Guide – Schengen Visa No Objection Letter (NOC) For Students
What Is A Schengen Visa No Objection Letter (NOC) for Students?
A Schengen Visa “No Objection Certificate (NOC)” (or Letter) for students is an official document written by a representative of the school/university that you are studying at, where it states that your school/university has no objection towards you travelling to Europe.
You must submit your No Objection Letter to the Embassy/Consulate whether or not you will be travelling during university breaks.
Some Embassies/Consulates deem this document as mandatory but others consider it optional.
Even for those Embassies/Consulates that do not find it mandatory, they still recommend you submit it, as it can help them process your visa faster and might give you a higher chance of visa approval (as it ensures that you do not have any intentions of overstaying your visa or remaining in the European Union or Schengen Area).
The person who writes your Student No Objection Letter can either be an adviser from your university, the head of the department, the dean, your main teacher, etc. The certificate has to mention that you are enrolled in university and you will return to your home country in order to finish your studies.
In the situation where you have been granted a scholarship, your NOC certificate should state that you are a Visa applicant funded by a scholarship.
Please note that a No Objection Letter for students is different from a Certificate of Enrolment.
A Certificate of Enrolment is a certificate issued by a school, university, or another educational institution where it states that you are enrolled in a course of study for a specific academic year. Where a No Objection Letter for students is a document which states that a representative of your university has no objection towards you getting a Schengen Visa and travelling to Europe.
Important – Employed travellers must attach to their Visa applications a No Objection Certificate (NOC) Letter from their employer.
If you are employed, please check our Guide – No Objection Letter for Employees for Schengen Visa purposes. Our guide will provide you with complete information on how to request a NOC Certificate from the human resource department of your company, the information that it must contain, and fillable templates made specifically for Schengen Visa applications.
We also recommend you check our article – Leave Approval Letter from Employer, as you must get an employee leave approval first (and then you should request a No Objection certificate for Visa purposes).
The Importance Of The Student No Objection Letter For Your Schengen Visa Application
You may ask yourself why it is so important to submit a No Objection Letter for students. Below you will find the answers:
- Your No Objection Letter provides strong evidence of your intentions to return home from the Schengen Region because it shows that you have student commitments and obligations in your home country and a representative from your university has reviewed your travel plans and supported your claims of returning.
- The consular officer who is reviewing your application will treat the certificate as another piece of validation that you are who you say you are, as there are situations where proof of education has been fraudulent. This way, you bring additional proof of identity.
- A reputable representative of your university who allows you to travel abroad provides additional proof that you are an honest person with a clean background (and that you won’t break the laws of the country where you are going to travel).
How To Get A Student No Objection Letter (NOC) For Your Schengen Visa Application
Once you’ve decided on the time frame of your trip, you have to go to the university you are enrolled in and ask what their procedure is for releasing a No Objection Letter for Schengen Visa.
They may ask you to send an email to your teacher or department head or just book an appointment with the person in charge of writing these documents on behalf of the university.
You can use the template provided below to write the email to the representative responsible for issuing your No Objection Letter:
Subject line: No Objection Certificate for Visa purposes
Dear [Full Name Of The Person Responsible For Issuing Your NOC Letter],
I, [Your Full Name], am enrolled as a full-time student/part-time student since [Year Of Enrolment], pursuing a [Type Of Degree] in [Field Of Study].
I would like to visit [Name Of The Schengen Country/s] from [Beginning Date Of Your Trip] until [End Date Of Your Trip] for [Purpose Of Your Trip]. All of the expenses for my trip will be covered by [End Date Of Your Trip].
I would highly appreciate it if you could write a “No Objection Certificate” (NOC Letter) addressed to [Embassy/Consulate/Visa Application Center Name] located at [Embassy/Consulate/Visa Application Center Address], in order for me to use it for my Schengen Visa Application.
I would also kindly ask you to mention in the certificate my date of birth [Your Date Of Birth], place of birth [Your Place Of Birth], and Passport No. [Your Passport Number].
Kind regards,
[Your Full Name]
Note – Do not add in information such as your year of enrolment, type of degree that you are pursuing, and field of study if you address the request to a teacher or someone from the university who already knows you.
The representative of your university responsible for issuing your NOC Letter may ask you to provide supporting documents to validate that you are requesting the document for a reason (e.g. flight itinerary/flight reservations or proof of financial means so that they can be sure that the information in the NOC correspond to reality).
As a general rule, you should feel comfortable with showing the documents that you must submit to the Embassy/Consulate, as they will be referenced in your application.
Also, before requesting a No Objection Letter for Schengen Visa, it is a good idea to ask for permission to have a leave of absence from your university, so that you can be sure that they agree to you missing classes for a specific period of time – unless you are planning to travel during semestral break/holidays.
However, even if you plan to travel during semestral break/holidays you should still submit a No Objection Letter from your university.
Important – In cases where your university is not familiar with the No Objection Letter procedure, you can download one of our templates, as well as the sample corresponding to the template, and provide them to those responsible for them to model from, use and fill in correctly (for more information, do not hesitate to contact us).
Common Mistakes To Avoid When Writing A Student No Objection Letter for Schengen Visa
There are some mistakes the university representatives can make while they are writing your NOC Certificate. These mistakes might not necessarily lead to the rejection of your visa but might require Visa application resubmission.
Therefore, before you submit your Visa application, it is highly recommended to double-check what they have provided, in order to be sure that you are not missing something important.
Below, you can find a list of common mistakes you must check before submitting your Student NOC Letter:
● Forgetting to date the document
Your university must issue the certificate two or three weeks before you submit your Visa application. Thus, adding the date on your certificate is highly important.
● Travel dates outlined within the NOC Letter do not match the travel dates on your other documents
All of your documents must show consistency.
The travel dates outlined within your No Objection Letter must match the travel dates on the rest of your documents (e.g., travel insurance, flight reservation, hotel bookings, etc.).
● List of countries mentioned on your NOC Letter does not match the attached travel itinerary
The representatives of your university must mention in your No Objection Letter the countries you will be visiting.
Make sure the list of countries matches your day-to-day travel itinerary.
● The details about you as a student do not match the ones on your Certificate of Enrolment
The information on your No Objection Certificate must match the information on your Certificate of Enrolment (e.g., academic achievements, the course you are attending, etc.).
● Not outlining properly your financial sources to cover your expenses while traveling in the Schengen Region
The Visa officers must ensure you have sufficient means of subsistence to cover your expenses during your trip.
The certificate from your university should clearly highlight your sources of funding (e.g., the name of your sponsor, scholarship, etc.).
● No signature or contact details at the bottom of the NOC Letter
The Visa officers can contact your university in case they need further information about you.
Your No Objection Certificate must include a signature and contact details (e.g., academic adviser address, email, and phone number).
● Your personal information on the NOC Letter do not match your submitted Passport or other documents
As we mentioned previously, your documents must show consistency.
Not only must your travel dates match on all of your documents, but also your personal information (e.g., full name, date and place of birth, etc.)
● Not using a letter headed paper that includes the university’s logo
Your No Objection Certificate is an official document that MUST include your university’s logo.
Otherwise, the Visa officers may believe that the certificate is not authentic.
