After Harbin I went to Hong Kong. I’d planned to see more of Asia, including Japan and South Korea, then Australia and New Zealand before Europe.
When I added up the Harbin trip and the Osmo Pocket 3 bundle, I’d spent nearly 50 million đồng. It occurred to me I could afford Germany, so I quietly began putting together the paperwork.
I found the German tourist visa checklist by searching online: https://vietnam.diplo.de/vn-vi/dichvulanhsu/05-visaeinreise/thithucdulich-1284666. I know Europe checks the files carefully, so I've also studied the requirements. At the moment the German Embassy does not take files directly but delegates it to VFS Global, naturally through a third party and costs them extra:DDDD
This is the first time you book an appointment with VFS Global so you should also read carefully what they tell you. On the VFS website there is also information about the documents to be submitted, not completely like the instructions of the DSQ so I compiled and submitted myself.
To determine the correct SQ file
- based on the longest stay in that country.
- If you're going to several countries and the number of days in each country is the same, you'll need to apply for a visa in the first country you enter.
note: I'm flying Hong Kong-Berlin, transiting in Frankfurt, normally I'd check in in Berlin but I went from this door to the other door of the plane and I've already been checked in in Ff:DDDD
For those who have a complex itinerary, you can also refer to ChatGPT to determine the main destination!
Because applying for a German visa is easier (I say so) so I want to file in the German SQ, when I put the number of days in Switzerland more on my schedule, I have read the articles I asked in the facebook group with me I asked a friend of the service so I have re-edited the schedule to the time in Germany longer in Switzerland half a day, if not immediately be hit.
After being granted a visa can change the itinerary, however, still have to have a stamp entry or exit in Germany, change the itiners too much, the next time it is difficult to apply for a visa, and for me the first time to Europe, I do not ask much, just see how, go home safely is good.
I prepared the file for over a week, when I made the appointment, the schedule was full so I decided to T3 but T5 only submitted.
- The Schengen visa application form I write in English (seeing mn still write in Vietnamese, I don't know if it's harder or easier:D), at the destination of my own write Germany with Switzerland (some say only for Germany)
- If you're on a long trip, many hotels just need you to enter the first night's hotel information.
- Two biometric passport photos. I'll take them at the bar, no editing needed.
Passport: unwrapped, three months left, two blank pages.
- Proof of employment (if any): Employment contract expires in 2027, self-translated into English, notarized, emphasized name, term, position, salary,...
- Leave form: find a sample online, select paid leave, and take it to the company for a stamp. I'm asking for the head office's stamp, not the company's, I was initially turned off, I thought about it a few days before I asked for the stamp again, and then I corrected the information so I'm going to ask for it a few times:D
- Social security records: take a picture in the VSSID app, on the day of filing open the app on the check.
- Bank account statement: because the final balance of more than 6 million so I copy 6 months, because there is a Christmas bonus a lot of money, to prove to them the company pays me a high salary, I have enough money to go out.
- Declaration of payment of costs under sections 66-68 of the residency code: not required.
For proof of funds, I submitted a savings book. I reckoned around 200 million đồng in savings for a week or 500 million for a month :D For the bank statement, I think they were looking at my income more than the closing balance. I'm also submitting a credit limit confirmation to make sure.
- Proof of residence: apply on the National Public Service website, then ask my brother to go to the police station to get, ask for five papers that ngta gives one piece of each, find an English translation on the internet and submit with the original, ngta return the original the day you receive the results.
- Schedule: I'll mark the activities in order such as flight HN-Berlin, get the room, visit where, what means, sign the means, time, ticket price,... check out. I looked at google maps, read the article and then on the schedule, there are many services to make schedules reckless so the customer was missed visa, kind of get a room in Paris but pay the room in the Netherlands: D this trip I go 80% on schedule, but if you go wrong schedule cost money to buy train tickets: D
- Airline ticket: booking a seat for the flight Hanoi - Doha - Berlin, return from Zurich-Frankfurt-Nghe Bai, I originally intended to edit the html to delete the part that is reserving a seat but I think again people evaluate the honesty, being discovered editing is done, they do not have to buy a real ticket.
- Travel insurance: obligatory, less than 200k for 8 days but you get a billion in compensation:D
The visa application process at VFS Global:
- I'm scheduled for 11:15, so I'll be out there and file my paperwork so I don't have to take a day off.
- On time, the security call in to get the next number:D
- It was almost lunchtime, so I was quick, I filed in a few minutes, I prepared the file well, so I didn't have to worry about anything.
- I filed on T5, and by T5 evening, the file was transferred to the SQ, and on T6 morning, the file is being processed.
My visa was issued on 11 March after a working week. VFS didn’t tell me, so I hadn’t gone to collect my passport. By Tuesday the following week there was still no email, so I called. As soon as I hung up I asked to step out and went to collect it :D
- The officer told me to open the file to see if there were enough original documents, I also opened the blind pocket, opened the passport to a new page and did not see the visa sticker, I thought clearly, after opening it again, they sticked it in the middle of the book, this time only lightly, see how many days more the visa was issued, I got more than 20 days, no more than 8 days per entry: D
Now, let's go to the flight bookings.
- I booked a ticket that night, and I woke up at 3 or 4 in the morning to look for it.
- I have a Hong Kong multi-year visa, so I'm going to fly through Hong Kong first and then through Germany.
- The above ticket is purchased through a third party, after buying I download the Lufthansa app to check the information, because there are many apps to buy tickets but after a few days, a week or close to the day of departure only have tickets: D
That afternoon I bought the flight back from Frankfurt to Nội Bài, direct with Vietnam Airlines, for a little over 11 million đồng. I only found out afterwards that there was also a direct flight from Munich for around the same price. Munich would have to wait.
- I bought a ticket to Hong Kong for 200,000 won, I've been waiting for it for a few days, and it's now 140,014 won.
My flights came to nearly 30 million đồng. I paid the higher fares to make use of the holiday. The euro was also up to over 30,000 đồng, but there wasn’t much I could do.
