When Shruti and I took on SAS’s 1 million points challenge, we were more than excited. A combination of the travel bug, “avgeek” passion, and “ccgeek” enthusiasm fueled our excitement, but first, we had to tackle the notorious Schengen visa process.
There were 5 airlines out of 15 in Europe which we had to take as a part of challenge, so this visa was no brainer. No Schengen, no challenge.
The Initial Hype and Realization
I thought I knew the ropes of getting a Schengen visa after my DIY Spain trip in 2019. But this time, speed was the key, and we couldn’t afford any hiccups. Enter Priyesh Sharma—young, sharp, and well-versed in credit card hacks and travel challenges. He knew all the visa shortcuts and saved us from endless back-and-forth with a local agent.
His advice? Apply through France, as the processing time is faster. He helped us secure an appointment for October 22nd—slots for this are competitive, so it’s crucial to book early!
Documents in Order
We ensured every document was in place. One challenge we faced was not having our marriage certificate—so, we decided to submit an affidavit instead and hoped it would suffice. (Spoiler: It didn’t!)
VFS Appointment: Smooth Sailing… Or So We Thought
We arrived at VFS BKC on Oct 22nd at 9:15 AM. After parking nearby, we headed up to the French desk. To our surprise, there wasn’t much of a crowd. Everything was going smoothly, or so we thought… until the counter agent insisted we opt for the passport courier service.
Although I knew the courier was optional, he insisted it was required if our travel was within a week. Not wanting to make a fuss, we paid ₹550 for the courier service, plus ₹150 for the mysterious “convenience” fee (which, till today, I can’t figure out).
Here’s the breakdown of the costs:
- French visa fees: ₹8372
- VFS service fee: ₹2047
- Courier & “convenience” fee: ₹700 + ₹150
- Grand total: ₹11,119 per person 💸
Pro Tip: When submitting your application, make sure to bring your own printed documents. It saves you the hassle of paying extra charges for printouts.
The Unexpected Phone Call and Visa Twist
On October 23rd, I received a call from the consulate. The plot twist? The affidavit wasn’t good enough. They needed the original marriage certificate. I explained the situation—Maharashtra elections had caused delays, and we needed our passports for an upcoming Asia trip. While they remained firm, they gave us a lifeline: submit the marriage certificate, or risk rejection and having to reapply.
I immediately requested the email address to send the certificate once ready. The email ID was a tongue twister, so I triple-checked it with the consulate! To be safe, I sent an acknowledgment email on October 25th, confirming that we’d get the certificate and asking to make sure the email ID was correct. Can’t be too careful when it comes to these things! 😅
We couldn’t get lucky this time as we did during our Japan Visa
The Final Sprint: Getting the Marriage Certificate
After some serious scrambling and prioritizing, we managed to get the marriage certificate on Oct 30th. With bated breath, I sent it to the consulate via email at 12:30 PM.
The next day, October 31st, my phone buzzed with a Blue Dart notification. Could it be? Could our passports be on their way? I checked the tracking—sure enough, the source was BKC!
By the afternoon, we had our passports in hand, stamped with a 45-day multi-entry Schengen visa! The relief was beyond words. 🥳
Final Thoughts: Lessons Learned
A huge thanks to the French consulate for allowing us to submit the missing document instead of rejecting the entire application. With the visa finally secured, we were ready to embark on our Asia trip and dive straight into the SAS airline challenge.
The whole process was an emotional roller coaster, but we made it through!