Agents have reported that third-party accommodation vouchers from platforms like TBO and Booking.com are being rejected during Schengen visa applications for specific countries. Several agents mentioned Greece and Portugal in particular.
This is due to certain embassies requesting direct hotel confirmations instead, potentially creating extra admin and delays for both agent and travellers.
An agent who preferred to stay anonymous said the policy might not be new. “In my opinion, some of the Schengen countries are just reverting to what their rules were pre-COVID. Some are newly adopting stricter rules, as some clients and agents look for loopholes when it comes to visas, which is likely part of why some Schengen countries started to apply this rule.”
Greece tightens rules
According to the Global Visa Center website, applicants for Greek visas must provide:
“Proof of accommodation for tourists: hotel/holiday home confirmed reservation or tour vouchers. It should clearly state names of applicants, arrival and departure date, address of the hotel and contact details of the hotel. All confirmation of vouchers should be from the hotel and not via travel agent/company.”
Tony King from Fares Fair Travel said he had booked over two weeks of accommodation at four different hotels in Greece with Booking.com. “To get the letters from the hotels in Greece basically gave me two extra full days of work as they weren’t very accommodating. It was a back-and-forth story and one of the hotels completely ignored my request.”
In the end, his client did the visa themselves and the vouchers were fine. “It seems they were happier to relax the rules for people doing the visa themselves,” he said.
Mixed experiences in Portugal
On the Facebook group, OpenJaw, agents also reported similar issues when applying for Portuguese visas through VFS, with Portugal sometimes insisting on direct hotel confirmations.
However, Glenda Ingram from West Beach Travel said this was not the case for her. “All my clients’ TBO and BOL vouchers, including my own, were accepted. I think that each case is handled differently and depends on risk or what other info has been provided.”
Official response
VFS Global provided Travel News with the following statement: “For all Schengen client governments we serve in South Africa, VFS Global is authorised to accept third-party accommodation bookings, including those made via platforms such as Booking.com, provided the applicant’s details, travel dates, and accommodation address are clearly mentioned in the booking confirmation.
“Our Schengen client governments have been accepting such bookings from the outset, as long as the applicant’s details are accurately reflected. Applicants are therefore not required to submit hotel vouchers booked directly with the property, as long as the submitted documentation meets the above requirements.”
