Schengen Visa for Turkey

The Schengen region is a popular tourist spot and work destination for individuals throughout the world. However, if you are planning to visit one of the Schengen countries, getting a proper Schengen visa would be one of the essential things to do. Depending on your citizenship and residency status, the requirements of obtaining a visa and the steps involved may vary from case to case.

In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about Schengen visa requirements for Turkey citizens living in the UAE. We will discuss the Turkey Schengen visa requirements, how to obtain one such visa in the UAE, and travel insurance for Turkey Schengen visa holders.

Let’s start with the major underlying question here –

Do You Need Schengen Visa if You Are a Turkey Citizen Living in the UAE?

Individuals with Turkey passports residing in the UAE would require a Schengen visa to visit any of the 26 Schengen countries. The Schengen visas for Turkey citizens from the UAE are available for different purposes like tourism, medical expenses, and so on. 

Depending on the intention of your visit, you can select a Schengen visa type for your trip. For instance, you can apply for a Schengen tourist visa, if you travel to the Schengen region to explore the countries and enjoy the sights. However, if you are travelling for medical treatment, you must apply for a medical Schengen visa.

Requirements to Apply for Turkey Schengen Visa Living in the UAE

To get your Turkey Schengen visa when staying in the UAE, the following documents would be required -

• A filled-out visa application form for the Schengen country you intend to visit and two self-attested copies of your passport
• A valid passport with valid validity of at least 3 months beyond your travel dates to the Schengen region but not older than 10 years
• Two passport-sized photographs clicked within the last 3 months of your visa application submission date
• Round-trip flight tickets for the Schengen region indicating the date of arrival and departure 
• Travel itinerary for your time in the Schengen region 
• Proof of accommodation in the Schengen countries you plan to visit (like hotel reservations)
• A letter of invitation from the host if you are to be hosted by a Schengen country resident
• Proof of financial means enough to sponsor your stay in the Schengen zone – 
  • Bank account statements for the last 3 to 6 months
  • Sponsorship letter stating that a third-party person will be financing your trip

1. Cover letter explaining the reasons for your visit and what your schedule will be like during your stay
2. Travel insurance for your Turkey Schengen visa with minimum coverage of EUR 30,000 for the repatriation of mortal remains and emergency medical expenses

Based on Your Employment

The aforementioned documents are the standard ones required to apply for the Schengen visa if you are a Turkey citizen living in the UAE. However, you would need to submit the below-mentioned additional documents based on your employment status –

For Self-Employed Individuals

• Bank statement of the company for at least the last six months
• Copy of your trade licence
• Form of Income Tax Return (ITR)

For Salaried Individuals

• Bank statement of the latest six months
• Employment contract
• Income Tax Return (ITR) form
• Leave permission letter from the employer

For Students

• No objection letter (NOC) from schools or universities from the concerned official authorities
• Enrolment proof
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For Retired Individuals

• Pension statement for the last six months

Additional Visa Requirements for Minors Travellers

Turkish parents or legal guardians applying for a Schengen visa for a minor would be required to submit additional documents for underage applicants. 

To list out, the additional documents required here are as follows –

• Birth certificate of the minor
• Completed application form that has the signatures of both parents
• Family court order if the child is in the custody of one parent
• Passport and valid copies of Identity cards of both parents
• If the minor is travelling with another person – 
  • An original copy of the accompanied person's passport page with the holder's name, address, passport expiry date, visa copy, and the latest photograph
  • Parents or guardians’ notarized permission to travel to Schengen countries

How to Apply for Schengen Visa for Turkey Citizens in the UAE?

Discussed below are the steps to be followed to apply for a Turkey Schengen visa –

• Locate the embassy, consulate, or authorised visa-application centre associated with the Schengen country you are travelling to
• Make an appointment for your visa application procedure
• Fill out the visa application form and collect all the required documents
• Schedule an interview at the concerned embassy/consulate/visa centre and attend it
• Submit the paperwork (visa application form and the specified documents) 
• You can collect your visa upon approval on the specified date and time

The embassy of the Schengen country you wish to visit would be responsible for allocating your visa candidacy and application to the authorised visa centre in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Residents of Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, Umm Al-Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah can apply for visas at visa centres located in Dubai. Residents of Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, on the other hand, can apply for visas at visa centres in Abu Dhabi.

Both visa centres remain open from Sunday to Thursday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. You can apply for your visa application from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.

The location and contact details of the centres are given below –

• Abu Dhabi:  Level 25, Shining Tower, Mubarak Bin Mohammed Street, 26th Street, NearKhalidyah Mall 
• Dubai: Joint Visa Application Centre, Waafi Mall, Level 2, Falcon, Phase 2, Umm Hurair
• Contact No: 971 4 2055888

Do I Need Travel Insurance for Schengen Visa?

As a general rule, individuals who require a Schengen visa to visit the region would also need Schengen travel insurance. Consequently, Turkey citizens residing in the UAE would need to get Schengen travel insurance to travel to the region. 

Please note that the mandatory travel insurance for Schengen visas must have repatriation and emergency medical cover worth at least 30,000 Euros and must be valid in the entire Schengen region. 

Travel insurance for the Schengen region can provide financial support in case you face unforeseen occurrences that could deteriorate your trip.

Discussed below are some of the advantages of purchasing a Schengen travel insurance plan -

• Financial Emergencies:  Financial emergencies can happen at any time, as one may lose their wallets with debit and credit cards in them. Without financial backup, this can cause considerable losses. In such scenarios, a travel insurance policy can come in handy as it can provide coverage for financial contingencies and help the traveller continue their trip or make a return without further difficulties.
• Emergency Medical Cover: As a part of the Schengen visa coverage, insured individuals are covered for expenses incurred during hospitalisation in case they contract an illness or sustain an injury during the trip.
• Dental Cover: Although we have already discussed the emergency medical cover, one may also get specific coverage for dental health. With this travel insurance plan, the customary charges will be paid if the policyholder suffers from any dental health problem during their trip.
• Personal Liability Cover: This benefit can help policyholders offset settlements incurred for third-party injuries and losses or damages incurred to their personal property that they may have caused. 
• Trip Cancellation: As the name signifies, this benefit reimburses the non-refundable trip costs in case your trip gets cancelled due to an unforeseen event. Travel cancellation benefits typically apply to illnesses, injuries, flight cancellations caused by severe weather, natural disasters, and traffic accidents on the way to your destination.
• Repatriation of Remains and Medical evacuation: This benefit covers the cost of transporting the policyholder’s mortal remains back to the UAE if they pass away on their trip. Similarly, in case you are stuck at your location and require medical evacuation, your Schengen travel insurance plan will cover the costs.
• Baggage and Luggage-Related Cover: In case your luggage is lost or delayed during your trip, this cover can compensate for the resulting loss.
• COVID-19 Cover: Most travel insurance plans now provide COVID-19 coverage as a primary benefit or an add-on. The cover offers compensation for RT-PCR tests, accommodation cost of quarantine, medicines expenses, and other expenses related to the disease. The compensation is offered if insured members test positive for COVID-19 infection during the trip.

Types of Schengen Travel Insurance Plans

Depending on the nature, duration, and frequency of the trips, one can avail of any of the following types of Schengen travel insurance plans – 

1.) As per the Duration and Frequency of the Trip

• Single-Trip Insurance: Single-trip insurance plans are suitable for travellers who like to explore new places with their family and friends (or even alone) once a year. Single-trip insurance plans are cost-effective and offer coverage to insured members throughout the journey. In some cases, you may also be able to extend the validity of your travel insurance plans if your trip gets extended. 
• Annual Multi-Trip Insurance: If you plan to travel throughout the year for leisure or business purposes, you should opt for an annual multi-trip insurance plan. This insurance policy covers all your trips to the Schengen region made in a year. 

Travellers can purchase annual multi-trip insurance plans at reasonable rates with a coverage period of 30, 45, 60, or more days as per their needs. In contrast to the single-trip Schengen travel insurance plan, an annual multi-trip insurance plan can be renewed on a yearly basis.

2.) As per the Number of Travellers

• Individual Travel Insurance:  An individual travel insurance plan covers a single traveller. However, based on the duration and frequency of the journey, you can choose a single-trip or annual multi-trip travel insurance plan. The basic coverages of individual travel insurance plans are emergency medical cover, trip cancellation or curtailment cover, and so on.
• Family Travel Insurance: Family travel insurance plans are exclusively designed to cover the whole family travelling to the Schengen area under a single plan. Generally, these plans allow up to 4 children and 2 adults. A family travel insurance plan eliminates the hassle of ensuring every family member separately by utilising the same coverage.
• Senior Citizen Travel Insurance: Senior citizen travel insurance plans are specifically designed to provide coverage to individuals older than 65 years old travelling to the Schengen zone. These plans are designed keeping in mind the various health-related risk factors that are primarily not covered under standard travel insurance policies. Senior citizens' travel insurance benefits include coverage for baggage loss, travel inconvenience, medical emergencies, and so on. 

3.) As per the Purpose of the Visit

• Student Travel Insurance: A student travel insurance plan can cover Turkish people living in the UAE going Schengen zone for educational purposes. With expensive medical expenses and high rates, student travel insurance comes loaded with unique features to safeguard students from the exorbitant costs they may incur in the Schengen region.
• Business Travel Insurance: If you are visiting the Schengen region for business purposes (visiting a company, attending training, recruiting, meetings or other similar activities), you can purchase business travel insurance. 

These plans, specifically designed for business personnel, also cover your gadgets like laptops and tablets, unlike regular travel insurance plans. The coverage of these plans also includes all the generic benefits of travel insurance plans.

Processing Time for the Schengen Visa

Generally, it takes up to 15 calendar days for the processing of your visa application. In some cases, this period can be extended to up to 30 days or 60 days. This is usually the case if additional documents or details need to be examined further. 

When to Apply for the Schengen Visa?

It is advisable to apply for your Turkey Schengen visa as soon as all bookings and tickets have been finalised. The allowed period to apply for the Turkey Schengen visa is given below:

• Travellers can file a visa application up to 6 months before their trip starts
• You would need to apply for the Turkey Schengen visa at least 15 working days before the travel date
• It is advisable to file your visa application at least 3 to 4 weeks before the date of travel

Schengen Visa for Turkey Citizens in the UAE Fee

Given below are the general application fees for a Schengen visa as per the relevant category – 

Validity of Schengen Visa for Turkey Passport Holders in the UAE

The validity of your Schengen visa depends on the type of visa you have chosen – Type C or Type D visa:  

Type C Schengen Visa

Type C Schengen visa allows the holders to stay in the Schengen region for a short period. Type C visas are suitable for short trips of up to 90 days within a 180-day tenure. There are three variants of the Type C visa: Single-entry Visa, Double-entry visa, and Multiple-entry visa.

• Single-Entry Visa: The holder of a single-entry Schengen visa can only enter the Schengen region once within the stipulated time frame, as specified on the visa sticker. The validity of this visa ends when the specified time frame gets over or if the visa holder exits the Schengen region, whichever occurs first.
• Double-Entry Visa:  Double-entry visas work similarly to single-entry visas. The only difference between a single-entry and double-entry visa is that the latter allows you to return to the Schengen area once you have left.
• Multiple-Entry Visa: Multiple-entry visa holders are allowed to visit a Schengen region numerous times within the given time. However, in each 180-day period, the visa holder would be able to have a stay of up to 90 days. 

Depending on how frequently you visit the Schengen country, you may apply for any one of these-

• 1 Year Multiple- Entry Visa
• 3 Year Multiple-Entry Visa
• 5 Year Multiple-Entry Visa

Type D Schengen Visa

Type D Schengen visas are issued to applicants who need to stay longer than 90 days in the Schengen region. As per the visit's purpose and duration, the visa validity may range up to 1 year. Schengen visas of Type D include student Schengen visas, work Schengen visas, and research Schengen visas. This type of visa has a single-entry or multiple-entry option.

Key Takeaways

As a Turkey passport holder in the UAE, you would need a Schengen visa to visit any of the Schengen countries. Before applying for a Turkey Schengen visa, make sure that you are aware of the available types of visa and the one that you will need according to your needs. To have a seamless application process, it is necessary to apply on time (at least 3-4 weeks before your trip) and gather all the essential documents. 

For all individuals travelling to the region on a Schengen visa, Schengen travel insurance would be a necessity. To ensure that you have the best coverage without hefty premiums, you can get your Schengen travel insurance plan from Policybazaar.ae. 

Policybazaar UAE offers a wide range of travel insurance options compatible with Schengen visas. In case you get stuck while choosing an appropriate insurance plan or at any other step, our in-house expert team will be there to guide you and address all your queries efficiently.

Pick the plan aligning with your requirements and buy it within minutes at a reasonable price with Policybazaar.ae!

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