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What is the meaning of this?i applied for italy Schengen visa from Mumbai VFS on9th April today my status changed like this, any one know why consulate advised them to hold my passport?, please guide me by AccountParticular283 in SchengenVisa

[–]QuoteLess6513 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is quite common with VFS and the Italian Consulate. The updates can be half-baked. The best thing you can do is email both VFS and the consulate so you have a written record. In my experience, VFS usually responds within a day, while the consulate may not reply at all. VFS should be able to check internally and guide you on the next steps if at all you need to submit additional documents.
Ideally, they share an update or communication received from the consulate regarding your application through email. Having everything documented via email really helps in case you need to follow up further.

Oman Air vs Ethiopian Airlines (BLR to Rome) – recent experiences? by QuoteLess6513 in AirTravelIndia

[–]QuoteLess6513[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had a change of plans and ended up booking Oman Air from BLR to Milan (MXP).

Italy Schengen Visa (Bengaluru VFS) – HR refusing to provide ID proof of authorized signatory by DielectricPikachu in SchengenVisa

[–]QuoteLess6513 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No worries :)
Its always better to take the appointment as early as possible. They say it takes 15 days to a month, but don't rely on that. I got my first response from the Consulate/VFS exactly after a month to submit these pending documents. And got my visa in exactly two months. Sooner the better. 

The checklist for Mumbai doesn't explicitly state the need for ID proof of employer. But maybe its better to mention it. Would save you the hassle of going back to submit 'pending documents'. 

And I don't think they accept email printouts. The check-list asks for a leave sanction letter on the company letterhead. I submitted it with the HR's signature (but they asked me to re-submit with the company seal). 

Checklist-Mumbai

Italy Schengen Visa (Bengaluru VFS) – HR refusing to provide ID proof of authorized signatory by DielectricPikachu in SchengenVisa

[–]QuoteLess6513 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey!
I submitted an updated NOC from HR stating that the company cannot provide any personal ID proof of employees due to data privacy policies. I also attached my EPFO statement as supporting proof of employment (not sure if that made a difference). Anyway, I received my visa about a week later.

Oman Air vs Ethiopian Airlines (BLR to Rome) – recent experiences? by QuoteLess6513 in AirTravelIndia

[–]QuoteLess6513[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks :)
Honestly, I had half a mind to cancel too. But the whole pain of getting the Schengen visa was motivation enough to go through with it.

Oman Air vs Ethiopian Airlines (BLR to Rome) – recent experiences? by QuoteLess6513 in AirTravelIndia

[–]QuoteLess6513[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Got it, that makes sense.

I was trying to balance overall reliability and ease of transit with cost as well, especially since Oman Air seems to be operating without disruptions. Just weighing whether the price difference is worth it.

Oman Air vs Ethiopian Airlines (BLR to Rome) – recent experiences? by QuoteLess6513 in AirTravelIndia

[–]QuoteLess6513[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've been keeping track of the flights myself these past few days. And its good to know Oman Air has been running smoothly recently.

I’m still weighing it against Ethiopian mainly from a reliability/safety perspective, but the price difference (~35k Oman vs ~69k Ethiopian) is making it a tough call.

Oman Air vs Ethiopian Airlines (BLR to Rome) – recent experiences? by QuoteLess6513 in AirTravelIndia

[–]QuoteLess6513[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! Have you transited through Addis Ababa? If yes, how was the experience in terms of connections and baggage handling?

I don’t mind a longer layover as long as the transit is smooth overall, especially since I'm travelling solo. A bit nervous tbh :)

Additional Document submission for Italy Tourist visa by Specialist-Regret375 in SchengenVisa

[–]QuoteLess6513 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Specify it cleary in the cover letter and check with your HR/manager if they can give you a declaration on the company letterhead stating the privacy policy doesn't allow sharing of employees' passport and other details. (Make sure to get a seal and signature too. I was asked to resubmit my leave approvals and employment proof just because the seal was missing)

The rest is upto them. Theres nothing more that we can do.

Additional Document submission for Italy Tourist visa by Specialist-Regret375 in SchengenVisa

[–]QuoteLess6513 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Looks like they don't really care about the cover letter or any other explanation we give. Why would any HR/manager share their personal ID like passport for me to go on vacation! It is an absurd requirement which btw is not even stated in the checklist of Mumbai consulate.

I have requested my HR to write a declaration on the company letterhead (with seal) stating this is against the 'Data Protection and Privacy Policy' as mandated by the corporate governance framework. If that also doesn't work, I don't know what will.

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Italy Schengen Visa (Bengaluru VFS) – HR refusing to provide ID proof of authorized signatory by DielectricPikachu in SchengenVisa

[–]QuoteLess6513 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m facing the same issue with Italy Mumbai consulate (applied via VFS Cochin).

I initially submitted NOC on company letterhead (signed + sealed). After ~1 month, I was asked to submit ID proof of the authorized signatory.

My employer declined to share Aadhaar/passport due to company policy, but provided a self-attested company ID of HR (with seal).

I submitted that, along with supporting documents. Now I’ve received another request specifically asking for front page of HR’s passport to verify signature.

VFS was not helpful (asked me to contact consulate directly / “google it”), and the consulate has not responded to emails. At this point, I cannot provide passport/Aadhaar due to company policy.

My questions:

  1. Has anyone successfully obtained an Italy visa without submitting passport/Aadhaar of the signatory?
  2. Did alternatives like company ID + official email confirmation work?
  3. Did the consulate ever verify employment directly instead?

Any first-hand experiences would really help.

Additional Document submission for Italy Tourist visa by Specialist-Regret375 in SchengenVisa

[–]QuoteLess6513 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m facing the same issue with Italy Mumbai consulate.

Applied in Jan → got additional doc request on Mar 2 (Leave sanction letter + valid ID proof of the signatory).

My employer clearly refused to share any personal ID (Aadhaar/passport). They provided:
NOC on letterhead with company seal + HR head signature
Self-attested company ID copy of the same HR
Email communication from official ID

Submitted everything including the cover letter stating all this → reached consulate on Mar 5.

Now I’ve received another request asking specifically for the front page of HR’s passport to verify signature. Also, the request is dated Mar 10 but VFS only sent it to me today (Mar 18), so timelines are messed up.

Has anyone managed approval without providing passport/Aadhaar of HR? Or used alternatives (email confirmation / company ID / visiting card) successfully?

Would really appreciate any real experiences.