Whether or not it’s your first time applying for a Schengen visa, it might be the first time you’ve been asked to provide an official Schengen Visa Employment Letter.
Employment letters aren’t always required for Schengen visa applications, but it doesn’t mean you won’t be asked to provide one.
Depending on your specific circumstances, you may be asked to prepare one alongside the other required documents, or even as supplementary documentation during the decision-making process.
Either way, if you’re asked to give one, it will be mandatory for you to.
Let’s take a look at what that is and how to prepare one.
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Employment Letters: What Exactly are They?
An employment letter is exactly that: a letter that proves you are currently employed.
This shows visa officials that you have a work contract in your country of residence and that you have a reliable source of income.
While work contracts are another often-requested document, employment letters are something else altogether. One of the many possible reasons for this is their newness. Work contracts could be many months, if not many years old. Employment letters are made on demand.
The letter itself is a document that your workplace will make for you. It needs to contain specific pieces of information. When an employment letter is requested, the visa application center or consulate will tell you what information is necessary to include.
This all means that you’ll need to have an open dialogue with your employer/HR to let them know what you need and when you need it by. Keep in mind that your workplace might not be familiar with employment letters for Schengen visa applications, so it’ll be important to rely on the directions given to you by the application center/consulate.
What an Employment Letter Needs to Include
What is needed can vary country by country and case by case. Because of this, you should follow the instructions given to you by the visa application center or consulate.
While requirements can differ, oftentimes employment letters:
- Include your employer’s official letterhead at the top of the page.
- Are created in a specific timeframe (such as the last 30 days upon receipt).
- Are dated.
- Include your full name, position in the company, start date, salary, and that your time off from work has been approved.
- Include your employer’s/supervisor’s contact information, as well as the address of the business.
It’s possible that your employment letter will need to give fewer or more details than the ones above, as they’re just an example of what could be asked of you.
Tips for Your Schengen Visa Employment Letter
- If you’re being asked to provide one, it’s required. Failure to do so may result in visa rejection or indefinite delay.
- According to Insurte, a travel insurance company specializing in Schengen visa insurance, if you’re being asked for a visa employment letter, it doesn’t mean your visa has been denied. It means visa officers need more information in order to make a decision.
- Make sure you follow the instructions closely and provide all of the necessary information.
- Reach out to your employer promptly, as it may take them a little bit of time to draft a letter for you.
- In most cases, you will need to ask your HR department for an employment letter. If you’re not sure or do not have one, ask your supervisor for guidance.
In the future, the Schengen visa application process will go digital. The European Union is currently developing EU VAP (the European Union Visa Application Platform). This platform will allow you to upload your documents (such as an Employment Letter) digitally. Until then, the process remains manual.