The Schengen visa interview is a very important factor in the visa application process. A visa interview allows diplomatic officials to verify the applicant’s identity, evaluate their travel plans, and assess their eligibility for a Schengen visa. The interview is a great opportunity for the interviewer (which in this case, is the diplomatic official) to get to know you better. Shortly said, they will determine if you are a genuine tourist and worthy of being granted a visa or not by detecting any inaccuracies or hesitation in your answers.
Preparing for Your Schengen Visa Interview
Preparing for your Schengen Visa interview is crucial as the representatives at the diplomatic office are rigorous and attentive. They will review all information provided and may ask for additional details, including questions outside the application form. Consider brainstorming all possible questions that may come up, such as general interview questions, travel plans, financial means, sponsorship, ties to your home country, and more.
General Interview Questions
As a starter, you may be asked simple questions related to you and your background. The following questions might come up:
- Can you state your name and surname?
- What is your nationality?
- Where do you live/reside?
- Have you been to the Schengen member state you are planning to visit before?
- Do you have any friends or family members in the Schengen member state you are planning to visit?
- Can you show your bank statement?
You might also be required to answer questions related to your travel history and previous visas. For example:
- What countries have you traveled to or from? List countries you have visited. Make sure you make a list before you attend your interview. You do not want to forget any country you have previously visited.
- When was the last time you have been abroad? Where were you? Mention locations, the date you visited, and the length of stay.
You may be asked about your school background.
- What is your highest education qualification? Answer truthfully. For example, if you have not completed your Bachelor’s degree yet, but are in the process of, you must say so.
Questions About Your Travel Plans
Several questions about your travel plans will come up at your Schengen visa interview. These are some of the most common questions:
- What is the purpose of your trip?
This is usually the most common question that all applicants are required to answer. They want to make sure that you don’t have any questionable motives and that you won’t be carrying out any illegal activities in the Schengen area, and that your intentions are genuine and non-threatening. For example, if your answer is “For holiday”, they might ask for other details. You might say you plan on going shopping, sightseeing, etc. Trip purpose categories include:
- Work/business (conducting research, attending an international conference, presenting at an international conference, etc.
- Tourism
- Family/Friend visit
Note: If someone will accompany you, you should mention them as well. Make sure to clarify your relationship with them, i.e., are they your spouse, child, grandchild, registered partner, friend, colleague, etc.
If you are traveling as a group, you may share some details about the people you are traveling with, such as their name, age, and employment.
- Have you made travel and accommodation arrangements in the Schengen state you plan to visit?
Immigration officials will be asking about your travel itinerary and accommodation details. They want to know where you will be staying once you are in the Schengen member state. Remember, you have already (most likely) submitted documents about your accommodation details and reserved flight tickets. Do not hesitate to share all details at the interview. Name your accommodation if you will be staying at a hotel or if you will be staying with family and friends. If you have booked a flight ticket back to your home country, you can bring that up as reassurance to the immigration officer that you will come back before your visa expires.
- How long do you plan to stay in the Schengen Area?
Give details about the duration of your stay. How long have you planned to stay? Be specific and firm. Do not change or rethink dates at the interview. The most important thing to remember is for your answer to coincide with the answer you gave in your application.
- Can you reschedule a shorter trip?
This is a great opportunity to explain to the immigration officer that you have already planned all that you wish to do in the country you are visiting and that you need a specific period of time to do and see all of those things. For example, you can list a couple of different tourist destinations you are planning to see and specify that you need more than two weeks or a month to get to and enjoy each one.
In any case, express that, if needed, you are completely prepared and fine to change your plans/shorten your trip.
Questions About Financial Means and Sponsorship
- How will you finance your trip?
One of the first questions related to your trip is about your finances. The immigration officer will want to know how and who will be covering your expenses while you are in the Schengen area. You will already have proof that you have sufficient funds to cover your trip, however don’t hesitate to provide your bank statement and explain that you have the funds required.
If somebody else will be financing your trip, you can give the contact information and income statement of the person who will be covering your expenses.
- What do you do and how much do you earn?
Explain what you do for a living and how much do you earn in that job. You can explain your job duties, etc. If the interviewer asks, you can get into more details about your company’s main activities (if applicable). Do not get into too much detail unless you are asked to do so.
- Do you have a sponsor?
If you are sponsoring your own trip, you should say that you do not have a sponsor. This means that you will be financing your own trip. If it’s a family member, a company, or anyone else, mention their name.
Questions About Your Ties to Your Home Country
You may be asked to share details about your family and social ties. Questions such as the following might come up:
- Are you married? You will be asked if you are married, in a registered partnership, etc.
- For how long have you been married? You may be asked to provide the exact date when you were married.
- What does your spouse do? Give details about what your husband/wife does for work, like their position, job responsibilities, etc.
- Do you have any children? How old are they? What do they do? Provide information about your children. State their names, gender, age, and if they are currently studying or working. If they will be accompanying you on this trip, make sure to mention that as well.
- How many siblings do you have? You may be asked about your siblings. State all of their names.
- Are your children married? Do they have children? Share details about your grandchildren (if applicable). If the question does not apply to you, you can let the officer know.
Questions about your employment and professional ties:
- Where do you work? Give details about the place you work at.
- What are your duties and responsibilities? Share some details about what are your day-to-day responsibilities. Mention a few things you usually do at your job, for example: answering phone calls, communicating with customers and meeting their needs, advising customers on product or service issues, etc.
- What is your role in the company you work for? Specify what business role you hold in the company you work for. Are you an executive, manager, chief executive officer (CEO), chief operating officer (COO), etc.
- How many years have you been working at this company? Provide details about the number of years you have been employed at this company.
- Have you gotten any recent promotions? If you have recently been promoted, share details about your promotion.
- Do you have leave approval from your manager? This is a question to make sure that your manager knows about your trip. You can simply answer Yes or No, and provide the leave approval letter for the immigration officer to verify.
Questions about your intentions to return after the trip:
- Do you own property in your home country? You may be asked this question in order to make sure that you have the intention to go back to your home country. You can provide a copy of your home title or rental agreement. This will show to the immigration officer that you have a stable place to live.
- How long have you gone without seeing your family, e.g., spouse, children, or relatives? Share details about whether you have gone a long period of time without seeing your family. Make sure you give a correct and firm answer. For example, you can say, “The longest I have gone without seeing my family has been a month when I was away for work in Malta”.
- Have you made any investments in your home country? If you own any documentation that you have made any investments in your home country, you can bring that to your interview.
- Can you share something about your career opportunities? If you have any future plans for your career, share those plans.
- What are your employment goals a few years from now? If you plan to do something different than what you are currently doing, talk a little about that.
- What does your travel history look like? A strong travel history is very important. In this way, you will be able to reassure the immigration officer that you have always been correct and respectful of immigration laws by not overstaying.
These questions are personal but important when it comes to your intentions about going back to your home country after your visa expires. Immigration officers need to make sure that you won’t overstay or breach any rules. You must answer as truthfully and naturally as you can. Most questions require a Yes or No answer. Do not get into too much detail, as that can make your answer tiresome or hard to follow. The officer will ask any follow-up questions if they want/are interested to hear more.
Tips for Answering Schengen Visa Interview Questions
Offer advice on how to answer interview questions effectively:
- Be honest and consistent. Being honest is one of the most important things during the entire process of applying for a visa. You must answer truthfully and be consistent all throughout your interview. All of your answers in the interview must be a complete and accurate reflection of your answers in the application form.
- Be concise and focused. Try to express what you need to say without giving a lot of information. Be brief but comprehensive. If you share too many details, use unnecessary words, and are distracted, the interviewer may find it difficult to follow up. This, then, can lead to an unsuccessful interview.
- Provide specific examples. If you have actual examples of what you are trying to convey, it is best to share specific examples. For instance, instead of saying, “On my last trip, I returned home before my visa expired. I have never overstayed, and my behavior has always been good”, you can say, “I entered Italy on July 15th, 2023, and exited on July 25th, 2023. I had stated on my application that I would be there for a 2-week holiday”. If you can provide documentation, that is even better. This will show that you do not intend to overstay or breach any terms of your visa.
- Maintain a calm and confident demeanor. Do not try to argue with the immigration officer or talk over them. Wait for your turn, talk quietly, and be respectful.
- Be prepared to provide supporting documents. You may be asked to provide additional documents which will support your application. Make sure you have those with you.