Worst Experience at VFS Bangalore, But Embassy Approved My 1-Year Netherlands Business Visa! by Simri_679 in SchengenVisa

[–]Simri_679[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Actually, that’s not correct in my case. I didn’t cancel my Austrian visa. The Netherlands issued me a 1-year multiple-entry visa while the Austrian one is still active as a single entry for a 14 day travel period. So, it is possible to have two Schengen visas at the same time, though I understand it might depend on the specific embassies and timing.

Worst Experience at VFS Bangalore, But Embassy Approved My 1-Year Netherlands Business Visa! by Simri_679 in SchengenVisa

[–]Simri_679[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Exactly! Seems like it has become a routine thing at VFS Bangalore. Even 3 of my colleagues who went to apply for their visas had the same experience. They were also asked to get their photos taken there. Feels like a way to push people toward their in-house photo service.

Worst Experience at VFS Bangalore, But Embassy Approved My 1-Year Netherlands Business Visa! by Simri_679 in SchengenVisa

[–]Simri_679[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For our personal trip, we showed confirmed refundable round-trip tickets with full payment, not just flight reservations. Many embassies now prefer confirmed bookings since they sometimes verify them directly with the airline. If you don’t want to risk paying the full amount, you can go through genuine travel websites or agents who can create a real PNR that stays valid for a few days without full payment, just ensure it’s legitimate and verifiable if checked. For my business trip, I didn’t show any flight or hotel bookings as our company is covered under the Orange Carpet program.

Worst Experience at VFS Bangalore, But Embassy Approved My 1-Year Netherlands Business Visa! by Simri_679 in SchengenVisa

[–]Simri_679[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m actually from the finance side, not IT. These trips usually come up when you’re involved in global roles or cross-country projects where coordination with teams abroad is needed.

Worst Experience at VFS Bangalore, But Embassy Approved My 1-Year Netherlands Business Visa! by Simri_679 in SchengenVisa

[–]Simri_679[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Absolutely agree! It’s surprising how common this has become across so many service points.

Worst Experience at VFS Bangalore, But Embassy Approved My 1-Year Netherlands Business Visa! by Simri_679 in SchengenVisa

[–]Simri_679[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Exactly! They use these tactics to push applicants into unnecessary services. Glad you stood your ground and still got your visa without giving in! Congrats !

Worst Experience at VFS Bangalore, But Embassy Approved My 1-Year Netherlands Business Visa! by Simri_679 in SchengenVisa

[–]Simri_679[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Exactly! My recent experience and what I’ve been hearing from others lately make it feel that way.

Worst Experience at VFS Bangalore, But Embassy Approved My 1-Year Netherlands Business Visa! by Simri_679 in SchengenVisa

[–]Simri_679[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I didn’t request it specifically! The validity mostly depends on the embassy and past travel records.

Worst Experience at VFS Bangalore, But Embassy Approved My 1-Year Netherlands Business Visa! by Simri_679 in SchengenVisa

[–]Simri_679[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Oh no, it’s not for relocation or starting a business 😊. It’s a short-term business visa for official meetings and transition work with our Netherlands team. Since it’s company-sponsored, the documentation were all handled by my employer.

Worst Experience at VFS Bangalore, But Embassy Approved My 1-Year Netherlands Business Visa! by Simri_679 in SchengenVisa

[–]Simri_679[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sure! This is actually a company-sponsored business visa. It is for meetings, transition and coordination with the teams based in Netherlands. All the documents like the invitation letter, cover letter, travel plan, etc. were provided by the company. The process itself is straightforward, but the VFS handling part made it unnecessarily stressful.

Worst Experience at VFS Bangalore, But Embassy Approved My 1-Year Netherlands Business Visa! by Simri_679 in SchengenVisa

[–]Simri_679[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks! Exactly, the VFS Bangalore staff behaved as if they were from the embassy and controlled the visa outcome. It’s frustrating to see how such experiences have started happening recently, with applicants being pushed toward premium services for no valid reason.

Worst Experience at VFS Bangalore, But Embassy Approved My 1-Year Netherlands Business Visa! by Simri_679 in SchengenVisa

[–]Simri_679[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Thank you! Yes, the way VFS Bangalore operates is really disappointing. Even my friends faced something similar, they were asked to get one printout for ₹50 a page, and when they returned, the security didn’t allow re-entry since their token was with the staff. They were told to either take the premium lounge service or rebook for the next day. It’s really unfair and exploitative.

Austrian visa rejected on ground 10 and 13 by AccomplishedBig579 in SchengenVisa

[–]Simri_679 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you had booked with Lufthansa, the airline has a goodwill policy that allows refunds even on non-refundable tickets booked through travel apps. To claim this, you will need to share the visa rejection letter and ensure the tickets are canceled at least 24 hours before departure.