₦airaland Forum

Hi!

Consider these Schengen visa rules:
1. If you are visiting multiple Schengen countries, you must apply through the country that will be your main destination (the country where you will spend the longest time).

2. If you will spend the same number of days in each country, you should apply through the country of first entry

My opinion- you do not necessarily have to start in France. As long as France remains your longest stay, you’re following the rules (but keep evidence, see my message below). Because of our Naija passport, though not compulsory, you can end your trip in France i.e. your flight out of the Schengen zone can depart from France. That way, your exit records will show you passed through France. In the past, my entry/exit stamps carried the name of the Schegen country but now they are transitioning to digital. Either way, your records will still indicate France as your exit point.

Take note- if you choose to arrive another country first, be ready to show that you will spend the longest time in France. Sometimes they can question you more at the first border you landed so be sure to have all documents- eg booked France accommodation, flight/train/bus ticket that show you will end up in France.

If this is your first Schengen, be sure to keep copies of your boarding pass/hotel/France bus/train etc. as evidence that France was your main destination. In case you need proof for your next application.

All the best!

MsAnonymous:
Hello house
Pls I need advice

I got my Schengen visa through France
Must u visit France first?
Planning to visit another Schengen country for few days before going to France
Or must I enter through France

VisaZest:
Hi!

Consider these Schengen visa rules:
1. If you are visiting multiple Schengen countries, you must apply through the country that will be your main destination (the country where you will spend the longest time).

2. If you will spend the same number of days in each country, you should apply through the country of first entry

My opinion- you do not necessarily have to start in France. As long as France remains your longest stay, you’re following the rules (but keep evidence, see my message below). Because of our Naija passport, though not compulsory, you can end your trip in France i.e. your flight out of the Schengen zone can depart from France. That way, your exit records will show you passed through France. In the past, my entry/exit stamps carried the name of the Schegen country but now they are transitioning to digital. Either way, your records will still indicate France as your exit point.

Take note- if you choose to arrive another country first, be ready to show that you will spend the longest time in France. Sometimes they can question you more at the first border you landed so be sure to have all documents- eg booked France accommodation, flight/train/bus ticket that show you will end up in France.

If this is your first Schengen, be sure to keep copies of your boarding pass/hotel/France bus/train etc. as evidence that France was your main destination. In case you need proof for your next application.

All the best!

Na lie, they won’t question you anywhere as long as you have a shenghen visa.

Manlikechims:
I am a frequent traveler. Schengen is an open border. Once you get stamped in that’s it. It becomes like a 'local flight'
if you go with airlines like Turkish air, Air maroc and co, then that’s it’s a different case. Youd then have to go to your issuing state.
If you do enter from a Schengen state airline ( KLM, Airfrance, Lufthansa)it’s different. As said if you fly with airfrance then you’re stamped in at CDG and if you decide to fly out with KLM you’re getting stamped out from Amsterdam Schipol.

I’d give an example, I have a Swiss Schengen visa and I enter Airfrance, my first point of entry is Paris( CDG) this is where i am going to get stamped in. Also note that my ticket will show my final destination is say Geneva in Switzerland for example. Once I go through border control and my layover is long in Paris and i decide to come out and play that’s my cup of tea. It’s almost like you’re going from lagos to abuja.

Okay I understand you now but that is not recommended. If you use air France to Switzerland by default, you would not be stamped at your stopover which would be in France. But you can actually decide to leave the airport because it’s still the same visa for France & Switzerland (Schengen) but this is highly discouraged because it is recorded that you entered Schengen through France and not Switzerland. So you may encounter problems when applying for Schengen again.

ozymes:
I got a 3 month multiple entry German Schengen visa-First ever Schengen visa application and was granted, destination was Germany, I could not get any flight directly to Germany-Lufthansa was fully booked and not available, I used Air France and landed in Charles De Gaul and I was stamped and admitted into Schengen territory in Paris, France and eventually proceeded to my final destination: Hamburg, Germany.

Why were you stamped in at CDG? Did you leave the airport? Because you’ll only be referred to immigration at the point of exiting the airport or before you get your luggage. If it was a stopover, you have no business getting stamped in. Am I wrong?


Also, have you tried to apply for a Schengen visa after this trip to German? How was it? Were you granted the visa?

It’s also good I drop this update on the group.

I applied for French visa in December. Biometrics date was 22nd to be precise. Actually no biometrics because I just gone one a few months before (my first Schengen), so document drop off.

By the 2nd week of January I received my visa, 6 months multiple entry. What I applied for was one year.

So things were quick that period, now I’m hearing France is holding passports for 6 weeks +

Lekan2348:
It’s also good I drop this update on the group.

I applied for French visa in December. Biometrics date was 22nd to be precise. Actually no biometrics because I just gone one a few months before (my first Schengen), so document drop off.

By the 2nd week of January I received my visa, 6 months multiple entry. What I applied for was one year.

So things were quick that period, now I’m hearing France is holding passports for 6 weeks +

You’re actually not being honest or you just don’t know but I’m leaning more on you’re not being honest and you’re misleading people. Or this is a trap set for those who are desperate to get visas.

1. You’d be stamped in at Paris, Frankfurt or Amsterdam depending on which of The Schengen states airline you fly.

2. I have travelled between the uk and Schengen 3 times in the 3 months.

3. For every time you apply, you’d be doing a biometrics regardless of if you applied a month ago and just returned from a trip. Only if it’s a child under 12. Yes there is a rule of if you’ve gotten a visa at certain period but it doesn’t apply. You’d still need to do a biometrics regardless. There isn’t any drop box at TLS- you’d submit and do biometrics

4. Visa duration is at the discretion of the issuing embassy for Schengen- it’s not like the uk where you can pick your visa duration and at an additional cost.

Biya007:
Please house i got rejected for the below reason!
What can I do right next time?
I have a trade fair to apply for in Germany in May too would it be wise for me to apply for that now that France Visa was denied this February?
Here is list of documents I submitted for France Visa application.
My nin slip
Passport
Deed of transfer land document
Marriage certificate
Child birth certificate
Company ID
Cover letter
Employment letter
Leave letter
Statement of account 6m
Family picture and my building projet picture
Insurance
Flight
Hotel booking
Badge for intended event in France

Please house is there anything else I didn't provide to show enough ties to my country?
Please i need advice
Next application I am thinking of putting my bsc certificate, mom NIN since she live me and another deed of transfer for another land I own?
Please i need advice

How much is your monthly income? How long have you worked for your current employer? The reason cited is related to weak ties to your home country.

Manlikechims:
You’re actually not being honest or you just don’t know but I’m leaning more on you’re not being honest and you’re misleading people. Or this is a trap set for those who are desperate to get visas.

1. You’d be stamped in at Paris, Frankfurt or Amsterdam depending on which of The Schengen states airline you fly.

2. I have travelled between the uk and Schengen 3 times in the 3 months.

3. For every time you apply, you’d be doing a biometrics regardless of if you applied a month ago and just returned from a trip. Only if it’s a child under 12. Yes there is a rule of if you’ve gotten a visa at certain period but it doesn’t apply. You’d still need to do a biometrics regardless. There isn’t any drop box at TLS- you’d submit and do biometrics

4. Visa duration is at the discretion of the issuing embassy for Schengen- it’s not like the uk where you can pick your visa duration and at an additional cost.

lol, you’re right, I actually did biometrics. I did forget about that because of the exemption they’re always talking about. I was surprised when they told me I have to do the biometrics. So what else now?

Are you also saying I’m being dishonest that I got 6 months visa?

Do you want me to put the visa picture here? Lol

Also, in all my history of traveling, you don’t get stamped at a stopover unless you intentionally want to leave the airport. And for you to intentionally leave the airport, you need to have a valid visa for that stopover country.

So if you’re using Air France (France) to Switzerland you will have a stopover at France, you will not be stamped in less you opt to leave the airport during your stopover. This is possible because Schenghen visa applies to France and Switzerland.

But if you’re using Air France to New York and you don’t have a Schengen visa, there is no way on this earth you are going to be stamped in at France. Why? Because you can’t leave the airport. You have no business approaching immigration at the airport. You are the airport to meet your connecting flight.

The same applies for the earlier example, only difference is that you have a visa that will allow you get stamped it but it is a choice.

Now correct me if I am still wrong about this

Hi,

My first Schengen visa, the border officer asked for my accommodation, my flight tickets showing my departure date. My last trip to France, they asked the babe in front of me to show finances proving she could afford the visit. She is African (Rwandese I think) and was quite upset. Best to be prepared

cucumbar:
Na lie, they won’t question you anywhere as long as you have a shenghen visa.

Lekan2348:
lol, you’re right, I actually did biometrics. I did forget about that because of the exemption they’re always talking about. I was surprised when they told me I have to do the biometrics. So what else now?

Are you also saying I’m being dishonest that I got 6 months visa?

Do you want me to put the visa picture here? Lol

Also, in all my history of traveling, you don’t get stamped at a stopover unless you intentionally want to leave the airport. And for you to intentionally leave the airport, you need to have a valid visa for that stopover country.

So if you’re using Air France (France) to Switzerland you will have a stopover at France, you will not be stamped in less you opt to leave the airport during your stopover. This is possible because Schenghen visa applies to France and Switzerland.

But if you’re using Air France to New York and you don’t have a Schengen visa, there is no way on this earth you are going to be stamped in at France. Why? Because you can’t leave the airport. You have no business approaching immigration at the airport. You are the airport to meet your connecting flight.

The same applies for the earlier example, only difference is that you have a visa that will allow you get stamped it but it is a choice.

Now correct me if I am still wrong about this

1. I said you were dishonest about not doing biometrics.

2. The fact that you also don’t know that you’re going to get stamped at whatever Schengen state carrier if you’re transiting ( going to another Schengen state) makes me actually doubt your story. You’ve repeatedly stated that it’s the final entry point you’re getting stamped. I gave the example of going to Switzerland and entering Air France and you said I should have gotten stamped in Switzerland.
The minute I landed in Paris , and passed through the gate to the transit area for my trip to Switzerland, Spain or even Italy for example, I am going through the border police and definitely going to get stamped in. It then becomes like a 'local' flight.
So you clearly don’t know what you’re saying.
Even if you have a single entry visa, you can move around Schengen states freely.


3. IT IS NOT A CHOICE, please don’t confuse or mislead people.
Traveling to none Schengen states is a different thing entirely!
I was traveling with my family to the UK and we had a long layover in Paris- we had a valid Schengen visas and decided to leave the airport to town, ofcourse we would get stamped in and get stamped out when it’s time to go back to catch our flight to the uk.
Their are times that I am flying to the uk and I don’t bother myself, I just simply go to my transfer gate to the UK and their are times that i intentionally do long layovers if I am going outside of the Schengen states.
If I had a transit visa then that would have been a different thing.

Also you’d mostly be scanning boarding passes so it’s difficult to end up at the border control area if what you have is just a transit visa.

If one enters other airlines like Air Maroc, Turkish, Emirates and co then you’re getting stamped at the final Schengen state- so If you’re flying to Germany, then you’re getting stamped in at Germany.

Manlikechims:
1. I said you were dishonest about not doing biometrics.

2. The fact that you also don’t know that you’re going to get stamped at whatever Schengen state carrier if you’re transiting ( going to another Schengen state) makes me actually doubt your story. You’ve repeatedly stated that it’s the final entry point you’re getting stamped. I gave the example of going to Switzerland and entering Air France and you said I should have gotten stamped in Switzerland.
The minute I landed in Paris , and passed through the gate to the transit area for my trip to Switzerland, Spain or even Italy for example, I am going through the border police and definitely going to get stamped in. It then becomes like a 'local' flight.
So you clearly don’t know what you’re saying.
Even if you have a single entry visa, you can move around Schengen states freely.


3. IT IS NOT A CHOICE, please don’t confuse or mislead people.
Traveling to none Schengen states is a different thing entirely!
I was traveling with my family to the UK and we had a long layover in Paris- we had a valid Schengen visas and decided to leave the airport to town, ofcourse we would get stamped in and get stamped out when it’s time to go back to catch our flight to the uk.
Their are times that I am flying to the uk and I don’t bother myself, I just simply go to my transfer gate to the UK and their are times that i intentionally do long layovers if I am going outside of the Schengen states.
If I had a transit visa then that would have been a different thing.

Also you’d mostly be scanning boarding passes so it’s difficult to end up at the border control area if what you have is just a transit visa.

If one enters other airlines like Air Maroc, Turkish, Emirates and co then you’re getting stamped at the final Schengen state- so If you’re flying to Germany, then you’re getting stamped in at Germany.

Ok so basically what you’re saying is someone who is using Air France to New York will get stamped when they get to CDG? That is definitely not how it works!

You are so right! I remember the first time I had my schengen visa from France, I booked with brussels airline and got stamped in Belgium and not France.. But the second time, I used RwandAir to make sure I have France stamp on my passport.

Manlikechims:
1. I said you were dishonest about not doing biometrics.

2. The fact that you also don’t know that you’re going to get stamped at whatever Schengen state carrier if you’re transiting ( going to another Schengen state) makes me actually doubt your story. You’ve repeatedly stated that it’s the final entry point you’re getting stamped. I gave the example of going to Switzerland and entering Air France and you said I should have gotten stamped in Switzerland.
The minute I landed in Paris , and passed through the gate to the transit area for my trip to Switzerland, Spain or even Italy for example, I am going through the border police and definitely going to get stamped in. It then becomes like a 'local' flight.
So you clearly don’t know what you’re saying.
Even if you have a single entry visa, you can move around Schengen states freely.


3. IT IS NOT A CHOICE, please don’t confuse or mislead people.
Traveling to none Schengen states is a different thing entirely!
I was traveling with my family to the UK and we had a long layover in Paris- we had a valid Schengen visas and decided to leave the airport to town, ofcourse we would get stamped in and get stamped out when it’s time to go back to catch our flight to the uk.
Their are times that I am flying to the uk and I don’t bother myself, I just simply go to my transfer gate to the UK and their are times that i intentionally do long layovers if I am going outside of the Schengen states.
If I had a transit visa then that would have been a different thing.

Also you’d mostly be scanning boarding passes so it’s difficult to end up at the border control area if what you have is just a transit visa.

If one enters other airlines like Air Maroc, Turkish, Emirates and co then you’re getting stamped at the final Schengen state- so If you’re flying to Germany, then you’re getting stamped in at Germany.

Lekan2348:
Ok so basically what you’re saying is someone who is using Air France to New York will get stamped when they get to CDG? That is definitely not how it works!

READ WHAT I WROTE AGAIN. I intentionally broke it down for easy comprehension so read it again.

Chelseaboy101:
You are so right! I remember the first time I had my schengen visa from France, I booked with brussels airline and got stamped in Belgium and not France.. But the second time, I used RwandAir to make sure I have France stamp on my passport.

Exactly!

Manlikechims:
READ WHAT I WROTE AGAIN. I intentionally broke it down for easy comprehension so read it again.

Done with this conversation.

Lekan2348:
Okay I understand you now but that is not recommended. If you use air France to Switzerland by default, you would not be stamped at your stopover which would be in France. But you can actually decide to leave the airport because it’s still the same visa for France & Switzerland (Schengen) but this is highly discouraged because it is recorded that you entered Schengen through France and not Switzerland. So you may encounter problems when applying for Schengen again.

This is actually incorrect. If you are traveling to the Schengen zone with a connection in a country within the zone other than your destination county, you get stamped at that country which is your first point of entry into the area.

For example:
An international flight of a country in the Schengen Zone like Air France will get to France first before you join another flight to your final destination. You will pass through passport control and be stamped in in France, then you will board another Air France flight (regional) to your final destination where you will get your luggage without passing through immigration again. Same applies to leaving, if you use Air France from say Venice to Lagos, you will be stamped out in Venice even if your flight still lands in France before you connect to the one taking you to Nigeria.

You only get stamped in at your destination country for flights on airlines like Turkish, Ethiopian, Qatar, etc., because they are not in the Schengen zone.

Your earlier “New York with a connection in France” analogy does not work because the arrival gate and route is different for those traveling within Schengen. (Edited to add that you can decide to go into France if you have a valid Schengen visa, in which case, you will clear immigration and get stamped in when you leave the airport and out again when you go back to join your flight to New York)

Lekan2348:
Okay I understand you now but that is not recommended. If you use air France to Switzerland by default, you would not be stamped at your stopover which would be in France. But you can actually decide to leave the airport because it’s still the same visa for France & Switzerland (Schengen) but this is highly discouraged because it is recorded that you entered Schengen through France and not Switzerland. So you may encounter problems when applying for Schengen again.

I agree with you but this is 4th Schengen visa , I always enter thought France and do not have any problem, Belgium visa I enter from Amsterdam , my second visa with Portugal I enter from Paris no issue my 3rd one is Spain visa but I enter from Paris again , I just got 2 years from Switzerland this December and in summer I will travel again from paris

Manlikechims:
1. I said you were dishonest about not doing biometrics.

2. The fact that you also don’t know that you’re going to get stamped at whatever Schengen state carrier if you’re transiting ( going to another Schengen state) makes me actually doubt your story. You’ve repeatedly stated that it’s the final entry point you’re getting stamped. I gave the example of going to Switzerland and entering Air France and you said I should have gotten stamped in Switzerland.
The minute I landed in Paris , and passed through the gate to the transit area for my trip to Switzerland, Spain or even Italy for example, I am going through the border police and definitely going to get stamped in. It then becomes like a 'local' flight.
So you clearly don’t know what you’re saying.
Even if you have a single entry visa, you can move around Schengen states freely.


3. IT IS NOT A CHOICE, please don’t confuse or mislead people.
Traveling to none Schengen states is a different thing entirely!
I was traveling with my family to the UK and we had a long layover in Paris- we had a valid Schengen visas and decided to leave the airport to town, ofcourse we would get stamped in and get stamped out when it’s time to go back to catch our flight to the uk.
Their are times that I am flying to the uk and I don’t bother myself, I just simply go to my transfer gate to the UK and their are times that i intentionally do long layovers if I am going outside of the Schengen states.
If I had a transit visa then that would have been a different thing.

Also you’d mostly be scanning boarding passes so it’s difficult to end up at the border control area if what you have is just a transit visa.

If one enters other airlines like Air Maroc, Turkish, Emirates and co then you’re getting stamped at the final Schengen state- so If you’re flying to Germany, then you’re getting stamped in at Germany.

You are totally right is not a choice!
Any of first enter point in Schengen country you should get their stamp. For example you are going to Switzerland and your fly is Air France and you pass through Paris. You will get automatic CDG FRANCE STAMP. is not négociable because you are in Schengen zone

Hi there, I submitted the France Schengen visa application on 27 of January in V.I. Lagos, and it is still being processed. Has anyone who applied around that date received their visa decision? I’m a frequent traveler and an expatriate, by the way. I would really appreciate any useful information. Thank you.

Hozx46:
Hi there, I submitted the France Schengen visa application on 27 of January in V.I. Lagos, and it is still being processed. Has anyone who applied around that date received their visa decision? I’m a frequent traveler and an expatriate, by the way. I would really appreciate any useful information. Thank you.

is about 6 weeks now!
But if you are genius frequent travelers you will definitely get it. I got my last Switzerland visa in one day

Judawoo:
is about 6 weeks now!
But if you are genius frequent travelers you will definitely get it. I got my last Switzerland visa in one day

Pls how did you indicate that you want 2 years for the Swiss visa? I am tired of all these 6 months visa from France.

Judawoo:
is about 6 weeks now!
But if you are genius frequent travelers you will definitely get it. I got my last Switzerland visa in one day

Thank you so much, you are so kind. So now everyone applying for France Schengen visas has to wait for 6 weeks before the decision? I didn’t expect it would take this long.

Hozx46:
Thank you so much, you are so kind. So now everyone applying for France Schengen visas has to wait for 6 weeks before the decision? I didn’t expect it would take this long.

depend of your profil as well! But you will definitely get it

iga256:
How much is your monthly income? How long have you worked for your current employer? The reason cited is related to weak ties to your home country.

This is my 3rd year working with my current employer
So what other documents would you advise I add,
Because marriage documents is there already, land documents and job documents, even family photos.

I did not exit the airport and it was a stopover & layover for about 3-4 hrs., and same Air France flew me to Hamburg, Germany. Flew same Air France from Hamburg, Germany and stopped over/layover again @ CGD and got stamped out at same CDG and flew back to ABV with same Air France. YES! I applied for French Schengen business visa late last year for a proposed trip to Paris and it was issued within 3 weeks. I flew BA to Paris and returned.

Lekan2348:
Why were you stamped in at CDG? YES. Did you leave the airport? NO. Because you’ll only be referred to immigration at the point of exiting the airport or before you get your luggage. If it was a stopover, you have no business getting stamped in. Am I wrong?. you are wrong.


Also, have you tried to apply for a Schengen visa after this trip to German? Yes. How was it? Cool. Were you granted the visa? Yep!

Hozx46:
Hi there, I submitted the France Schengen visa application on 27 of January in V.I. Lagos, and it is still being processed. Has anyone who applied around that date received their visa decision? I’m a frequent traveler and an expatriate, by the way. I would really appreciate any useful information. Thank you.

Have you gotten a feedback now?

Preator:
Have you gotten a feedback now?

Not yet, how long have you been waiting?

Hozx46:
Not yet, how long have you been waiting?

Same 27th.

Preator:
Same 27th.

I learned from the TLS website that it now takes at least a month to process applications. And thank you for letting me know that I’m not the only one who hasn’t received any updates yet.

Hozx46:
I learned from the TLS website that it now takes at least a month to process applications. And thank you for letting me know that I’m not the only one who hasn’t received any updates yet.

Saw same too. Fingers crossed

Guys, incase you need any of the following I can be of help
Professional CV / Résumé writing, Statement of Purpose (SOP) & Motivation / Cover Letters,Flight reservations ,Hotel reservations, Health insurance

Hello house, I’m trying to book an appointment for my family, but the portal is not allowing me group us all together including our child… please how do I create a family group appointment