What is a letter of invitation for a Schengen visa and is it mandatory?
When it comes to a visa application for the Netherlands or other Schengen countries, the term 'letter of invitation' is sometimes used. What exactly is that and is such a letter mandatory for applying for a Schengen visa?
An invitation letter has no formal status for the assessment of a visa application. A sponsor or visa applicant is therefore not obliged to submit this when applying for a visa. The official checklists of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs therefore do not ask for an invitation letter.
What is the point of an invitation letter?
An invitation letter is actually an accompanying letter drawn up by the foreign national and/or sponsor (together or separately). Usually such a letter is used to emphasize the purpose of the trip once again and that the foreign national and sponsor will see to it that the visitor will leave Europe on time. For example, you can write that the foreign national wants to get to know the sponsor's family/friends, the culture and the Dutch language.
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Proof of guarantee and/or private accommodation
An invitation letter was used for a visa application in the distant past, but since the advent of form Proof of guarantee and/or private accommodation the invitation letter has been deleted.
Invitation letter or not?
You are not required to prepare an invitation letter. If you feel the need to explain something, you can of course decide to draw up such a letter. It is important to keep it short and businesslike. The decision officer only has a limited time to assess a visa application, so he or she will not read lengthy letters. Write a short business letter explaining anything that may raise questions.
Also bear in mind that an invitation letter can never replace the required documents that are requested, for example, to demonstrate that the foreign national will return to the country of origin after a visit to the Netherlands.
