Schengen Business Visa from the UK: Invitation Letter and Company Documents

What is a Schengen business visa?

A Schengen business visa is not a separate visa category. It is the normal short-stay type C visa, valid for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, where you select “business” as the main purpose on the application form. The fee, the processing rules and the visa sticker are the same as for a tourist visa; what changes is the evidence you submit.

The EU Visa Code (Annex II) lists what consulates may ask for on a business trip: an invitation from a firm or authority to attend meetings, conferences or events connected with trade, industry or work; documents showing trade or work relations; entry tickets for fairs and congresses; proof of the company’s business activities; and proof of your employment status in the company. In practice, UK consulates turn that into three core papers: the host’s invitation letter, your UK employer’s letter and company evidence.

Important: The line between “business visitor” and “worker” is drawn by each Schengen country, not by the EU. If your trip involves hands-on work, ask the consulate before applying rather than describing it vaguely on the form.

Do you need a Schengen business visa if you live in the UK?

British and Irish citizens do not; they travel visa-free for short business trips, within the 90/180 rule. You need a business visa if you are a non-EU national living in the UK on a visa or settled status, such as a Skilled Worker, Graduate, family visa holder or someone with indefinite leave to remain.

You prove your UK residence with a UKVI eVisa share code (valid for 90 days) and a printout of your status; BRPs have all expired and are no longer proof of status. Consulates usually want your UK permission to run at least 3 months beyond your return, though the exact rule varies, so check our UK visa validity guide and the eVisa share code guide. If you are only in the UK on a visitor visa, see applying on a UK visitor visa.

What documents do you need for a Schengen business visa?

You need the standard Schengen documents plus a business layer. The table shows how the two fit together for a typical employee travelling for their UK company.

Expect to provide around three months of payslips and personal bank statements even when the company pays; some consulates set strict recency rules (Switzerland wants them no more than a week old). If your employer covers everything, the statements mainly show stable income and ties to the UK. Our Schengen visa bank statements guide and the general Schengen visa documents checklist cover the details.

What should a Schengen business invitation letter include?

The invitation is the document that proves the purpose of the trip, so it should be specific enough that a visa officer could phone the host and confirm every detail. It should be on the host company’s letterhead, signed and dated by a named person, and contain:

1. The host company’s full name, address, phone, email and company registration or tax number.
2. Your full name, date of birth, nationality and passport number, plus your job title and UK employer.
3. The purpose of the visit, in concrete terms: “quarterly supplier review”, “contract negotiations on project X”, “two-day product training”.
4. Exact dates of the visit and the cities or sites you will attend.
5. Who pays for travel, accommodation and daily costs, and whether the host provides anything such as a hotel.
6. The name, role and contact details of the signatory.

Several consulates add their own requirements on top. These are the ones that most often catch UK applicants out:

Tip: Send your host a draft with your passport details and dates already filled in. Weak invitations usually fall short through omissions rather than errors: no dates, no passport number or no statement of who pays.

What company documents does your UK employer need to provide?

Your employer letter is the counterpart to the invitation: it confirms that you work for a real UK business, that the trip is for that business and that you are coming back. Ask HR or your line manager for a letter on company letterhead, signed and dated recently, stating:

• your job title, start date, salary and contract type (permanent or fixed-term);
• the purpose of the trip, in the same terms as the invitation;
• the travel dates and confirmation that leave is approved or the trip is part of your duties;
• who pays for flights, accommodation and expenses;
• that you will return to your role afterwards;
• the signatory’s name, position and direct contact details.

Some consulates set strict date limits. Switzerland, for example, wants employer letters and bank statements no more than one week old on the day you apply, so ask for the letter to be dated in the final week before your appointment. A template and wording advice are in our employer letter guide.

Company evidence. Annex II allows consulates to ask for proof of the company’s business activities. For a UK limited company this is usually a Companies House record, recent filed accounts or a VAT registration. A small or recently formed company should send more than a large, well-known one.

Company directors and the self-employed. If you run the business, you write your own employer letter, so back it up independently: Companies House record showing you as director, HMRC SA302 and tax year overview, business and personal bank statements and, ideally, an accountant’s letter. Spain’s London checklist, for instance, asks self-employed applicants for a trade licence, an accountant’s letter and proof of last year’s tax. Our self-employed guide covers this in detail.

What changes for trade fairs and conferences?

For a trade fair or conference, the organiser’s registration confirmation, ticket or exhibitor confirmation becomes your main purpose evidence; Annex II lists entry tickets for fairs and congresses, and several consulates accept an organiser’s invitation in place of a company one. Large organisers often issue a visa support letter once you register. Add your employer’s letter explaining why you are attending, and hotel bookings for the whole stay.

Germany hosts many of Europe’s largest fairs, but the German missions say that visiting a trade fair as a visitor is registered on the tourism waiting list, not business; exhibitors and those attending for meetings need the original, signed invitation described in the Germany visa types section. For Spanish fairs such as FITUR in Madrid or Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, add the organiser’s registration confirmation and any visa support letter, as the Spain visa types section explains. Hotels near major fairs fill months ahead, so book refundable rooms early with dates that match your application.

Which country do you apply to for a multi-country business trip?

You apply to the country where you will spend the most days on business. If the days are equal, it is the country of the main purpose, then the first point of entry. A three-day negotiation in Milan followed by one day in Paris is an Italian application; two days each in Amsterdam and Brussels goes to the country of the main meeting.

Include invitations or meeting confirmations for every country on the route, and make sure the itinerary in your cover letter matches. Our guide to which country to apply to works through harder cases.

How long does a business visa take, and when should you apply?

The standard decision time is 15 calendar days from the day your application is lodged, extendable to 45. You can apply up to 6 months before travel and no later than 15 calendar days before, but appointment availability in London, Manchester and Edinburgh is usually the real constraint.

A few consulates treat business files differently. Denmark’s embassy prioritises business applications. Poland allocates business and conference appointments on Sundays and Wednesdays rather than letting you pick a slot, as the Poland appointments section explains. Germany has allocated short-stay appointments at TLScontact London and Manchester from a queue since 1 June 2026; see the Germany appointments section. Our processing time guide compares the rest.

Can you get a multiple-entry business visa?

Yes, you can ask for one, and frequent business travel is one of the main reasons consulates grant them. The Visa Code’s cascade normally moves you to a one-year multiple-entry visa after three visas used lawfully within two years, then to two and five years. It also allows a longer visa for applicants who prove a need to travel frequently, which a signed letter from your employer listing planned trips helps to show.

First-time applicants usually receive a visa covering the trip dates, and validity is capped by your passport and, in practice, your UK permission. See our multiple-entry and cascade guide.

Why are Schengen business visas refused?

Most refusals come from gaps between documents rather than from the trip itself:

• Vague purpose. An invitation that says “business meetings” with no agenda, dates or named contact.
• Mismatched dates. Invitation, employer letter, hotel and flights giving different dates.
• Unclear funding. Neither letter says who pays, or the stated payer shows no evidence.
• Work, not business. The described activity looks like hands-on paid work.
• Weak company evidence. A new or small company with no accounts, website or trading history.
• UK status ending soon. Permission expiring shortly after the trip.

If you are refused, the letter gives the reasons and the appeal route for that country. Our refusal guide explains what to do next.

Schengen Visa Support is an independent UK visa admin support service: we prepare your checklist, complete the form, draft wording for your host and employer, and review your documents. You book the appointment free on the official system in your own name, and the consulate makes every decision. See how it works, our pricing or our corporate service for teams.