Why do they stamp your passport at the time of submitting the visa application?

12/2/2016 5:19:34 PM

This is a security measure. The stamp is given when your passport is returned to you when your visa application is still being processed, in order to ensure that the approved visa is placed in the same passport. It’s not necessary when the consulate holds your passport during the entire application process and only returns it at the end.

12/2/2016 11:54:13 AM

Your passport may also receive an “application in process” stamp if you are in the country and applying for a change. For example, Japan lets you change things without leaving the country. They stamp “Applied” and the date when they take your documents, and you can now officially overstay your visa on the grounds that you applied in a timely manner and immigration’s delays are not your fault.

They tend to only do this if your application appears to be in order and there is a high probability of it being approved. Don’t leave it until the day before.

12/2/2016 6:30:13 PM

Yes, like you guessed, the purpose of this stamp is to announce that there has been an application of this visa by this passport holder. I will explain my Schengen and other tourist visa experiences.

  • Spain embassy stamped my passport with embassy name, date, visa C, and later paste visa sticker to cover this. Kept passport with them for whole duration.
  • Hungary stamped passport, gave me back, asked to make sure nobody else use this page for any stamp or anything. Said will paste sticker if visa granted, otherwise will strike the stamp text with hand drawn line, and words Refused. Kept passport.
  • German embassy did not care, no stamp, kept passport for German and Austrian visas.
  • Phillipines embassy stamped, gave me passport back even if I did not want it back, did not cover the stamp with sticker later, pasted it on opposite side.

So, yes, this stamp announces your interaction with embassy, although its upto each country/embassy that how much they care about it.

12/2/2016 8:10:42 AM

The stamp is there to save space for a future visa. Long-term Schengen visas take up a full page and the consulate wants to make sure they’ll have enough space to glue-in the visa once it’s finished processing.

Obviously it doesn’t guarantee some other government won’t put a stamp there, but at least it makes it less likely.

Credit:stackoverflow.com

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Hello,My name is Aparna Patel,I’m a Travel Blogger and Photographer who travel the world full-time with my hubby.I like to share my travel experience.

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