4

I am applying for a Schengen visa to Spain.

I wanted to get the Airbnb first, but when contacting the Spanish embassy, they said that they do not accept Airbnb as proof of stay in Spain.

I reserved a hotel with free cancellation until a week before my entry, but then I found a cheap and much better deal on Airbnb. Can I cancel my hotel and reserve the Airbnb instead? I heard there were cases of visa annulations for tourists traveling to the Czech Republic, but I have no idea whether that's the case with Spain.

sowhatnowhuh
  • 51
  • 1
  • 4
  • Does this answer your question? Can I Change/Cancel My Hotel Bookings after getting Schengen visa, will that get my visa cancelled? – mlc Jan 14 '23 at 05:16
  • Not sure, because in my case the embassy said they don't accept Airbnb. I would also like to know if there was anyone with the case of Spain in particular. That question didn't have any follow-up, so I assumed asking this question would bring more anecdotal evidence. After all, some regulations may have changed after the pandemic - it's been 4 years since that question. – sowhatnowhuh Jan 14 '23 at 05:55
  • @sowhatnowhuh If you change your accommodation, will you still meet the subsistence requirement (minimum amount of €100 per person per day)? https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2022-07/handbook-annex_25_en_0.pdf#9 – Traveller Jan 14 '23 at 07:58
  • @Traveller yes, I will. – sowhatnowhuh Jan 14 '23 at 09:09
  • What I remember from the cases we’ve seen here where there was an issue with the visa after cancelling the hotel booking is that they were all in Slovenia, which apparently have a system or policy in place to get notified of such cancellations. No idea if that exists elsewhere, though I would be surprised if that existed in the larger western Schengen countries. – jcaron Jan 14 '23 at 10:23
  • 1
    @jcaron I've definitely read similar stories about Germany revoking/cancelling (not sure about the terminology) an already issued visa after hotel cancellation. Back in 2012 and 2014 for sure. – yeputons Jan 14 '23 at 21:43
  • @yeputons This is very unlikely due to the lack of any legal basis for hotels to report a cancelation to any authority (and to who exactly?). How would the hotel know that the reservation was for a visa application in the first place? What about data protection laws? Sorry, without any sources this sounds more like a fantasy story from an alternate reality. – Mark Johnson Jan 15 '23 at 04:18
  • @yeputons This 2019 report meantions the problem for the hotels (high amount of cancelations or no shows ; rise of 52% in 2018), but no meantion that they must pass custormer information on (in violation to data protection laws) Hotelbranche leidet unter unechten Buchungen aus dem Ausland (in German) – Mark Johnson Jan 15 '23 at 04:18
  • 4
    You should also remember that a visa is not a guarantee you'll get in, you still have to go through immigration and if an officer there wants to check you, there's a chance they go by the same rules the embassy mentioned, and won't let you in if you only have proof of stay in an airbnb. – Henrik supports the community Jan 15 '23 at 08:31
  • @MarkJohnson It is unlikely, but some people got unlucky. Here is one of the biggest Russian travel forums: one, two. I suspect it's not an obligation, but more of an informal agreement between selected officers and hotels regarding specific reservations. The embassy may also check some reservations (e.g. Booking.com) themselves online. I think that you have to give the permission to dig anywhere and anything when applying, but I don't remember exactly, so data protection's "in place". – yeputons Jan 15 '23 at 12:56
  • @MarkJohnson I myself was warned by an embassy officer via a phone to adhere to my travel plans after I apply for a visa or I may face EU entry ban for several years for deception. Their words, not mine. Happened a few months ago. – yeputons Jan 15 '23 at 13:00
  • @yeputons (link one from 2007) The conditions of hotel.de (linked in your first link from 2007) state under data protection agreement: 9.2 ... A transfer of data to third parties only takes place to the extent necessary for a booking/reservation with the provider selected by the customer or for the provision of other services owed by the agent. – Mark Johnson Jan 15 '23 at 13:39
  • @yeputons (link two from 2012) This, about booking.com is more interesting since it containe in it's conditions: In some cases, we also share your information with governments or other authorities where we are legally required to do so. What legal basis, as also asked by other users of that thread, remains unknown. I know of none. – Mark Johnson Jan 15 '23 at 13:39
  • @yeputons Deception in a visa application is grounds for an entry ban in most countries of this planet. This should cause no surprise to anyone. Cancelation of a hotel reservation, that is a precondition of granting of a visa, just after a visa is issued is a sign of deception. The how the consulate, one day after a cancelation, knows of it is the question. German bureaucracy (despite what foreigners may think) is as slow as an extremly slow snail too a very swift hare. That, and the lack of any legal basis, are good reasons to express doubt about these claims. – Mark Johnson Jan 15 '23 at 13:56
  • @MarkJohnson My personal experience with German bureaucracy is getting a type D visa in a week. The fastest visa I've ever obtained. So I guess different departments and individuals may work differently. I also suspect legal basis does not really matter once you say "national security", and deciding who enters the country is all about it. Besides, it's not like a visa applicant has any recourse for data protection violations. Good luck appealing the decision or suing; hundreds of euros, months, and decreased visa chances. Noone has any right to get a visa, it's all very discretionary. – yeputons Jan 15 '23 at 14:03
  • Here is another relevant discussion: Can I change my itinerary and hotel reservation after getting a Schengen visa? – yeputons Jan 15 '23 at 14:10
  • @yeputons The reason for revolking (since the conditions underwhich the visa is issued no longer applies) is the cancelation of the (in the visa application) given hotel reservation. Sorry but now you are you clutching at straws: If you are clutching at straws or grasping at straws, you are trying unusual or extreme ideas or methods because other ideas or methods have failed. – Mark Johnson Jan 15 '23 at 14:16

2 Answers2

11

  • You may make minor adjustments to the itinerary after getting the visa. This goes as far as changing the flight you take, and thereby changing the member state where you first enter the Schengen area. If you applied for a trip to Vienna via Paris and back, and then re-book for Vienna via Amsterdam, it would still be a trip to Vienna.

  • You must not misrepresent your itinerary to get the visa. That means everything you say or write must be true at the time you write it.

  • There may be problems when honest adjustments of the itinerary give the impression that you misrepresented your itinerary. The problems could come during the entry, if you do not have the documentation (like bookings) you said you would have, or it could come with your next visa application if the records of your previous trip do not match the application.

In your specific case, from what you say, the decision to change your plan was made before the application was made, and that is deception. Plain and simple. It would also be deception if you book one hotel and plan to cancel that and stay in another hotel, but that one is highly unlikely to be noticed. But in this case, from the information you received, it makes a difference if you book a hotel or Airbnb. So if they find out, they should conclude that you deliberately lied to get your visa. That's not permitted.

There is probably a good chance that they will not find out, but that's gambling with your travel history. Being found out will cost you more in the long run than paying the hotel.

o.m.
  • 37,060
  • 2
  • 63
  • 108
  • 1
    It is still unclear to me what would be definition of "gaming the system". I provide proof of booking for a hotel, because airbnb is not accepted. I stay at airbnb because it's cheaper and more convenient. Does that constitute intention to deceive? I understand that they do not accept airbnb for accommodation proof, but am I prohibited to stay in airbnb with this visa? In some countries they put employer in your work visa and it makes it explicit that you cannot work elsewhere, I would imagine if the place to stay was similarly important not to change, they would at least tell you that? – Andrew Savinykh Jan 15 '23 at 03:01
  • 4
    @AndrewSavinykh That seems like it is straightforward deception. You never had any intention of staying in a hotel, but you told them you were going to anyway. It's not like you wanted to stay in a hotel at first but then changed your mind. – Joseph Sible-Reinstate Monica Jan 15 '23 at 03:16
  • @JosephSible-ReinstateMonica this is probably more suited for chat, but I'm not sure that this is as clear cut. I'm willing to stay in the hotel if that's what it takes to get the visa. Once I got the visa though, my circumstances has changed, and I'd like to re-book my accommodation, if I'm allowed to without violation of conditions of my visa. The question is am I? – Andrew Savinykh Jan 15 '23 at 03:54
  • 2
    @AndrewSavinykh, in this case you plan to change your mind and that is deception. – o.m. Jan 15 '23 at 07:06
  • @AndrewSavinykh AFAIK Spanish hotels have a legal duty to register the passport details of tourists on check-in. So in theory at least that gives the authorities the opportunity to check – Traveller Jan 15 '23 at 07:29
  • The plan to start with was airbnb, there is no mind changing involved. Since it was pointed out that airbnb reservation are not accepted, the booking had to change. The mind stayed where it was. "I want to stay at airbnb, but since you do not accept that I booked a hotel for the proof of accommodation, where I'm prepared to stay if I must." There is not a word of lie here. The question is must I stay there or am I allowed to rebook? I would like to if I'm allowed, if not then obviously it won't happen. – Andrew Savinykh Jan 15 '23 at 09:03
  • @AndrewSavinykh How long is your trip, how much cheaper is the AirBnB vs the hotel? The consensus seems to be changing might be a problem but I’m not sure you’ll get a definitive answer here. Is the saving worth the risk (especially if this is your first Schengen visa). Personally I think you should at least arrive at Immigration with the same booking you submitted with your visa application. Staying a few days at the hotel then moving on to the AirBnB is a less risky strategy than explaining the accommodation plan change at the border, given what the embassy told you about acceptable proof. – Traveller Jan 15 '23 at 09:44
  • @Traveller How long is your trip, how much cheaper is the AirBnB vs the hotel? we need to ask OP about this. I was talking hypothetically in the confines of the question. – Andrew Savinykh Jan 15 '23 at 10:12
0

It is possible that your visa application may be denied if you cancel your hotel reservation and book a stay at an Airbnb instead. This is because when you apply for a Schengen visa, you are required to provide proof of accommodation for your entire stay in the country. The Spanish embassy specifically states that they do not accept Airbnb as proof of accommodation, so booking an Airbnb instead of a hotel could be seen as providing false information on your visa application.

It is not uncommon for embassies to request proof of accommodation for the entire stay and for this reason, you should be very careful when making any changes to your itinerary.

If you wish to change your accommodation, it is best to contact the Spanish embassy and ask them if they will accept a different type of accommodation such as a different hotel or hostel. It's also a good idea to have a backup plan in case your visa is denied.

Also, it's worth noting that different countries may have different rules and regulations when it comes to Schengen visa applications. Therefore, you should always check with the embassy or consulate of the country you are applying to for specific information about visa requirements.

Jasmine P
  • 1
  • That seems to repeat what the previous answer stated. Do you want to edit it to focus on what is novel? – mdewey Jan 15 '23 at 14:11