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In which month do pre-summer appointments fill up? The finer points of planning your application date.
In visa applications timing affects the result as much as file quality. Appointments fill quickly, especially in the months before summer, and processing times lengthen. Below we summarise the year-round busyness pattern and the best application times.
Busy periods
- March-May: people planning summer holidays and Schengen tourist applications peak. Appointment waits can be 4-8 weeks.
- October-November: applications rise for new year and winter holidays.
- Before holidays: some appointments fill before Ramadan and Eid al-Adha.
Quiet periods
- January-February: appointments are easier to find and processing times are short.
- Early September: there are few applications after the summer.
- June-August: applications for autumn travel are made comfortably.
When should you apply?
Schengen countries allow applications at the earliest six months and the latest 15 days before. We recommend applying two to three months before travel; this leaves time for a new application in case of refusal. For the US and the UK plan three to four months ahead.
How does appointment tracking work?
Our advisers watch the application centres' systems throughout the day; cancelled appointments are often taken within five to ten minutes. In your panel you set your tracking preferences (date range, city) and are notified instantly when a suitable appointment opens.
Flexible bookings
While waiting for the appointment and the result, make flight and hotel reservations with cancellable options. Buying a ticket before the visa is issued is a risk; a reservation document is often enough.
You can book a free pre-assessment to plan your calendar.
The calendar after you apply
After the appointment day your passport stays at the application centre or consulate in most countries. During this time you cannot travel to another country; if you will make a second visa application, learn the countries' passport release policies in advance. Some centres return the passport at the time of application, allowing two applications to run in parallel.
Holidays and public holidays
Public holidays in both Turkey and the destination country lengthen processing time. The two weeks around Christmas, Easter, Ramadan and Eid al-Adha are particularly risky; for travel falling in these periods apply three to four months ahead.
A flexible-dates travel plan
If appointment waits are long, plan travel dates so they can move a week earlier or later. Most application centres accept applications up to 15 days before travel, so buying the plane ticket after visa approval is safer.