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Visa itinerary
Schengen visa itinerary: format, sample and rules
Schengen consulates ask for your itinerary. Here is what to include, a sample, which country to apply to, and a free generator that builds it from your bookings.
What the itinerary must show
- Applicant name(s) and passport number(s) of everyone travelling (Italy Bengaluru cover letter asks for name of applicant and other members travelling)
- Overall travel dates and duration of stay (Italy Bengaluru cover letter: 'Travel dates, itinerary and duration of stay')
- Member State of main destination, other Member States, and Member State of first entry (application form fields 25 and 26)
- Intended date of arrival in and departure from the Schengen area for the first stay (application form field 28/29)
- Per night: city/country and name and address of hotel or host (application form field 31 asks for hotel name(s) and address(es); Italy Abu Dhabi and Germany India want proof of accommodation in each State visited)
- Transport between countries/cities: flight, train, ferry or car rental (Spain UAE: flight or train bookings for other countries; Switzerland India: intra-Schengen flights, train itinerary or car rental; TLS France Shanghai: flight, train or boat between France and another country)
- Entry and exit flights with flight numbers and dates (round-trip reservation is a listed document in every checklist read)
- Planned activities/purpose per day (Germany India: 'detailed travel itinerary'; Norway UAE checklist: attractions, dates, transportation, hotels, travel companions)
Sample
| Date | City | Plan | Accommodation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Paris, France | Arrive at CDG on [flight]; check in | [Hotel name, address, phone] |
| Day 2-4 | Paris, France | Sightseeing in Paris | [same hotel] |
| Day 5 | Rome, Italy | Travel Paris → Rome by [train or flight]; check in | [Hotel name, address, phone] |
| Day 6-7 | Rome, Italy | Sightseeing in Rome | [same hotel] |
| Day 8 | — | Check out; depart FCO on [flight] | — |
In this sample France has 4 nights and Italy 3, so the main destination is France: apply at the French consulate.
Rules that matter
- Competent country (Visa Code Art. 5(1)): (a) sole destination; (b) if several destinations, or several separate visits within two months, the main destination 'in terms of the length of stay, counted in days, or the purpose of stay'; (c) if no main destination can be determined, the country whose external border the applicant intends to cross first.
- Equal nights tiebreak: BLS Spain UAE states that if the traveller stays the same time in different Schengen countries, the embassy of the country of first entry is competent. Italy Abu Dhabi describes Italy as competent if it is where the applicant spends most days or is the state of first entry.
- If the application is lodged with a non-competent consulate it is returned and the fee reimbursed (Common Information Sheet for Schengen applicants in India).
- Travel medical insurance: minimum EUR 30,000, valid for all Schengen states and the entire intended stay (Visa Code Art. 15). Italy UAE also requires repatriation cover and a detailed table of benefits; Spain UAE rejects credit-card-linked insurance. Itinerary dates must sit inside the insurance dates.
- Hotel bookings must cover the whole stay. TLS France Shanghai: from the first night in the Schengen area to the last night before leaving, in the applicant's or a group member's name; night buses/trains need a booking or explanation.
- Multi-country trips need accommodation proof for every country (Germany India item 7; Italy Abu Dhabi item 11; Italy Bengaluru: all travel and accommodation bookings for other Schengen countries).
Mistakes that get files flagged
- Refusal ground Art. 32(1)(a)(ii): no justification of the purpose and conditions of the stay.
- Refusal ground Art. 32(1)(b): reasonable doubts about the authenticity of supporting documents or the truth of their contents, or about the applicant's intention to leave. Invented or inconsistent bookings fall here.
- Applying to the wrong consulate: the country with the most nights must match the consulate (Art. 5), otherwise the file is returned.
- Hotel nights that do not cover every night of the stay, or bookings not in the applicant's name (TLS France Shanghai).
- No proof of transport between countries on multi-country trips (Spain UAE, Switzerland India, TLS France).
- Insurance below EUR 30,000, not valid for the whole Schengen area, or not covering all itinerary dates (Art. 15; Italy and Spain UAE checklists).
Applying from the UAE
UAE citizens do not need a visa for Schengen stays under 90 days (France-Visas UAE page); the visa is for UAE residents of other nationalities. France: all UAE applications are handled by the consular section in Abu Dhabi via VFS Abu Dhabi, including residents of Dubai and the Northern Emirates, if France is the sole or main destination. Spain (BLS UAE): UAE residence visa valid at least 1 month beyond the requested visa, copies of UAE residence permits from the last five years, employer or sponsor NOC, last 3 months' bank statements, a signed itinerary letter and a return ticket booking. Italy: Dubai/Northern Emirates residents apply to the Consulate General in Dubai and Abu Dhabi residents to the Embassy (Italy Abu Dhabi checklist). Italy Dubai's June 2026 checklist asks for confirmed hotel booking, confirmed flight reservation and insurance with repatriation cover. Italy Abu Dhabi asks for a cover letter with purpose, dates and itinerary, plus hotel bookings in each State. Germany and Switzerland UAE checklists were not checked (see gaps).
Applying from India
Schengen states in India share a Common Information Sheet: Art. 5 competence rules, EUR 30,000 insurance, passport valid 3 months after exit, apply 15 days to 6 months ahead. Indian residents can get multiple-entry visas under the EU 'cascade' decision C(2024) 2434 of 18 April 2024: a 2-year visa after two visas lawfully used in the last 3 years, then normally a 5-year visa. Germany India: cover letter plus proof of intended transport and itinerary, a 'detailed travel itinerary', proof of accommodation in each State, flight reservation, and insurance covering the whole Schengen trip as per the application. Italy Bengaluru: cover letter covering travel dates, itinerary, duration and who pays; hotel or B&B reservation covering the travel dates, confirmed on the booking website; all travel and accommodation bookings for other Schengen countries; round-trip air tickets or reservations. Switzerland India (Aug 2025 checklist): flight reservation with names of all travellers, intra-Schengen flights, train itinerary or car rental, and hotel, package tour or advance-payment confirmations. Switzerland also requires insurance from an approved list of Indian insurers. France and Spain India checklists were not checked (see gaps).
Frequently asked questions
Which Schengen country do I apply to?
The main destination: the country where you spend the most days, or by purpose of stay. If that cannot be determined, the country whose border you cross first (EU Visa Code, Art. 5). With equal nights, BLS Spain in the UAE says the country of first entry.
Does every night need a hotel?
Yes. Consulates check that accommodation covers the whole stay, in your name, and that you have transport between countries.
How much travel insurance do I need?
At least €30,000 of medical cover, valid in every Schengen country, for the whole trip.
Can I use dummy bookings?
Don't. A visa can be refused when the consulate doubts that documents are genuine or true (Visa Code, Art. 32).
Official sources
- eur-lex.europa.eu: Visa Code consolidated text: Art. 5 competence (main destination by length of stay in days or purpose; first external border if undeterminable); Art. 14 supporting documents; Art. 15 insurance EUR 30,000; Art. 32 refusal grounds; Annex II 'documents relating to the itinerary'
- uae.blsspainvisa.com: Spain UAE: longest stay determines embassy; equal stays go to the country of first entry; applications accepted max 180 days before travel
- uae.blsspainvisa.com: Spain UAE tourism checklist: item 10 signed written itinerary letter; return ticket booking; hotel or lease or police-stamped invitation; insurance 30,000 plus repatriation, no credit-card insurance
- uae.blsspainvisa.com: Spain UAE: comply strictly with itinerary; incorrect use may lead to refusals; flight or train bookings for other countries
- uae.blsspainvisa.com: Harmonised Schengen application form fields 25 (main destination), 26 (first entry), 28/29 (arrival/departure), 31 (inviting person or hotel name and address)
- ambabudhabi.esteri.it: Italy Abu Dhabi: main destination definition, cover letter with itinerary, hotel bookings in each State, comply strictly with declared itinerary, first-trip rule for multiple-entry
- visa.vfsglobal.com: Italy Dubai tourism checklist v. June 2026: confirmed hotel booking, confirmed flight reservation, insurance 30,000 with repatriation and table of benefits
- visa.vfsglobal.com: Italy Dubai common guidelines (minors' consent letters with destination and exact dates)
Trip Under is not a visa agent. Checked on 2026-10-30; your consulate's current checklist always wins.