How to Write Sponsorship Letter For Schengen Visa Application
Are you planning to visit any of the Schengen countries for a visit or holiday? you will need a sponsorship letter or letter of invitation for Schengen visa. The Schengen countries are the most difficult to enter due to their stringent visa application processes in the world. Aside from your supporting documents, you will need to write a cover letter, invitation letter or submit a sponsorship letter to the embassy in your country to even qualify for the visa.
In this article, you will learn about sponsorship letter for Schengen visa, how to write a sponsorship letter for Schengen visa application, the tone of the letter of invitation, what it is for, and sample sponsor letter to the consulate.
Contents
What is a Visa Sponsorship Letter
A sponsorship letter for a visa or visa invitation letter is a document that a citizen or a permanent resident can provide a foreign citizen with to enable them to get a tourist visa to a country that they are citizens of.
Normally, a sponsorship letter is sent by someone who is either a relative or a very close friend. But a letter of sponsorship can also be sent by an organization based in the country you intend to visit.
The letter of sponsorship needs to comprise of a lot of important information that is detailed on this page.
Reasons Why You Should Write a Sponsorship Letter for Visa Application
There are six reasons why your Schengen Visa application may be rejected:
- You do not have a convincing reason for travel to the Schengen states.
- You don’t provide proof of funds or a credible credit record
- You furnish incomplete or unacceptable documents for verification
- There is concern that you may not return to your country of origin
- You do not have travel insurance documents in your name or the travel insurance is insufficient
- There are processing errors during the filing of the visa application form.
The first four reasons stated above can be easily taken care of with the help of a visa sponsorship letter. In the letter, you can include the entire information which the embassy seeks, in a completely transparent way, to ensure that your visa application is accepted.
How to Write a Sponsorship Letter for Schengen Visa Application
One of the most important documents that you need to submit for the Schengen visa application is the sponsorship letter. Most at times, you may not have the sponsorship letter mailed to you by your loved one residing in the Schengen country. During these times, writing the visa sponsorship letter yourself seems like the best and only option.
If you haven’t done this before, writing the sponsorship letter for the Schengen visa can be a challenge. To help you write a good sponsorship letter, we have provided you with everything you should know and look out for when drafting a sponsorship letter for visa.
The tone of the Sponsorship Letter
The sponsorship letter is similar to the Visa application cover letter, with a single difference being that this letter is written by the sponsor, instead of you, the traveler.
Since the sponsorship letter comes from the sponsor himself/herself, you will need to write the letter in the third person narrative and use words like ‘he’, ‘she’ and ‘they’. Basically, the letter should be similar to a letter written by a third-party for you.
Importantly, while you can write the sponsorship letter yourself, the signature added at the end of the letter needs to be bona fide and genuine. Forging someone else’s signature is a crime punishable by law and you need to make sure that you provide verifiable evidence that the sponsor has genuinely signed and dated the letter.
Make sure you email the letter to your loved one and get the signature necessary. Although a printout of the digital signature will suffice, its best practice to have the original document with the signature mailed to you.
Components of the Sponsorship Letter
1) The ‘To’ address
The ‘To’ address for a sponsorship letter is the address of the Schengen embassy in the home country of the traveler.
2) Opening salutations
Although the staff at the embassy consists of government-employed officials, they do not have any specific formal title by which to address them. A simple ‘Dear sir/madam’ will suffice.
3) The intention of the letter
The first thing you need to write after the salutation is the reason for the submission of the letter. In this case, it is a letter of proof that the sponsor is covering all the expenses that the visitor may incur during their visit to the Schengen country.
4) The intention of the visit
Here, you will need to state why the traveler wishes to visit the Schengen country. For a sponsorship letter by a friend or relative, the reason would be tourism or family visit.
5) Dates of travel
The embassy uses the traveler’s dates of travel to allot the visa dates. These are the dates between which the traveler can visit the Schengen country, after which they must return to the country of origin.
Mention that you’ve booked the flight tickets for the specific dates between which the traveler is said to enter and exit the Schengen states.
6) Details of residence and details about the employer
In the case of the sponsorship letter, the residence and employer details pertain to the sponsor’s and not the travelers. The sponsor needs to mention where they live, who the owner of the house is, and provide property documents as proof.
They also need to mention where they are working/studying, who their manager/dean is, proof of employment/enrollment and an indication that the employer/university is aware of their intention to host the traveler in the country.
7) List of documents to be attached along with the letter
The sponsor too may need to submit supporting documents to verify their ability and interest to host the traveler at their home. The sponsor needs to mention (and attach with the letter) a copy of their passport, a copy of citizenship/permanent residency/extended student or work visa they possess, copies of bank statement proving financial credibility, salary slips and finally a proof of residence. Photos may be requested and must be attached if advised to.
8) List of places traveling to
If the traveler is planning to visit multiple cities or countries in the Schengen states, the sponsor must make known that they are well aware of these plans by mentioning the names of the places in the order of travel. They must also make known how they are sponsoring the travel and stay at these places by providing details of travel insurance, transport tickets, and any other information which they are expected to furnish.
9) Comprehensive itinerary
The cover letter by the traveler usually contains the itinerary. But since the trip is sponsored, it is assumed that the sponsor is planning the itinerary. The sponsor may provide a detailed account of the day-to-day travel, visit, and stay plans of the traveler in the Schengen countries, if they choose to. Proof of bookings may be requested, in which case, the sponsor would need to submit all reservation tickets to the embassy.
10) Ending salutations
Finally, end the letter with a formal request to the embassy to grant the traveler the visa and a re-affirmation that you (the sponsor) are completely responsible for the traveler and what happens during the visit.
Include a warm ‘Thank You’, accompanied by the sponsor’s signature, name, and the date of signing. Please remember that the signature needs to be genuine. Be sure to send the letter to the sponsor for the signature at the earliest.
Add the sponsor’s telephone number and email address at the end.
Sample Sponsorship Letter for Schengen visa
The sample inviting letter below shows a typical sponsorship letter for a Schengen visa from a friend.
To: Date:
Immigration Officer,
[Embassy Name]
[Embassy Address]
[Embassy Phone Number]
Re: Sponsorship Letter for [Applicant’s Name] with Passport No. __________________
Respected Sir/Madam,
I, [Inviting Person’s Name] currently residing at [Inviting Person’s Address], and a citizen/permanent citizen of[Country’s Name], am writing this letter to support the visa application of my friend, [Applicant’s Name].
The purpose of the visit of my friend, [Applicant’s Name] is to visit me and engage in tourism in [Country’s Name]. Our long-standing friendship has endured distance and time, and we have wanted to use the visit of my friend to reconnect and share old memories.
[Applicant’s Name] and I have been friends for [enter number of years or length of time]. We have [provide a description of activities or other events you have attended/done together]. This has led to us developing a close relationship and we have stayed in touch ever since.
[Applicant’s Name] will be visiting during the following dates: from [Provide starting date of visit in format DD/MM/YY] to [Provide ending date of visit in format DD/MM/YY].
During the specified trip dates above, we will be visiting [Specify city/place names]. In addition, [Applicant’s Name] will be staying at [Provide Inviting Person’s Address or Hotel Address]. The trip will be funded through [Provide means of funding].
Enclosures:
- Copy of inviting person’s Passport
- Copy of inviting person’s other ID
- Proof of relationship (you can attach pictures of events together or other supporting documents)
- Proof of accommodation
- Proof of return to home country (employment contract, property ownership, lease agreement, etc.)
- Other applicable documents
We sincerely request that you consider [Applicant’s Name] visa application and please do not hesitate to contact me for any questions or inquiries at [Inviting Person’s Phone Number] or [Inviting Person’s E-mail].
Kind regards,
[Inviting Person’s Signature]
[Inviting Person’s Name]
[Inviting Person’s Address]
[Inviting Person’s Phone Number]
[Inviting Person’s Email]
Final Thoughts on Sponsorship Letter for Schengen Visa Application
The visa sponsorship letter needs to be sent at least 90 days before the person actually visits the place. Writing this letter can greatly improve your chances of getting your Schengen visa application approved. The sample sponsorship letter should help you draft a proper letter for your visa application.
