Schengen Visa Invitation and Sponsor Letters from the UK: What to Include and Which Official Forms You Need

Invitation and sponsor letters answer two questions every Schengen consulate asks: where will you stay, and who is paying? A home-made letter where the country expects an official form can sink an otherwise sound file.

This guide is for non-EU nationals living in the UK. It covers what each letter must say, sample wording, and the official host forms that France, Spain, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and others use instead of a simple letter.

What is the difference between an invitation letter and a sponsor letter?

An invitation letter is written by the person or organisation you are visiting and proves the purpose of your trip and, often, where you will sleep. A sponsor letter is written by the person paying for the trip and proves your costs are covered. One person can be both, for example a sister in Lyon who hosts you and pays.

Article 14 of the EU Visa Code lets each Schengen state require “proof of sponsorship and/or private accommodation” on its own form, which is why the rules differ by country. Always read the checklist of the country you apply to; if you are unsure which that is, see which country to apply to.

When do you need an invitation or sponsor letter?

You need an invitation whenever your trip depends on someone in the Schengen area: a private home, a business meeting, a conference or an event. You need sponsor evidence whenever your own bank statements do not cover the whole trip. Typical cases:

• Staying with family or friends instead of a hotel: the host’s invitation or official form replaces hotel bookings as accommodation evidence.
• A spouse or partner paying, for example where one partner works and the other is at home.
• Parents paying for a student on a UK Student visa travelling in the holidays (see our students guide).
• Children, whose parents are always the sponsors (see Schengen visas for children).
• Business trips, where the foreign company invites you and your UK employer confirms the trip.

A tourist in hotels paying their own way needs neither: your cover letter and bank statements do that job.

Which countries use official invitation or sponsor forms?

At least fourteen Schengen countries replace or supplement the simple letter with an official document your host obtains locally. Follow the country links for the detail.

France: attestation d’accueil

If you will stay in a friend’s or relative’s home, your host applies to their mairie for an attestation d’accueil and pays a €30 tax stamp, not refunded if the request is refused. The mairie can take up to a month and may inspect the home; you need the original, not a scan. It also lowers France’s funds guide to €32.50 a day, against €65 with a hotel. Details are in the France visa document checklist.

Spain: carta de invitación

Spain’s carta de invitación is issued by the Policía Nacional. Your host, who must be Spanish, an EU citizen or beneficiary, or a legal resident of Spain, applies in person at the police station (comisaría) for their address and pays the fee on form 790, code 012; the police page sets out the identity and housing documents they must bring. Police appointments in busy cities can be weeks away. The consulates differ on alternatives: Manchester says a host’s own letter is not accepted, London also takes a private invitation statement signed at the Spanish Consulate, and Edinburgh accepts a letter, passport copy and last year’s IBI receipt from a non-resident owner inviting you to their property. See the Spain visa document checklist, which also covers Spain’s fixed funds rule of €122.10 a day in 2026.

Germany: Verpflichtungserklärung

A Verpflichtungserklärung is a formal obligation letter in which your host commits to cover your costs. They request it in person at their local Ausländerbehörde, which checks their circumstances and usually charges a fee. It is only needed if the host is paying; otherwise a signed invitation letter with their address and ID copy is enough. The original is mandatory. See visiting family or friends in Germany.

Belgium: Annex 3bis

The Annex 3bis (engagement de prise en charge) is a guarantee that makes your host liable for your stay, healthcare and repatriation costs for 2 years. The host must be Belgian or hold unlimited residence and earn at least €2,217.47 net a month (from 1 September 2026, plus half that again for each extra adult you guarantee). The town hall legalises the signature, and the form is valid for 6 months from that date. Read the Belgium visa document checklist.

Netherlands: proof of sponsorship form

Your Dutch host completes the IND proof of sponsorship and/or private accommodation form and has their signature legalised at their municipality (gemeente). You must apply within 6 months of legalisation, and each traveller, including children, needs a separate form for one trip. A legalised form can replace or top up the €55 a day you otherwise show. See Netherlands visa types and sponsor rules.

Note: In Austria the host files an EVE at the police and gives you an ID number, which you quote at least 48 hours later; see the Austria visa document checklist. In Portugal the termo de responsabilidade is accepted only with the signature certified by a notary, lawyer or solicitor, or signed in front of the receiving officer; see the Portugal visa document checklist.

What should a private invitation letter include?

A private invitation letter should identify your host, prove their right to live in the country, explain your relationship and state exactly when you are staying and who pays. Write one even where an official form is required: it gives the officer context the form does not.

Include:

1. Host’s full name, date of birth, address, phone number and email.
2. Their nationality and ID, passport or residence card number, with a copy attached.
3. Your full name, date of birth, passport number and UK address.
4. Your relationship and how long you have known each other.
5. Exact arrival and departure dates, matching your form and bookings.
6. Whether they provide accommodation, meals, money or all three.
7. Date and signature.

Sample wording:

To the Visa Section, [Embassy/Consulate of Country], London

I, [full name], born [date], of [address, country], holder of [ID or residence
card number], invite my [relationship], [your full name], born [date],
passport number [number], resident at [UK address], to stay with me at the
address above from [date] to [date].

During the visit I will provide accommodation [and meals / and cover the costs
stated]. [Your name] will return to the United Kingdom on [date].

A copy of my [identity card / residence permit] is enclosed.

Signed: ____________   Date: ____________

What should a sponsor letter from a UK sponsor include?

A sponsor letter must state who pays, for what, and why, and it only carries weight with the sponsor’s evidence behind it: officers check the sponsor can afford the trip on top of their own outgoings.

The letter should give the sponsor’s full name, address and UK status, your relationship, the trip dates and destination, exactly which costs they will cover (flights, accommodation, daily spending, insurance) and a signature and date. Staple it to these documents:

Non-British sponsors prove their UK status with a share code from GOV.UK, not a BRP; see our eVisa share code guide. Our bank statements guide explains what officers look for in the sponsor’s statements.

Sample wording:

To the Visa Section, [Embassy/Consulate of Country], London

I, [full name], of [UK address], [British citizen / holder of UK status, share
code ________], confirm that I will pay for the trip of my [wife / son /
daughter], [full name], passport number [number], to [country] from [date]
to [date].

I will cover flights, accommodation, travel insurance and daily expenses. My
last three months' bank statements, payslips, passport and our [marriage /
birth] certificate are enclosed.

Signed: ____________   Date: ____________   Phone: ____________

Tip: Some consulates set a higher bar. The Spanish Consulate in London’s checklist mentions a notarised sponsorship letter, Edinburgh asks for the sponsor’s statement to be signed at BLS, and certificates issued outside the UK and EU may need an apostille and translation. Check the country’s checklist before your sponsor signs.

What should a business invitation letter include?

A business invitation comes from the company or organiser on headed paper, signed by a named contact. It gives your name and passport number, the purpose and exact dates, and who pays travel and accommodation. Your UK employer adds a separate letter confirming your role, salary and approved leave.

Country rules to watch:

• Spain: the London consulate asks for the invitation in Spanish, stating purpose and duration; add the company’s details and a named signatory. See Spain business visas.
• Germany: an original, signed formal invitation from the German business partner, plus an original, signed letter from your UK employer. See Germany visa types.
• Italy: the consulate’s business invitation letter template, dated within the last month, with a copy of the signer’s ID and the company’s business register extract (Visura Camerale). See Italy visa types.
• Switzerland: the invitation should be signed and dated on letterhead and no more than one month old. See the Switzerland visa document checklist.
• Croatia: a guarantee letter from the Croatian company, signed by its authorised representative, with proof of the company’s solvency; you normally submit the original. See the Croatia visa document checklist.

For a full business file see our business visa guide.

How long do official invitation forms take?

The host’s paperwork is often the slowest part of the application, so start it before you book your appointment. Appointments are booked free in your own name on the official system; we can guide you through it, but we do not book, hold or supply slots.

Do not start too early either: Belgium’s Annex 3bis and the Dutch sponsor form are valid for 6 months from legalisation.

What mistakes get invitation and sponsor letters rejected?

Most problems are mismatches or the wrong document:

• A home-made letter where an official form is required, especially in France and Spain.
• A scan or photo instead of the original attestation, Verpflichtungserklärung or Annex 3bis.
• Dates that differ between the letter, your application form and your insurance.
• A sponsor with no evidence, or statements that show the money arrived just before applying.
• A host who does not qualify, such as a Belgian host on a temporary card or below the income threshold.
• One Dutch sponsor form for a whole family instead of one per traveller.

If you were refused for one of these reasons, our refused Schengen visa guide explains how to fix the file before reapplying. For family trips, see the family visit visa guide.

Schengen Visa Support is an independent UK visa admin support service. We tell you which documents your destination expects, help you and your sponsor draft letters that match your form and bookings, and review the file before your appointment. We do not give UK immigration advice, and the consulate makes every decision. See how it works and our pricing.