Hi everyone, I am currently gathering data for a blog series focused on the authentic realities of traveling to Europe this year.
I am looking to collect general experiences regarding the Schengen visa application process. I’m not looking for official rules, but rather your personal stories. How was the appointment booking? Did the consulate staff scrutinize your documents heavily? How long did the return actually take compared to what they promised?
Whether it was a smooth process or a stressful one, I’d love to sample the true flavor of your experience. Please share your application location and timeline below. Fresh details only!
History lives here, but sometimes the bureaucracy feels just as ancient. I applied through the Italian consulate in Cairo to visit some museums in Rome. You must look closer at the requirements; they were very specific about the flight itinerary being fully paid, not just reserved. It took exactly 18 days for me to get the passport back. A bit long, but accessing that ancient wisdom was worth the wait.
Appointment booking was the hardest part — slots were limited and released randomly, so it took a few days of checking before I got one. On the appointment day, the staff mostly just verified documents against the checklist. They didn’t deeply question my travel purpose, but they were very strict about formatting and completeness.
Processing time was quoted as around 15 working days, but I got my passport back closer to 3 weeks. No updates in between, which was honestly the most nerve-wracking part.
Not terrible, but definitely not as “straightforward” as the official websites make it sound