Invitation Letter for Schengen Visa

Invitation letter for Schengen visa for visiting family and friends

• If you are travelling primarily for social reasons (i.e. to visit family or friends) and are staying with them (i.e. staying with the person you are visiting rather than at a hotel) you will need to provide an invitation letter.
• The letter should be written by the family member(s) or friend(s) you are visiting.
• The letter should be in the form of a written request for you to stay with the letter writer during your visit to the Schengen area.
• The contents of the letter should include the following:
  • The name of the letter writer.
  • Nature of your relationship (i.e. how you are related/know each other).
  • Dates and duration of your stay.
  • Complete address.
  • Contact information (phone number, email).
  • Planned activities.
  • Financial details relating to the visit (who is paying for your trip/stay).
  • If your relative/friend is your financial guarantor for your trip, he or she should supply information regarding their employment, including annual income.

  Invitation letter for Schengen visa for business

  • If you are travelling to the Schengen area for the purpose of conducting business, you will likely need an invitation letter from a business entity formerly requesting your participation in business-related conferences, meetings, and general events.
  • The letter should be written by the organization(s), institution(s), or person inviting you to the conference/doing business with you.
  • The letter should be in the form of a written request for you to participate in business events during your visit to the Schengen area.
  • The contents of the letter should include the following:
    • The company, organization/institution or name of the letter writer.
    • Description of the company, conference, and/or organization/institution.
    • Description of business to be conducted/events the applicant intends to participate in.
    • Dates and duration of events.
    • Complete address of organization/institution.
    • Planned activities.

    Invitation letter for Schengen visa for cultural, scientific, religious, sporting, political, or other events/programs

    • You may need an invitation letter formerly requesting your participation if you are travelling primarily for one of the following purposes:
      1. Cultural purposes (i.e. to participate in cultural events).
      2. Scientific (i.e. to conduct scientific research or attend a scientific conference).
      3. Religious (i.e. to participate in religious activities/assemblies).
      4. Sports (i.e. to participate in athletic events, including as a member of a team).
      5. Political (i.e. to participate in political activities, such as attending conferences).
      6. Other (events/programs to which you received an invitation to participate in).
    • The letter should be written by a person representing the organization(s) institution(s) (s) you are visiting/participating in.
    • For example, if you are travelling for religious purposes, you must have a written invitation from a religious organization inviting you to participate.
    • The letter should be in the form of a written request for you to participate in cultural, scientific, religious, sporting, political, or other events/programs: during your visit to the Schengen area.
    • The contents of the letter should include the following:
      • The name of the letter writer/organization name.
      • Description of the organization/institution.
      • Description of events the applicant intends to participate in.
      • Dates and duration of events.
      • Complete address of organization/institution.
      • Planned activities.

      Invitation letter for Schengen visa following official invitation (political)

      • If you are travelling primarily because you are on an official visit, i.e. you are a member of a political delegation travelling on behalf of a non-Schengen third country (your country), which was officially invited to visit a state or states within the Schengen area by the government entity of a Schengen state, or a Schengen deliberative body, to participate in political events, negotiations, programs of cultural exchange, etc. you will need:
        1. A copy of the official invitation seeking your country’s (and therefore your) participation in the outlined event.
        2. A letter written by an authority in the third country (i.e. your country/ the non-Schengen state) declaring that you are an official member of the formal delegation journeying to the Schengen state in order to take part in the political events outlined in the official invitation.
      • The contents of this letter should likely include the following:
        • The name of the letter writer or government entity/agency.
        • Description of events the applicant intends to participate in.
        • Dates and duration of events.
        • Name and address of organization/institution in destination country (if applicable).
        • Planned activities.

        General information

        • Bring original documents when available, otherwise print out copies of documents and submit them with your visa application.
        • Please note, while the above general types of structure, format, and content are considered universal, different countries may have different requirements/preferences for letters of invitation.
        • Additionally, certain countries might require the letter writer to provide additional, specific documentation. These documents will supplement the original invitation letter and are country specific. For example, Sweden requires the letter writer to present a special civic registration certificate, which must be ordered from the Swedish Tax Agency.
        • Certain countries may supply individual forms and templates for invitation letters, available for download via their consular website. For example, the website of the official Swedish migration service has an invitation form available for download, which can be filled out by persons in Sweden who wish to invite relatives or friends from abroad. To access these forms, and for more detailed information on the format and contents of invitation letters, please check with your specific consulate/embassy.