Majority of foreigners coming to the United Kingdom will have to apply for a Schengen Visa sooner or later if they want to go on holiday anywhere in Europe. This is unless your country of origin has some sort of special arrangement with the country you intend on visiting. The whole visa application system has changed in the last year. You could have previous applied through an agency to sort out a visa for you for a small fee but it looks like majority of embassies took that away and are now insisting on you making an appointment to go and see them in person.

I know for a fact that the Italian and Greek embassies in London use this system because I had to put myself through the agonising pain of applying for a visa at each. They both have very little information on their websites about the new procedure and they do not always explain themselves very well. It is a damn wonder people still visit these countries.

Well anyway, you have to phone a premium number, which charges you about a pound a minute to talk to an automated machine. This machine will take your name and address and send you a letter with the date of your appointment at the embassy. I advise you not to book and pay for your holiday before you have got that appointment letter.

I had my appointment today and they advise you on their website that you need to take with details of accommodation, flight details, travel insurance details, proof of enough money to go on holiday with, a letter of employment and a recent wage slip. You will need to take copies of all the papers you intend to take with you, as well as two passport photos and obviously the visa fee. Come without any of those documents and you will get a pee’d off person not really wanting to help you and they might just reject your application then and there.

I saw a few people without the right documents and the wrong attitudes and they were sent on their way. Go prepared; otherwise you’ll be back at square one.