Schengen visa refused on box 8: information not reliable
Article 32(1)(b), the box about the reliability of the information submitted. It sits one step away from the forgery ground and it is serious, but it is not the same thing: it usually means two documents disagreed or one could not be verified.
Paste your refusal letter. See the grounds they used and the route you have. Free, no email.
What the ground says
Box 8, Article 32(1)(b)
the information submitted regarding the justification for the purpose and conditions of the intended stay was not reliable
Whether the consulate believes the documents and the statements. Reasonable doubts as to the authenticity of supporting documents or the veracity of their contents sit here.
The usual causes
An employer letter with a telephone number nobody answers. A host who could not be reached. A hotel booking cancelled after it was printed. An itinerary that does not match the flights actually booked. An interview answer that differed from the form.
Why verification matters more than presentation
Consulates telephone. A letter on beautiful paper from a company with a free email address and no switchboard is weaker than a plain letter from a company whose website, domain and number all agree. Ask whoever signs a letter to put a direct number and a company email address on it.
What to do next
Work out which document caused it, and replace it with one that can be checked. Where a booking was provisional, either book it or say plainly in the cover letter that it is a reservation. Where an answer changed, explain why in one sentence rather than leaving the consulate to decide what happened.
When to take advice instead
If box 1 was ticked as well, the ground is a false or forged travel document and this is not a self-help case. That carries an entry ban and needs a regulated adviser, and we will tell you so rather than sell you a letter.
Evidence that addresses it
- Documents that can be verified: letterhead with a working telephone number, an email domain that matches the company, a named signatory with a job title
- Booking confirmations that are still live on the day of the application, not cancelled reservations
- A short covering note explaining any inconsistency the consulate could see
- Original documents with translations by a certified translator where required
Your route
Reapply
You may apply again at any time. A new application is decided on its own evidence, so it only helps if the ticked boxes are answered.
Remonstration, within 30 days
A remonstration asks the same consulate to look again, with the evidence that was missing. Some member states offer it, some do not, and the deadline differs by state. The deadline on your refusal form governs.
Appeal, within 30 days
Every member state must offer an appeal against a Schengen visa refusal. The body and the deadline are named on the refusal form. Appeals are formal and most are decided on the papers.
This route needs a regulated adviser.
The refusal is given on the standard form in Annex VI of the Visa Code, Regulation (EC) No 810/2009. The ticked boxes are the grounds. The appeal route, its authority and its deadline are printed on that form and the printed version governs.
Reapply, £49
We read the refusal, name the grounds and the route, check every ground against your documents with the refused ones held open, and write the reapplication letter that answers each one by its reference. Re-runs and second-refusal handling included for 30 days.