What to Include in a Schengen Visa Cover Letter (Real Example)

When applying for a Schengen visa, it is vital to include a cover letter alongside all the required documents listed in your official checklist. The visa cover letter is not always mandatory – but it plays an important role among your documents. The cover letter helps the visa officer understand why you’re travelling, how your documents fit together, and whether your plans fit together at a quick glance.

In this post, I walk you through exactly what to include in a Schengen visa cover letter and what to leave out. Having received over 7 previous Schengen visa approvals, I’ll also share a real example from a previous approved application so you can see what a Schengen visa cover letter looks like.

Do you really need to a Schengen Visa cover letter?

Yes, you should include a cover letter in your Schengen visa application. It is not mandatory to include a cover letter in your visa application; however, it is strongly recommended even in official document checklists. The cover letter is your chance to provide additional context about yourself, your trip and your circumstances.

A well-written cover letter strengthens your application. While other supporting documents like your employer letter, flight booking and hotel reservation will provide necessary and basic facts, the cover letter allows you to communicate your travel intentions in your own voice.

What is a Schengen Visa Cover Letter (and What it is NOT)

A Schengen visa cover letter is a personal supporting document written to summarize pertinent details in your visa application or provide additional context.

It is written by the applicant and addressed to the visa officer at the embassy or consulate you are applying to. It helps the visa officer fully understand you and your travel plans and consequently assess your application.

Your cover letter needs to be a concise summary of who you are, your trip’s purpose, travel itinerary, financial means and any other supporting details that explain your request for entry into the country of application.

The cover letter is a supporting explanation of your application and a way to quickly connect your documents logically.

A cover letter should NOT be:

1. A travel essay
2. A personal life story
3. A place to explain your future migration plans
4. A substitute for missing documents

The Core Sections Your Schengen Cover Letter Should Include

Personal & Application Details

• Your full name, address and passport number
• Nationality and residence status
• Embassy or consulate name and address
• Type of visa applied for

Purpose of Travel

• Detail the clear reason for your visit – tourism, family, business, event?
• Avoid mixing reasons and have only 1 clear travel purpose. If travelling for multiple reasons, then choose what you will spend majority of your time on, or whatever aligns with other application documents

Travel Dates & Itinerary

• Highlight entry and exit dates, cities to be visited, and activities that you will be doing every day.
• You are allowed to travel to more than one country on a uniform visa, but its needs to be clear why you are applying through that specific embassy. For instance, you should be planning to spend the most time in that country, or the first country you will go to if it’s a multi-country trip.

Accommodation & Travel Arrangements

• Hotel booking if travelling for tourism. If staying with a host, then include host details. Read my other post for details on showing proof of accommodation
• Flight reservations

Ties to Your Country of Residence (Employment, business)

• Key to your application – show clear intention to return to your home country. This includes family ties, work obligations, property, business responsibilities, approved leave and any ongoing commitments
• Mention your current employment status as well as your employer’s name. If you’re running a business, then provide details about the business.

How the Trip is Funded

• Mention who will be funding which expenses of the trip.
• Personal funds vs sponsor. If sponsor, you should describe the relation to the sponsor and sponsorship letter should be attached. If you are personally funding your application, then state that you have the necessary funds of readily available funds and attach the bank statements as proof of this.

Previous Travel History (If Relevant)

Mention any previous travel history especially to other Schengen regions, UK or US. While travel history helps prove you are a genuine tourist, don’t fret if you are applying for the first time – just make sure your documents are robust.

List of Supporting Documents

In the end, clearly mention the supporting documents that you are enclosing with your application.

Signature and Date

Remember to date your cover letter (at the top) and sign at the end

What NOT to include in a Schengen Cover Letter

Your cover letter should not have the following:

• Emotional language or personal hardships (do not beg)
• Inconsistent dates or information
• Misleading statements or false information – this can be a reason for rejection!
• Statements that imply immigration or intentions to stay long-term

How to Write and format your cover letter

Ideal Length and Structure

Aim for a one-page cover letter maximum. Use short paragraphs and clearly separated sections. I personally ensure to have pertinent information in bold so I can call attention to it.

Tone and Language

Write in formal and simple language – while the cover letter is a chance for you to add your own personal narrative to your application, it is still an official letter. The language should be clear and matter of fact.

Avoid any unnecessary explanations and ramblings.

Format

Do not submit your cover letter in the form of a screenshot or photo – Present it in A4 format.

Font: Use a professional easy-to-read font like Arial, Times New Roman or Calibri

Alignment: Left-align your letter

Spacing: Single-space with a line space between paragraphs. Don’t squeeze too much such that the letter is not scannable.

Real Schengen Visa Cover Letter Example (From Approved Application)

11th June 2026

To:  The Embassy of Spain, London, UK

Dear Visa Officer,

SUBJECT: APPLICATION FOR TOURIST VISA TO SPAIN AND PORTUGAL

Please accept my application for a visa to cover my planned trip to Spain and Portugal on 10/07/2026 – 17/07/2026. My name is Wandering Permit, and I am a holder of nationality Passport No. 1234, currently living in the UK on a x visa. I work as a [job title] at [company name] in London, UK.

The purpose of my visit is tourism. Having travelled across the UK and France previously, I am now keen to explore the culture and sights of Spain and Portugal. I have booked accommodation at the following hotels: x in Barcelona and y in Porto. My round trip flight is scheduled to arrive in Barcelona on x with return from Porto on Y. The corresponding Barcelona – Porto Flight is on z.

My planned itinerary is as follows:

Date	City	Activity
10th July 2026	London à Barcelona	Arrival, La Sagrada Famila etc….
….	city	Activities…
17th Jul 2026	Porto à London	Breakfast, souvenir shopping at Mercado Bom Sucesso, Departure

All the expenses of my travel, including transportation, accommodation and daily costs will be covered by myself [or sponsor, with details on relation].

I have strong personal and professional ties in the UK, including my partner, employment and property investments – and have full intention to return to these at the end of my trip.

I have attached the following documentation in support of my visa application:

1. Passport and copy
2. Signed online application form
3. Colour passport picture
4. Travel medical insurance certificate
5. Old copy of UK biometric card, print-out of UK Immigration status with share code
6. Reserved return flight tickets, and local Spain – Portugal ticket
7. Proof of Reserved hotel accommodation
8. Bank account statement for last 3 months
9. Verification letter from my employer
10. 3 months’ pay slips
11. Detailed travel itinerary
12. Copies of previous Schengen visas (if applicable)

Please feel free to contact me in case of any questions or clarifications. Thank you for your time, and I hope for a favorable response to my application.

Sincerely,
Signature
WanderingPermit

Common Visa Cover Letter Mistakes with Tips to Correct

1. Overexplaining finances or employment
   
   You should always include details on how your trip will be funded and include relevant financial proof. Avoid overexplaining your finances. Your cover letter should maintain a formal factual tone without tangents.
   
2. Mismatch with other documents like bookings, itinerary and bank statements
   
   Having inconsistent data across documents raises doubt on your application and can harm your chances. Double-check every single date and number
   
3. Addressed to wrong embassy or incorrect country name
   
   I have re-purposed old cover letter templates for new applications with no problems. It’s okay to adapt an old cover letter but if you do this, ensure you edit and specify the correct embassy and consulate, and their address.
   
4. Vague or mixed purposes of travel
   
   The goal of the cover letter is to clearly communicate why you’re travelling. Having a generic explanation like “just going for vacation” or mixed explanations like “The purpose of my trip is tourism and attending a conference” can affect your credibility. Clearly state your reason for travelling and include a specific day-by-day itinerary corresponding to the reason for travel.
   
5. Using generic non-personalized cover letter templates
   
   Remember that visa officers see a lot of different applications, and they will notice if you are using a generic template or travel itinerary. Even worse, you don’t want to copy-paste cover letter templates that include things like [To Embassy Address]. Edit, format and review your application repeatedly.

Strong Schengen Visa Cover Letter Reminders Before Submission

Before you submit your application, take a few minutes to run through the checklist and make sure your cover letter actually supports the rest of your documents. The embassy name should be correct, your travel dates and itinerary should match what’s in your flight and accommodation bookings, and your funding and ties to your country of residence should be clearly explained without overdoing it.

A Schengen visa cover letter won’t compensate for missing paperwork or guarantee approval, but a clear, consistent one removes doubt and makes your application easier to assess. When in doubt, keep it factual, keep it short, and make sure everything tells the same clear story.