Schengen Visa Invitation Letter: Sample and Country Rules

Apply to the consulate of your main destination, meaning the country where you will spend the most days. If the stays are equal, apply to the country you enter first. The host document must come from that country, so a cousin in Munich cannot cover a trip that is mainly to Paris.

The table below lists the official documents we confirmed on government or municipal websites. Fees and rules were checked in October 2026; local offices set some charges, so confirm the amount when you book the appointment.

Portugal, Greece, Switzerland, the Nordic countries and the rest of the Schengen area generally accept a signed letter from the host with a copy of the host’s passport or residence card. Each consulate publishes its own checklist, and VFS or BLS centers often add a line about the letter. Read the checklist for your exact consulate before you book.

Whatever the country, the consulate wants to confirm three things about your host: that they are who they say they are, that they live where they say they live, and, if they are paying, that they can afford it. The formal documents in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Belgium add an income test, which is where most delays happen.

Some country rules go further. In Germany, a host who is not an EU citizen can sign a Verpflichtungserklärung only with a settled status, such as a settlement permit, EU long-term residence, or an EU Blue Card or residence permit valid beyond the end of the visit. In France, the mayor checks that the home offers “normal” living conditions in terms of size, safety and sanitation, and may send an inspector. In the Netherlands, a sponsor must be 18 or older, hold a citizen service number (BSN), and show steady income for at least the next 12 months; anyone on social assistance cannot sponsor.

Even where a formal document exists, many consulates still like a short personal letter that explains the relationship and the plan in plain words. Keep it to one page, sign it by hand, and make sure every date and name matches your visa application form exactly. Officers compare the letter to the form, the flight reservation and the insurance policy, and mismatches invite questions.

A notary is not required in most countries. The formal documents are different: those are signed in front of an official, which is the whole point of them. Write the letter in English or in the destination country’s language. If the host writes in German, French or Spanish, the consulate in India or the US will usually accept it as written.

This is the step that takes time, because the host has to book an appointment with a local office. Start it at least four to six weeks before your visa appointment.

Germany. The host goes in person to the foreigners’ office for their own address. Bring the passport or ID, a residence permit if not German, and proof of income. Under Section 68 of the Residence Act, the host promises to cover the guest’s living costs, medical treatment and, if needed, removal costs. Stuttgart, for example, says the declaration applies for five years and that it aligned its income test on 1 April 2026 with the federal interior ministry’s guidance, which is tied to the wage garnishment limits updated each 1 July. The fee is charged even if the host fails the income check; in that case the host receives only a copy, which the consulate weighs much less.

France. The host buys a €30 timbre fiscal online or at an equipped tobacconist, then files Cerfa 10798 in person at the mairie of the address where the guest will stay; in Paris, Lyon and Marseille that means the arrondissement mairie. One form covers one visitor, though a spouse and minor children can share it. The mayor can refuse if documents are missing or the home is unsuitable, and silence for one month counts as a refusal. The host can then appeal to the prefect within two months. The attestation names who holds travel medical insurance of at least €30,000, and the original must be posted to the guest.

Austria. The EVE is free and filed with the regional police directorate for the host’s main residence; online appointments are recommended. The host brings ID, the Meldezettel registration, a lease or land register extract no older than three months, income proof and bank statements for about three months, and a copy of the guest’s passport data page. The host then sends the guest an ID number, and the guest can apply at the Austrian consulate 48 hours later at the earliest.

Netherlands. A visitor who can show at least €55 per person per day does not need a sponsor, but may still need proof of private accommodation. Otherwise the host fills in the IND proof of sponsorship and/or private accommodation form, leaves it unsigned, and signs it in front of a municipal officer, who legalises the signature for a small fee. Each visitor, including children, needs their own form. The guest must apply within six months of legalisation, and the sponsorship ends when the guest leaves the Schengen area or five years after legalisation.

Belgium. A visitor without three months of their own bank statements can rely on an engagement de prise en charge, known as Annex 3bis, in French or Dutch. The host signs it at their commune and adds a household composition certificate, their last three payslips and a copy of their ID or residence card. Belgian consulates also expect a plain invitation letter with the host’s ID copy for family and friend visits.

Spain. The formal carta de invitación is issued by the National Police at the station covering the host’s address, after the host pays the fee on Modelo 790, code 012. Only Spanish nationals, EU citizens and their family members, and foreigners legally resident in Spain can request one. The fee has two parts, an application charge and an issuance charge per guest, and it changes each year, so check the current amount on the police e-office before paying.

Italy. Italian consulates use a bilingual form titled Dichiarazione di garanzia e/o alloggio, issued under Article 14(4) of the Visa Code. The host declares the address, the dates and the relationship, and ticks whether they will cover living costs, have bought health insurance for the guest, or have provided a bank or insurance guarantee. The host attaches a copy of their ID, including the signature page. By signing, the host also acknowledges a separate duty: reporting the guest’s presence to the local police within 48 hours of arrival in Italy.

Post the signed letter and any formal document to the guest by tracked courier, together with a copy of the host’s ID. France and the Netherlands require the original, and the guest should carry it at the border too, because officers can ask for it at entry. Austria’s EVE travels electronically: the guest only needs the ID number.

The guest can file a Schengen application up to six months before the trip and no later than 15 days before it, under Article 9 of the Visa Code. Book the appointment only once the host document is in hand. Add the invitation paperwork to the usual file: application form, photos, passport valid three months beyond departure and issued within the past ten years, travel medical insurance of at least €30,000, flight reservation, proof of employment or studies, and bank statements. Our Schengen cover letter samples show how to tie these documents together.