Short term schengen Visa to Germany refused twice due to lack of subsistence

Question

I am a college student currently residing in Chennai, India. I was planning to attend a 5-day business conference being held in Germany in mid-March.My travel itinerary also included a 2-day detour to Brussels before the conference. I have booked the flight tickets to Brussels and the train ticket from Brussels to Cologne. I have also booked and paid for my stay in Brussels and Germany.

The first time my visa got cancelled I had around 450 euros in my account. The reason given was a lack of subsistence. Therefore, I roped in my brother as the sponsor. He has around 2200 euros in his account. Along with my application, I attached the sponsor letter, my brother's pay slip and his income tax returns. But they have again rejected my application citing the same reason.

The embassy says that that around 45 euro/day will suffice.Therefore, I am dumbfounded by these rejections and would really grateful if somebody can answer the following questions:

• What should be the adequate amount considering the fact that I will be staying in Europe for 8 days and accommodation is already paid for?
• How much will this dual rejection impact my chances of getting a visa in future?

@Gayot Fow A single field was checked in both the applications and it reads as follows:

You have not provided proof of sufficient means of subsistence, for the duration of the intended stay or for the return to the country of origin or residence, or for the transit to a third country into which you are certain to be admitted, or you are not in a position to acquire such means lawfully.

Answer 1

Let us look at the reason for refusal given:

You have not provided proof of sufficient means of subsistence, for the duration of the intended stay or for the return to the country of origin or residence, or for the transit to a third country into which you are certain to be admitted, or you are not in a position to acquire such means lawfully.

This can have any of several causes:

• The consular officer was not satisfied that you had enough money to cover your expenses for the entire duration of your visit and to cover your expenses for the return ticket to your country.

  As you are probably aware, when applying for Schengen visas you are expected to not purchase your flights and accommodations before receiving a visa. You are meant to pay for these only after your visa is approved. Therefore, you are expected to also show enough money for your flights and the hotel accommodations you proposed.

  If part or all of your visit is being paid for by another individual, they need to supply their financial information, and a statement of support which states how much money they will provide to you for your visit, and the reason why they are doing so.

  If part or all of your visit is being paid for by a business or organization, they need to supply a statement of support which identifies you and states the reason you are invited, the dates of your visit, and the portions of your visit which they are paying for (e.g. flights, hotel, food, etc.). If they are providing accommodations, they should state explicitly the address of the hotel or other accommodations where you will be staying. For Germany, the letter should also include the Ansprechpartner (contact information for someone that the consular officer can contact to verify the letter).

• The consular officer was not satisfied that you had lawfully acquired the money with which you proposed to pay for the visit.

  This may be because some documents were missing. Be sure that you have provided everything on the checklist:

  Proof of financial status:

  If employed: Payslips of the past three months / employment contract

  If self-employed: Certificate of Proprietorship or other proof of ownership (proof of land title, proof of income from agriculture (sales form) etc.)

  Personal bank statement of the past three months with sufficient funds

  Income Tax Return (ITR) form or Form 17 (Certificate of Income Tax deducted at the source of salary)

  This may occasionally be because the consulate believes that statements issued by your bank or employer are unreliable. In this case, there may not be much you can do.

If you truly believe your documents were sufficient to be issued the visa, that you can afford the trip, and that you will return to India at the end of the trip, you can try to file a letter of remonstrance. This can be successful in borderline cases. You would also be well advised to find a lawyer registered in Germany who is specialized in handling Schengen visa refusals.