submitted and hope you succeed.

Thank you very much. I'm much open to criticism.

In fact, I've been a long-time lurker on this thread and eventually had to create an account on Nairaland so that I can get help from others in looking at my files and docs.

Thank you once again. I'm glad you found time out of your own schedule to even reply to strangers on the internet.

hunee:
When is your biometrics?

July 10th

hunee:
Your support documents already carries information on this , why repeating them? Na wetin dey vex visa officers be this. Long write ups, and rhetorics.

They don't have time to be reading ,my previous Schengen visas, I didn't even have substantial monies in the account, just be genuine with your intentions.

I am sure you know visa officers have a number of files they must attend to daily, so they don't have time.

When you begin say too much and list too many things, you create an atmosphere for suspicion.

And you know these people are psychologists.

You people don't even know the techniques of visa applications, "sometimes" you have to even use reverse psychology for them too, depending on the circumstance.

Una just dey apply for visa, na strategy. Lol

Simple, Straight and keep your letters short but detailed.

You want a visa, go straight and state the documents attached.

All the best.

You went really hard on me lol

I like it tho. I've just reasoned too that if I had too many files to process, I'll likely not read my own letter due to 'too much unneccessary story'

So, I've trimmed it down a lot and still made sure it mentioned key details I would like to highlight.

Lemme know what you think about this new draft. Thank you very much!

hunee:
Too lengthy in my opinion.

Your support documents are sufficient to back up the initial letter.
Cut the stories,these people don't have time.

Enclose your personal introductory letter in a page, supported by your credentials.


Hope for the best.

Goodluck.

So would you advise I remove the following sections:
* Purpose of visit
* Financial Capability
* Duration of Stay

By removing those three section, I can get it into a single page but I really want to highlight strong ties to Nigeria.

Also, kindly check your mail @hunee, I've sent you a message

All the gurus in the house, kindly help review this cover letter.

@babstanley I've incorporated what you just advised.

Applicant profile: single, male, first-time Schengen visa application

babstanley:
Potential Weaknesses (Based on Embassy’s Perspective):Ties to Home Country May Lack Specificity

While the letter lists strong ties (e.g., CEO role, MBA program, contracts), it doesn’t provide specific details to prove these ties require his physical presence in Nigeria immediately after the trip.

For example:The MBA program is mentioned, but there’s no indication of specific academic obligations (e.g., exams or classes) during or shortly after July 2025.
The government contract is noted, but there’s no evidence of specific deadlines or tasks tied to his presence post-trip.Family ties are mentioned vaguely without details (e.g., dependents or specific responsibilities).

Embassies often look for concrete, time-bound obligations that make overstaying unlikely.

This is also a good idea to incorporate concrete reasons why one must return. Although, I think it was already mentioned in the part about being the CEO where he said the work requires his ongoing commitment but like you said, being specific would have been better.

Lance008:
Thanks
Please can I check my status online ?

There's no how to know if your visa was approved or not until you receive your passport, so sit down, relax and hope for a positive result.

Gurus here, please help review this section of my cover letter

==========================

Strong Ties to Nigeria
I have strong ties to Nigeria both professionally and personally.
I have built my professional career in the field of computing and I am employed by COMPANY since January, 2024 where I apply my expertise as an ROLE. I have enclosed my leave approval letter and a No Objection Certificate which ensure that I will resume my role upon returning from France.
I have a close-knit family and support my sister, SISTER'S NAME with her medical bills as shown via outward transfers on my bank statements.
In addition, I have an inheritance from my late father and I also own properties in my state of origin (STATE State). I’ve attached copies of my father's will and the ownership documents for my own properties.
These factors demonstrate my deep-rooted connections to Nigeria and provide strong assurance of my intention to return after my short visit to France.

==========================

In the above, should I:
1. Remove the statement about supporting my sister with her hospital bills?
2. Leave the statement in 1 above but mention the specific dates of these transactions in my statement of account?

The inheritance from my father, was a house shared amongst me and my siblings. Basically, it's a family house somewhere in Lagos to ensure we all still get together during festive periods. Is the statement fine this way or there's a better way I can word that statement to demonstrate my strong ties to Nigeria.


Visa applicant is a young single male with practically no travel experience so trying to provide proof of ties to home country as much as possible

Lance008:
Please what does it mean if you receive passport return to tls

That means the embassy is done reviewing your application and they've returned it to TLS so that you can pick it up or have it dispatched to you if you opted for delivery.

If you're a first time Schengen applicant, book actual flights but make sure the flight is fully refundable (call the airline to confirm this before paying for the flight).

there are many services you can use to generate dummy flight booking where you'll only pay a small fee for that and when you visa is out, you book actual flights.

Search on Google for "dummy flight booking"

But take note that some people's visas are denied because they couldn't confirm their 'dummy flight details' hence my advice at the beginning.

maziemeka2024:
Hello house.

Please how do I book a temporary flight that can be used or do I have to book an actual flight ?

HI guys, if I book and pay for an appointment for August and I check later and say for example, I see another appointment in June, can I pay for the June one and cancel the August appointment?

abubakarolatu:
yeah I think this are the requirement for a short stay visa

Do you think it's fine to add university degree and any other certificate I've obtained? Will that give me a stronger stand in the eyes of the visa officer?