Anyone who has ever applied for a Schengen visa has directly or indirectly encountered the term “letter of sponsorship”. What is it, why is the document needed and how to write it correctly so as not to be refused?

If there is no official income (or it is too low), the balance in the bank account is close to zero, and you want to go on vacation or visit loved ones, you must provide a sponsorship letter to obtain a visa.

Before answering the question posed, it is worth understanding the essence of the document itself.

Sponsorship letter- an official document drawn up in free form and confirming that a third party will bear all the costs of your trip to one of the Schengen countries.

This 3rd party may be one or more adult blood and/or legal relatives.

Some states also allow the execution of such a document by an employer or legal entity - for example, a company organizing an event (for example, an exhibition or symposium).

Even if there is insufficient funds for travel, the EU Visa Code cannot be violated - one of the clauses of this document states that in order to obtain a Schengen visa, you must have funds in an amount sufficient to cover: transportation costs, housing and related expenses for the entire duration of the trip. Accordingly, if the visa applicant does not have the required amount (or cannot document this), he should get it somewhere. Some take out the missing amount on credit, others borrow from friends, but these methods are not always reliable and safe enough. The most the right decision In this situation, a sponsorship letter is just that.

It is believed that for each day of his stay in one of the Schengen countries, a traveler must have at least 50 euros, which at the current exchange rate is just under three and a half thousand rubles.

You need to add the cost of 2 flights (or the cost of another type of transport) to your daily expenses, and you can calculate the amount without which a tourist’s route to the EU countries is closed.

To obtain a visa without sponsorship, you must have official sources income of at least 15-20 thousand rubles monthly, or have the amount to cover travel expenses in a bank account.

Three groups of visa applicants who need a sponsorship letter a priori:

• children under 18 years of age, because the child is in any case fully or partially financially dependent on adults, without their help he will not be able to travel independently to the Schengen states;
• unemployed citizens or people with unofficial wages;
• pensioners whose pension does not exceed 15–20 thousand rubles per month and do not have significant savings.

Sample letter 2019

Having studied in detail the official sample of a sponsorship letter approved by each of the Consulates, you can easily and in a matter of minutes understand everything: the structure and message.

The sponsorship letter for obtaining a Schengen visa is written in Russian. It is possible to write “the old-fashioned way” - with a black pen on a sheet of paper by hand, or to print the text on a PC and then print it out on a printer. In any case, the sponsor will have to personally sign.

For the text you need:

• passport details of the sponsor, traveler;
• country visited;
• contacts (phone and/or email);
• travel time in the format “from DD.MM.YYYY to DD.MM.YYYY”;
• confirmation of the assumption of responsibility for covering expenses (“I, full name, undertake...”);
• At the end of the document, put the date, signature and its explanation.

It is worth sticking to short, clear, clear formulations without flowery phrases.

You can use this template (form) as a basis, in which all you have to do is fill in the blanks:

To the consular section

embassy ________________ (name of state)

Sponsorship letter

I, Last Name First Name Patronymic, DD.MM.YYYY of birth, passport ________ (series, number), live at the address: ___, st.___d. ___, sq. ___, I hereby confirm that the expenses Last Name First Name Patronymic, DD.MM.YYYY of birth, passport ________ (series, number), living at the address ___, st. ___, building ___, apt. ___, during a trip to __________ in the period from DD.MM.YYYY to DD.MM.YYYY I take over.

I am attaching an extract from the official place(s) of work or bank account.

Contact number - _________________

Address Email — _________________

DD.MM.YY, “signature” / “decryption”

Filling out this template instead of writing everything from scratch will save a lot of time.

Additional documents

In addition to the letter itself, the Consulate of the Schengen states (in particular Latvia, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Italy, Estonia, Spain, Greece, Lithuania, Portugal, Poland, France, Hungary, etc.) as well as the UK They also require a number of documents and their copies.

Without at least one of them, you will not be able to obtain a visa.

1. A copy of the sponsor's passport. You will need a civilian one in any case, but it won’t hurt to have a foreign one with you (if you have one).
2. A certificate of the sponsor's salary from the official place of work, drawn up on a special company letterhead indicating the position, contact details of the organization, signature of an accountant or general director, print. If the sponsor operates as an individual entrepreneur, copies of certificates of registration of an individual entrepreneur and registration with the tax office will be required.
3. Bank account statement. It is worth considering that you should take the document no earlier than a month before submitting the application; you need to indicate not only the balance but also the movement of money for the last 3 months (all receipts, withdrawals, transfers to other currencies and other transactions).
4. If the sponsorship letter is issued for a child under 14 years of age, then his birth certificate (copy) will also be needed.

Examples of errors

Typical mistakes that annually deprive thousands of people of traveling to the Schengen area due to the absence or incorrect preparation of a sponsorship letter:

• Probably the most common shortcoming is an indecently large and unnecessary amount of text. You need to write briefly and to the point, which is why any well-written sponsorship letter never contains more than two hundred words.
• Dividing into paragraphs is also an important point. It is necessary that even a small text be well structured.
• It is worth writing in a language that everyone can understand, and not overusing professional vocabulary or expressions that are incomprehensible to people in other fields of activity. It also doesn’t hurt to avoid dialectisms and jargon (profanity).

Don’t make mistakes and the sponsorship letter will turn out to be really worthwhile, it will be pleasant to read, which means it will form that very important “emotional plus” in the head of the Consulate employee who decides whether to issue a visa or not.

Schengen countries provide entry permits to Russian citizens subject to their ability to pay. This means that the tourist must have money for accommodation, food, entertainment and, if necessary, payment for medical care. A document confirming the availability of money is one of the conditions for issuing a visa. If the applicant does not have the required amount, you can use another option - attach a sponsorship letter for a Schengen visa to the package of documents (sample 2019 below).

Schengen visa.

A document in which an individual or entity expresses his intention to pay expenses associated with travel, paying for a hotel (apartment), buying food, etc. throughout the entire period of the applicant’s stay in the European Union.

Who needs a letter

The presence of the required amount is confirmed by a certificate from the accounting department about wages (signed by the director and chief accountant), a bank document confirming the availability Money, traveler's checks, etc. The more funds the consul sees, the higher the chances of obtaining a visa. Applicants who cannot document the availability of the required amount and have the right to present a sponsorship letter include:

• working citizens whose wages do not cover travel expenses;
• non-working pensioners;
• minors (even if the child works, he does not have an account or bank card);
• students;
• persons in need of medical care in the European Union (with disability group 1, a visa is not required);
• unemployed;
• persons who are dependent on their spouse (housewives, women on maternity leave, temporarily or permanently disabled).

Citizens who need a letter.

Who can act as a sponsor?

To the sponsor ( to an individual) the following requirements apply:

1. First, he must have enough money to support the sponsored person (an amount that is set by countries individually).
2. Secondly, he must confirm the availability of money: show funds in a bank account or in any other way.
3. Third, the sponsor must have some relationship with the person for whom he is going to pay the bills. They can be both blood relatives and non-blood relatives (for example, father-in-law and daughter-in-law, half-brother and sister), legal husband and wife (even former ones), they can be in a civil marriage, be the groom and the bride.

There may not be a family connection between the sponsor and the applicant, but then there must be a reason why the sponsor voluntarily gives his money to pay someone else's bills.

For example, the groom pays for the bride's trip. Or the parents of the groom from France buy a ticket for the bride from Russia and cover the expenses for her maintenance while she is in the country.

Sponsor is a person who finances the activities of others.

Sponsorship of a legal entity (employer): a letter is required on the organization's letterhead, which indicates that a Russian citizen is invited to work, his salary is set, housing is provided, etc.

Basic rules for drafting

The main rule is to provide truthful information. An application or letter of sponsorship (consulates call this document differently) is drawn up freely, by hand or on a computer, and certified by a signature.

The text must be written on white writing or printer paper (preferably A4 format). Language - Russian or the country whose visa is being requested (for English language it is forbidden).

General requirements and sample letter for Schengen

• in the header - where the letter is sent;
• for the sponsor: surname, full name and patronymic - for those who have it, those who do not - first and surname as written in the passport, date of birth, series and number of the passport, registration address;
• what expenses the sponsor will bear, for what period, in which country;
• connection between the sponsor and the sponsored;
• for the sponsored person: surname, full name and patronymic, who has it, who doesn’t - first and surname as written in the passport, date of birth, series and number of the passport, address;
• If a multiple visa is requested, you must agree to pay expenses on subsequent trips.

Sample sponsorship letter.

An example filled out according to the rules for married persons:

Sponsorship letter

I, Fedorova Anna Fedorovna (born 03/07/1980, passport MR No. 7777777, issued 09/22/2014, residing at Tver, Lenin St., 1, building 1, apt. 1), guarantee payment all expenses associated with the movement and stay on the territory of France and the Schengen countries, my husband Fedor Fedorovich Fedorov (born 10/12/1980, passport MR No. 8888888 issued on 11/11/2015, living at the address Minsk, Lenin St., building 1, apartment 1) during our joint tourist trip from 06/30/2019 to 07/10/2019.

I am also ready to bear all expenses associated with future trips if a multiple-entry visa is issued.

Date, signature, full name.

Attachments to the letter

In addition to the sponsorship letter, you must attach documents that confirm:

• relationship (marriage certificate, birth certificate);
• availability of money (bank statement);
• identity (copy of passport page with photo).

Documents for the letter.

For minors:

• birth certificate (if the parent submits documents for a visa together with the child at the same time);
• a certificate from the parent’s work and a bank account statement (added to the certificate if a visa for a minor is requested without parents).

List of documents other than the letter

The sponsorship letter is provided with the following documents:

• a passport with two blank pages (on one the visa sticker will be pasted, on the second - the border crossing stamps will be affixed);
• a copy of Schengen visas for 3 years (if the passport is replaced);
• insurance policy for the period specified in the visa application;
• certificate from work (for workers), certificate from place of study (for students).

Documents in addition to the sponsor's letter.

Sponsorship amount for visa application

Each country sets its own minimum amount. This issue must be clarified at the visa center or consulate (depending on where the visa documents are submitted). For most countries the amount is 50 euros.

Is there a sponsorship letter form?

There is no form, the application must be filled out in any form.

Letter for children

Sample letter for minors.

Consulate General of Spain in Moscow

Sponsorship letter

I, Petrov Petr Petrovich (born 03/07/1980, passport MR No. 7777777, issued 09/22/2014, residing at Tver, Lenin St., 1, building 1, apt. 1), by this letter I guarantee payment of all expenses associated with the movement and stay on the territory of the Schengen countries of my son Ivan Petrovich Petrov (born October 12, 2011, passport MR No. 8888888 issued on November 11, 2015, living at the address Minsk, Lenin St., 1, apt. 1) during our joint tourist trip from 06/11/2019 to 06/25/2019.

I am ready to bear all expenses associated with future trips if a multiple-entry visa is issued.

Sponsor contact details: phone number.

Date, signature, full name.

Is it possible to check the authenticity of a paper?

Passport details, registration, place of work are easily checked. Consulates have departments that are responsible for checking the accuracy of information if it is in doubt.

Common Mistakes

The most common mistakes:

• uninformative texts of large volume (information should be indicated only that which is required);
• style of presentation (you need to write in simple language, try not to use words that are incomprehensible to consular employees).

A letter of willingness to sponsor a trip is not the most important document for issuing a visa, but in some cases you cannot do without it. Any person can act as a sponsor, even if he is not a relative of the traveler. The main thing is to convince the visa officer of the veracity of your desire to provide sponsorship.

A sponsorship (guarantee) letter is issued for certain categories of citizens. In it, the sponsor promises to pay all expenses of the person entering Estonia.

This paper is not included in the list of required documents, but it is better to stock up on it if you cannot document your financial security.

Such a letter will definitely not be needed by a working citizen who has good income and able to document it. But for a child who goes on a trip on his own, it will definitely be needed.

This year, 2014, all design rules remained the same.

For writing, a simple A4 sheet is used - this is the form. The sponsor writes a letter of guarantee in free form in his native Russian language, and then attaches documents to it that can confirm financial security.

There are two options: you can type it on a computer, then print it out and sign it, or you can write everything by hand.

Below on this page is a template that will help you compose your own letter.

Who writes the letter and for whom?

The sponsor must be a close relative. Of course, a letter can also be written by just a friend, but in this case the letter may be refused. Better let your friend list the required amount to your bank account.

The letter is issued to the following persons:

• Persons who are able to work, but work unofficially.
• Working people with low income.
• Not working.
• Students.
• Disabled people.
• Pensioners.

All these citizens provide the original and a copy of the letter.

What to include in a letter

The sponsor provides the following information:

• Full name of traveler and sponsor
• Family ties
• Travel dates
• Country of travel

The sponsor guarantees that he will pay all current expenses for the trip: travel, accommodation, food, shopping, excursions, etc.

What documents should I attach?

• A copy of the first page of the sponsor's passport with his personal data.
• Documents that confirm the relationship with the person leaving.
• Documents confirming the financial security of the sponsor (bank account statement, employment certificate, etc.).

Sample sponsorship letter

SPONSORSHIP LETTER

I, Petrov Ivan Denisovich, (passport details)

I undertake to bear all financial costs associated with my (my) trip to Estonia

_____________________________________________________________________________

From “____” _____________ 20___ to “____” _____________ 20___

I am attaching a certificate from work and a bank account statement to the letter.

To travel abroad you may need a sponsorship letter for a Schengen visa. This requirement is caused by the influx of migrants into European countries who enter states legally and remain without appropriate permission.

A letter of guarantee must be included among the main documents submitted for a Schengen visa if the traveler cannot cover his own expenses (travel, accommodation, food, etc.). These include: non-working adults, including pensioners and housewives, students and disabled persons.

How to write a sponsorship letter for a Schengen visa?

Sample sponsorship letter for a Schengen visa in Russian.

If you need to write a sponsorship letter, you should pay attention to the following nuances:

Sponsor's identity

Most Schengen countries have a negative attitude towards financial guarantees from a person who is not a relative of the traveler. Although in extreme cases this is theoretically allowed.

But you should be prepared for refusal in this state of affairs. Ideal option there will be a sponsor, the relationship with whom can be easily documented. Sometimes a letter from the employing company or the receiving party (including a legal entity - a university or enterprise) is sufficient.

A clear form of sponsorship letter for a Schengen visa is not approved. But the text must contain clear instructions for how long, to which country, for what purpose the traveler is traveling, as well as all contact information about the sponsor and the traveler.

Writing language

The text of the sponsorship letter for a Schengen visa is allowed to be submitted in the native language - Russian, but it is preferable to have a translation into English. Some consulates refuse to accept only the Russian version.

This can be clarified on the website of the representative office of the country to which you are planning a trip. A form of sponsorship letter for a Schengen visa in English is searched via the Internet or directly on the websites of representative offices of the Schengen countries in the Russian Federation.

In addition, a notarized document gives visa officers more confidence. If the sponsor is not a relative, only a document signed in the presence of a notary has legal force.

Mandatory accompanying documents

These include:

• a photocopy of all completed pages of the passport of the sponsor-citizen of the Russian Federation,
• proof of having a job and a stable source of income ( individual entrepreneurs provide a certificate of registration and registration with the tax office),
• certificate or statement from a personal bank account.

The minimum amount of sponsorship earnings varies in each specific case, but usually amounts to 500-600 euros per month. This amount is considered enough to travel abroad.

If such funds are not available, you can ask the bank for data on the movement of funds. All documents must have wet seals and signatures of the relevant persons.

Separately, there are papers confirming the fact of relationship (marriage certificate, birth certificate). If the applicant wishes to receive the originals back, copies should be made and certified by a notary.

Some embassies put forward additional requirements for the documents provided. This can be clarified directly at the consulates or visa centers of the countries to which you are planning to travel.

Sponsor for several people

One person can act as a sponsor for several travelers. In this case, the letter is also drawn up in a single version listing all citizens of the Russian Federation who will be sponsored. This is convenient when traveling as a family, where only one person has a stable income.

It is important to know! A sponsorship letter is not required for a Schengen visa for a child under 14 years of age.

If he travels with his parents, then, naturally, the costs fall on mom and dad. And if a minor travels with third parties or with only one of the parents, then a notarized exit permit serves as a guarantee of financial security.

For teenagers over 14 years of age, sponsorship is required. Parents, grandparents, as well as adult brothers and sisters who have sufficient funds in their bank account can act as a guarantor for paying all costs. However, parental permission to travel remains mandatory.

They can tell you how to write a sponsorship letter for a Schengen visa directly at the consulate or at the visa center. But usually it consists of a “header” - in the upper right corner the organization for which the document was written and the person who compiled it is indicated; content; signature and date.

• Sponsor's full name, date of birth, passport number and series, registration and citizenship;
• confirmation of consent to pay the costs of a specific person;
• traveler's passport details;
• information about relationship (if any);
• travel period and destination;
• purpose of travel and route.

Partial payment for the trip will not be possible. This type of guarantee is viewed extremely negatively.

Sample sponsorship letter for Schengen visa in electronic format You can download it from the Internet or request a paper version at the visa center. But it is much more important that the accompanying documents are drawn up correctly and have legal force. For example, a certificate of employment is valid for 1 month, otherwise you need to order another one.

But the absence of clear requirements for writing does not deprive it of its importance. Without this document and financial security the traveler personally will most likely be denied a visa. The presence of a ban on entry into one of the Schengen countries is fraught with the same responses from the consulates of other countries of this international union. Therefore, you should take seriously both the choice of the sponsor itself and the writing of the paper itself and attaching related data to it.

Such a letter, along with a complete package of documents for a visa, must be submitted by citizens who cannot confirm their own solvency with a salary certificate from their place of work or a notarized statement from their bank account. Size matters.

The amount in the certificates must confirm that you have enough money for a round-trip ticket, hotel and insurance. And that you will not be left in a foreign country without money, but will spend at least 70 euros a day on yourself.

A person who does not have enough money or who cannot bring proof of financial solvency must find a sponsor for the visa. The latter will give a written guarantee that he will pay all expenses of the person entering the country.

Must find a sponsor:

• an unemployed person who does not have at least one hundred thousand in his bank account;
• a minor who is traveling alone and will be in another country without his family;
• a pensioner who has no income other than a monthly payment;
• a student living on a scholarship or dependent on his parents;
• disabled person.

Who can be a sponsor depends on which country's embassy the visa application is submitted to. And also on the date and purpose of the trip.

Each case has its own nuances, but the main requirement is the same for all sponsors. They will have to write a letter of guarantee and attach to it documentary evidence of their financial capabilities (employment certificate, bank statement).

No form is needed for a sponsorship letter. It can be issued in a conditionally free form, but is submitted in printed form.

That's an example letter of guarantee what it should look like.

It is mandatory to indicate:

• surname, first name, patronymic;
• addresses;
• passport details;
• purpose and duration of the trip.

Application – a certificate from the bank or place of work and a copy of the passport (all pages).

The document must indicate:

• name and position of the sponsor;
• name and address of place of work;
• The telephone number of the manager or chief accountant is required.

Inspectors sometimes call and compare the information they were given over the phone with what is included in the certificate. Wage should be such that it covers the costs of staying abroad.

IN different countries different standard of living. But a salary of 500–700 euros per month is considered suitable for sponsorship.

It is allowed to submit such a letter in your native (Russian) language without notarization. They are provided at the consulates of countries such as Spain, Greece, and the Czech Republic. Italy, France, Thailand, China, Japan, Korea.

Almost all states require translation of the text into international English and, accordingly, into Italian, French, Thai, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. And the British visa center accepts papers only in the domestic language.

To make the process go faster, you need to fill out the forms correctly right away. Go to the official website of the consulate of the country where you are going. There you can study and download everything you need for your case.

If filling out the documents is difficult, contact the appropriate company. For a small fee she will do this for you.

Sponsors for pensioners, low-income people, unemployed people, children

If a person is not employed and has no money in his account, this does not mean that we are facing a marginal person or a parasite who is undesirable in any country. Perhaps in a family one earns enough for the other to run the household, take care of the children, or spend the family budget on pleasure and travel.

For a tourist trip, a letter from close relatives is enough. You can sponsor each other:

• husband, wife, grandparents, father, mother;
• brothers and sisters (the UK allows if the sponsor and his ward are traveling together);
• guardians and trustees.

Kinship and change of surnames must be confirmed by documented evidence.

Persons in a civil marriage cannot guarantee financial support for their other half. Sponsorship letters will not be accepted from them. But you can put 1–2 hundred thousand rubles into the current account of a loved one and order a bank statement.

This is an option for those who do not have official work, rich relatives, solid bank accounts, but there is a desire to travel. Some cash for the trip and good friends willing to lend you money for a few days. Having received the certificate and visa, you will gratefully return the money to the owner and hit the road.

A trustee will not be needed if the unemployed person presents documents for accounts, real estate, a car, or his own thriving business.

Visitor visa: do you need a letter?

A private invitation to another country requires the presence of a sponsor. The inviting party guarantees that it will not allow the guest to be left without money, food and shelter. Commits to cover all unforeseen expenses.

But this letter is not enough to obtain a visa. A person who intends to live as a dependent is considered an undesirable guest by the host country. It is necessary to submit at least one of the documents: salary certificate, bank statement, sponsorship letter from close relatives.

Exception from general rule are Spain, Greece, Czech Republic. Countries allow not a relative to become a sponsor, but any person who has money and is willing to pay for someone else’s trip.

Traveling on a business or employment visa

Those traveling abroad on a business trip or for work must have an invitation from the organization. Inviting party (employer, commercial firm, educational institution or other legal entity) is obliged to take full care of the guest. But the visitor must have a certificate from the bank about the availability of money.

People with disabilities

It’s easier to apply for people with disabilities: they have benefits. They are issued a Schengen visa free of charge.

They are most often sponsored by charity organisations. They prepare all the activities for the disabled person and provide him with comfortable accommodation, food, and sometimes treatment.

Children under 14 years old

If a person under the specified age travels abroad with his mother or father, then he does not need a sponsorship letter. If you are traveling accompanied by other authorized persons, you will need a document.

In addition, you must write that you are the mother or father. The letter and documents confirming the relationship must be notarized.

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