German Schengen Visa: Required Info for Letter of Invitation?

[fusion58]

My wife (Thai national) was turned away from her initial visa appointment at the German embassy in Bangkok today.

The explanation for her rejection by the document screeners was that the letter of invitation from our host in Germany did not contain all of the required information.

My dilemma is that no one seems to be able to tell us exactly what that required information includes.

I have scoured the web in vain in search of an explanation or instructions in English.

I was hoping to find some kind of invitation letter template, but no such luck.

I am a U.S. citizen, and our host in Germany is also a U.S. citizen (a U.S. Army physician who is stationed at a U.S. military hospital in Germany.)

My wife is applying for a 'C' tourist visa.

Thanks in advance to anyone who might have information to share on this topic.

[Donutz]

I had a look at the visa page (visitor catogory, found here). Sadly my German is too rusty to give a quick translation. if no other member here can translate the requirements, perhaps the embassy can explain or a German speaking friend of your sponsor can explain?

[SantiSuk]

See if this works:

https://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?act=url&depth=1&hl=en&ie=UTF8&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://www.bangkok.diplo.de/contentblob/3630722/Daten/5323611/Verpflichtungserklaerung.pdf&usg=ALkJrhi0-R294qnDspjQbHmUMU2ttOd_NA

If not:

1. go onto German Embassy website
   http://www.bangkok.diplo.de
2. click on Deutsche button top left for German language version of site if Thai language version came up
3. open Google translate (google "google translate" for the relevant website first if you don't have it as a favourite already)
4. copy that German language page's website into Google Translate
5. a different URL (the super-long one above) should appear in the English language half of Google Translate
6. click on that URL for the English language guidance for a visit/tourist visa
7. half way down you will see a link for a pdf file which is the English language guidance for "Erlanders" (the hosts who sign an invitation letter)
8. If the pdf file opens in German post its URL into Google Translate and hope for an English translated page
9. If that URL does not give you the guidance, paste the pdf content guidance intact into Google Translate
10. If all else fails, PM me and I'll try it on my PC and send you an English language version in a Word document

Perhaps I should have done 10 in the first place! But it's worth knowing how to get English language stuff out of the embassy's website. As I posted elsewhere yesterday, if you are lucky Google translate will take you all the way down into the bowels of the embassy website throwing up sub-page after mother page in English language (you can book appointments on English language pages eg and then you will get e-mail confirms and further guidance in English rather than German). But sometimes Google Translate seems to throw a fit and stop, producing an error message - hopefully that was only an aberration for a few days earlier this week)

[manfredtillmann]

bit of an issue, i agree...

the embassy requires a 'buergschafts erklaearung' - someone in G putting up their hand to make sure the thai person leaves again. Funny really, given how many anyones just walked in...

if you comply with the stated requirements, get your buergschafts erklaerung and have everything else listed on their website needed to qualify, all you (or she) have to do is stand your ground. the german embassy is 'manned' by thais, who - as usual - think that every rule has an interpretation. there is no such thing in german law!

comply and succeed.

[mgb]

http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/FAQ/VisumFuerD/12-Einladung.html?nn=479790

[fusion58]

Thanks to all for the helpful replies.

I was fortunate enough to reach a staffer inside the embassy who subsequently contacted me by phone to sort my difficulties out.

Upon examining the PDF copy of the aforementioned rejected invitation letter, the staffer advised me that the letter was, in fact, perfectly acceptable in its existing form.

Just as I expected, my wife had been sabotaged by the Thai "gatekeepers" who initially screened her application and supporting documents.

Thanks to these chimps, we had to schedule a second appointment at the embassy, and my wife will have to take even more unpaid time off from work.

And the farce doesn't end there.

As mentioned in my original post, I'm a U.S. citizen.

Prior to my wife's appointment, I contacted the embassy via e-mail and asked for advice re: supporting documents which would be required in the event that I planned to cover all of my wife's travel expenses while in Germany.

I received a response from a consular official who indicated that statements from my "main bank" (which, BTW, is in the U.S.) would suffice.

Lo and behold, on the day of my wife's appointment, my bank statements are summarily rejected on the grounds that they cannot be "verified (<deleted> does that even mean?) The Thai staff advise my wife that only statements from a Thai bank are acceptable.

OK, are you trying to tell me this is the first instance in which a U.S. citizen has proposed to pay for his Thai wife's travel expenses using funds located in a U.S. bank?

The stupidity is just breathtaking.

At any rate, my attitude at this point is "if you grant my wife a tourist visa, I promise never to ask again!"

[bobrussell]

I am no Schengen visa expert but the onus is on the applicant to demonstrate means of support during the stay. For a husband and wife it makes no sense to require funds to be in a Thai bank.

I would get back to the German consular official and clarify the situation. It is quite smart for the obstructive individual as you cannot appeal a decision that has not been made. I suppose there is nothing to stop you insisting that the application be considered therefore allowing you to appeal!!

It sounds as if this is another case of obstruction. There is nothing to stop the authorities verifying information whichever country it comes from.

To insist that only Thai bank statements can be considered is absolute rubbish.

[Donutz]

Indeed there are no such requirements, regarding this the Visa Code says:

"documents indicating that the applicant possesses sufficient means of subsistence both for the duration of the intended stay and for the return to his country of origin or residence, or for the transit to a third country into which he is certain to be admitted, or that he is in a position to acquire such means lawfully, in accordance with Article 5(1)© and (3) of the Schengen Borders Code;"

Ofcourse the Germans will want to know she has access to the money and that it is hers. So a sudden lumpsum deposit could raise questions (borrowed money), and so could a bankaccount in an other name. One embassy could argue "it's not (legally) money you have access to so we will not accept it" and other might find it ok if the bank is that of the partner. For picture book perfect scenario her name should be on the account. If the account is a Thai, US or Zimbabian should obviously not matter at all.

Perhaps the Thai staff rarely sees foreign bankbooos/bankaccounts, don't have a clue if those are valid (real) bankstatements or if there is sufficient money in the account. And rather then inquiring with the back office (German staff) decline to accept the documentation...

Edited March 14, 2016 by Donutz

[fusion58]

^

I was able to schedule my wife's second appointment on a day of the week when the aforementioned contact person inside the embassy will be working, so, hopefully, this will present an opportunity to bypass the obstructionist half-wits at the point of entry and take my case to someone whose IQ is greater than his shoe size.

[mgb]

You could ask the german federal foreign office via their contact form

https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Service/Contact/contact_node.html?https=1

whats is needed and tell them about your problems.

[mgb]

PS: I guess if your wife accompany you at your travel to germany there is not even a letter of invitation from a host in Germany necessary. It would make no sense.

As a US citizen you have the right to enter the schengen area and stay up to 90 days in a 180 days period.