Wants letter for Visa

[Sam V]

Continuing saga from my post about not wanting to pay deposit until arrival:

She sent me another email this weekend now asking again how much it would be if 1 or 2 additional guests join them, which I requoted the price to her.

Now, this morning I have had a reply saying she still needs to confirm if 1 more will be joining them.

AND in the meantime:

She also wants me to send her a 'booking confirmation letter' with the villa address and my contact details to use for her visa application which she needs by tomorrow as her appointment is on friday. Ive never had a request like this before, I dont know much about visa applications and requirements. The group is all aged 19-21 all with African names and they are booked for 4 nights in March.

[Hells Bells]

I've had to do this for Russian guests this morning. My usual booking confirmation was sufficient.

[Mouse]

It can be a nightmare depending on which country and official.

I had it last year with 2 guests (not mine) and one left it so late they were demanding I do everything immedietly. I reminded him that 'he knew' he was South African and therefore should have been the one planning ahead not me.

In both cases what Helen sent wasn't enough (I was dealing with South Africa and Hong Kong).
They also wanted the telephone number and email of the owner but then, after that had been provided, they also said they needed his passport details.
Needless to say the owner was not willing to give those...and the guest got quite irate.

In the end my husband suggested he make a booking with a Hotel in Ibiza through booking.com and use the confirmation to get his visa. Then when it was all done he cancel his booking (no penalty incurred)
That worked. It's quite funny how a trip could be forged that way making the whole thing pointless.

The people from Hong Kong gave up...it was only their maid they wanted to bring over, so it wasn't too much of an issue.

Mouse
x

[Hells Bells]

I wouldn't have given anyone my passport details either, but email and phone numbers would be on the booking confirmation.

[kevsboredagain]

Also done this a few times too. It's a totally normal requirement for visitors from outside the EU in order to obtain a tourist visa.

Anything to prove the people involved have booked accommodation should do.

As my wife is non EU, she also has to do this just to visit my parents in the UK.

[Chippy]

She sent me another email this weekend now asking again how much it would be if 1 or 2 additional guests join them, which I requoted the price to her.

Now this morning I have had a reply saying she still needs to confirm if 1 more will be joining them.

AND

She also wants me to send her a 'booking confirmation letter' with the villa address and my contact details for her visa application which she needs by tomorrow as her appointment is on friday. Ive never had a request like this before. The group is all aged 19-21 all with African names.

'

I would be a little uneasy, even though your contact guest may genuinely need documentation to obtain a visa.


Your villa could become party central

Be certain to take a large security deposit if you go ahead with the booking

[Afrique]

I have the same issue re visa application (I am from South Africa but have a UK passport) with my daughters partners when they want to visit Portugal. They need a Schengen Visa which has to be filled in by their hosts. Obviously it's not an issue with my family, however, I haven't had to fill it in for a guest yet. I have the forms if anyone ever needs them.

[Annew]

This sounds a little dodgy to me.

For a tourist visa for most European countries (apart from UK & Ireland), a copy of a booking confirmation and hotel/holiday accommodation address details are usually all that is required, not an invitation letter. (It does depend on which country the guest is coming from obviously!) I'm not sure what is required to obtain a Schengen visa.

If your guest has not paid a deposit then he/she has not entered into a contract with you to rent your accommodation therefore does not have a bonafide booking or holiday address for the duration of the visa.

You could be an accessory to obtaining a visa by deception - tread carefully!

What nationality is the guest?

[kevsboredagain]

For a tourist visa for most European countries (apart from UK & Ireland), a copy of a booking confirmation and hotel/holiday accommodation address details are usually all that is required, not an invitation letter. (It does depend on which country the guest is coming from obviously!) I'm not sure what is required to obtain a Schengen visa.

If your guest has not paid a deposit then he/she has not entered into a contract with you to rent your accommodation therefore does not have a bonafide booking or holiday address for the duration of the visa.

You could be an accessory to obtaining a visa by deception - tread carefully!

Nobody mentioned invitation letter. That would only be required for a personal visit. My parents have to write an invitation letter when my non EU wife visits.

For a rental, anything to show the details of the booking should be enough. When I've provided this, I've simply added a short letter just to be professional, like a cover letter for a CV. It wasn't really required.

I would not be too happy going to this kind of extra effort if the person was not will to pay the deposit. As you say it's certainly an easy and cost free way to obtain a visa by deception. Probably too late now though.

[Mouse]

For a rental, anything to show the details of the booking should be enough. When I've provided this, I've simply added a short letter just to be professional, like a cover letter for a CV. It wasn't really required.

Not necessarily. This is the email I received from the SA guest after I gave him the info you mention:
The exact wording is and I quote, “When payment has been made for private accommodation(villa, house, apartment) the owner must provide a copy of his passport and proof of ownership (property ownership or leasing).”

Good advise Annew...I too would be wary of doing anything for someone who hasn't actually booked (i.e. paid a deposit).
As Annew has said...you don't actually have a contract with them.

Mouse
x

[kevsboredagain]

The last time I did this was in January, for a group of skiers, also from South Africa. All of them needed visas to stay in France but certaintainly did not need a copy of my passport and I would certainly not have given that to some stranger if asked.

For France I was able to look up the visa requirements on a website. You should be easily be able to confirm what they really required for a particular country.

But...

If you Google your the words of your guests you will find the text they are quoting, for Spain at least. It does imply they need a passport copy for private accomodation (villa, appartment etc) so I stand corrected. I assume Spain is similar to Portugal where they want a passport number for everything. It does therefore sound like a genuine request.

It's rather ironic that as Africa is considered high risk, they ask a property owner to give the African a copy of their passport for a visa application.

[JamJam]

I personally wouldnt accept the booking. Seems like it could be more hassle than its worth!

[Sam V]

I re-sent her an email copy of the booking cofirmation with the villa and my personal address added yesterday. I've not had any response from her (maybe a thank you would be polite to at least let me know it's satisfactory).

She has paid the rental fee (as it is a late booking) and is supposed to be paying the security deposit by 11th March, if she is not forthcoming with this I wont be sending the gate key and map, info on door code, etc. Ill also ask my manager to keep an eye on things at the villa. They say they are students and the booking form has an address in Leicester.