Visa questions, answered plainly
Plain answers to the most searched visa questions: Schengen timelines, proof of funds, applying yourself, interviews, refunds and licensed partners.
Questions, answered
How long does a Schengen visa take for Indian passport holders?
Most consulates decide within 15 calendar days of the appointment. This can stretch to 45 days if they ask for more documents, so we suggest applying 6 to 8 weeks before travel. The earliest you can apply is 6 months out.
Is the eligibility check really free?
Yes. You see every route scored for your passport and goal without paying or creating an account. Fees only apply if you buy a service or hire a partner consultant, and both prices are shown before checkout.
Can I check Canada PR (Express Entry) eligibility here?
Yes. The check estimates your CRS band, lists the category draws you may fit, and shows the current processing window. If you want a consultant, we match you to a licensed RCIC on the network.
Do you file the visa application for me?
Two options. Apply yourself with the route checklist, or add a licensed immigration consultant who prepares and files everything. You pick at the end of the eligibility check.
Is Vistolane an immigration consultancy or law firm?
Vistolane is not a law firm. Our in-house team of trained visa specialists prepares and files tourist, business and student applications, which do not require a licensed lawyer. Where a route needs regulated immigration advice (work, family, investor, residence and citizenship), a licensed consultant or firm on our network handles it and you see their licence number before you engage them.
Which countries are covered?
52 destinations, led by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, United States, the Schengen Area, United Arab Emirates, Japan and Singapore. Each destination page lists the visa types, government fees and processing times we track.
How accurate are the fees and timelines shown?
Fees combine each authority's published government fee with Vistolane's fixed service price list. Timelines reflect the authority's current published processing windows. Both are estimates confirmed before you pay.
What documents will I need?
Each destination and route page lists the exact evidence standard — identity, funds, purpose of travel and route-specific documents — kept current against published rules.
Can you help if I've been refused before?
Yes. Our eligibility engine flags refusal risks, and matched partners specialise in rebuilding files after a refusal.
How these answers are written
The questions on this page are the ones applicants ask most often in the Vistolane chat and by phone: how long a Schengen decision really takes, how much money to show, whether to apply alone or through a consultant, what happens at an interview and how refunds work. Each answer is written from the issuing authority's published rules rather than from experience alone, carries the figure that was current on the review date and links to the page where that figure is maintained, so a fee quoted here is the same fee shown on the destination page and charged at checkout.
Answers about Vistolane's own service describe exactly what is promised and what is not. Vistolane is not a law firm: its in-house specialists prepare and file tourist, business and student applications, which do not need a licensed lawyer, and routes that require regulated immigration advice are handled with licensed partners whose register numbers are shown. The filing date is promised in writing and the filing fee is refunded if it is missed for a reason on Vistolane's side; the decision itself is always the authority's.
If your question is not answered here, the eligibility check gives a route-specific answer for your passport and plan, each destination page has its own questions block, and the support team answers by chat, WhatsApp and phone around the clock.