Guide: Sponsor’s Copies of Schengen Status for Your Schengen Visa Application

What Are Sponsor’s Copies of Schengen Status for Your Schengen Visa Application?

Are you applying for a Schengen Visa with a sponsor who is a citizen or resident of the Schengen Area? 

In that case, Embassies and Consulates require you to submit copies of documents that verify your sponsor’s identity and prove their legal right to reside in Europe. These documents are your sponsor’s copies of their Schengen status. 

Required documents may include a copy of their passport, ID card, residence card, or certificate of residence, depending on whether they are a citizen or a foreign resident of the Schengen Area.

Please note that some Embassies and Consulates may accept ordinary copies of documents proving your sponsor’s Schengen status (and not certified copies). 

However, we always recommend our customers submit certified copies of these documents. A certified copy of your sponsor’s Schengen status is a photocopy of a document that has been validated and signed by a public official as an accurate and complete reproduction of the original documents. 

It is best to submit certified copies because they provide assurance to the Visa officers that the copies of the documents submitted are accurate and complete copies of the original documents. 

Having a public official attest to the authenticity of these copies reduces the risk of fraudulent documents being submitted, which could jeopardise your application process. 

Ordinary copies, on the other hand, do not carry any official validation and therefore do not provide the same level of assurance as certified copies.   

The Importance of Your Sponsor’s Copies of Schengen Status for Your Schengen Visa Application

When applying for a Schengen Visa with a sponsor, it is mandatory to submit your sponsor’s copies of their Schengen status because they serve as proof of your sponsor’s identity. 

The Visa officers must verify your sponsor’s identity to ensure they meet all the requirements for sponsorship and have the legal right to reside in Europe. 

The Visa officers will also check to see if your sponsor’s identity matches the information you provided in your Schengen Visa application which is extremely important in order to prevent cases of identity theft or fraudulent sponsorship.  

Additionally, your sponsor’s copies of Schengen Status serve to establish a clear link between you as an applicant and your sponsor. 

If you apply for a Schengen Visa with a sponsor who is residing in the Schengen Area, failure to submit copies of their Schengen status could result in the rejection of your application.  

How to Get Your Sponsor’s Copies of Schengen Status for Your Schengen Visa Application

To get your sponsor’s copies of Schengen status, all you need to do is ask them to have a public notary, attorney, or government agency certify the copies of their passport, ID card, residency card, etc. 

Once they’ve got the copies of these documents certified, they can send them to you via courier or speed post. 

In this guide, we have outlined all the necessary steps to take in order to get a certified passport copy. You can follow these steps to get a certified copy of any type of document, including an ID card, residency card, or residency certificate. 

Make sure you carefully read our guide and share it with your sponsor to ensure that they understand how to obtain certified copies of their Schengen status. 

Of course, the easiest, no-hassle way to get copies of your sponsor’s Schengen status is by having your sponsor scan these documents and send them to you online. Then, you can simply print them and submit them with your application.  

But as we mentioned before, submitting certified copies of these documents is preferred over ordinary copies.

While it is possible to submit ordinary copies, doing so may increase the risk of your application being rejected or delayed. Therefore, it is best to obtain certified copies to ensure a smooth and successful application process.

Common Mistakes to Avoid when Submitting Your Sponsor’s Copies of Schengen Status

Make sure your sponsor’s documents are valid at the time of the Visa application. Submitting expired or invalid documents may lead to the rejection of your application. 

Some people submit incomplete copies of the document or fail to provide all the pages required. It is essential to double-check that all necessary pages are included and clearly visible in the copy. 

Especially if your sponsor is providing you with accommodation, it is extremely important to submit documents that show proof of your sponsor’s address. 

Since most passports do not include the holder’s address, it is essential to submit a copy of your sponsor’s ID card as most EU ID cards contain the holder’s address. If that’s not possible, you should provide a residency card or any other relevant documents that demonstrate proof of your sponsor’s address.

Also, if your sponsor is providing you with accommodation, make sure the address on their ID or residency card is matching the actual address where you will be residing. Some people change their permanent address, but without legally changing their address in their ID or residency card. 

If that is applicable to your sponsor, make sure you submit additional proof of their address, such as a rental agreement or real estate purchase agreement.