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Steenkamp family starting from SJPP 23 July 2013

Time of past OR future Camino
Sept 2013
Hi there we are a South African family of 6 living in Vancouver. We have bought our plane tickets and must now obtain our Schengen visas. We will appreciate your prayers for getting visas and our preparation. Looking forward to meeting forum members on the Camino in July August 2013
 
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
Here are some comments in Afrikaans.... As julle dit deur die Spaanse Ambassade doen.... Sterkte! Indien enige onder 18 is, kry die unabridged geboorte-sertifikaat, indien jy werk vir jouself, kry ouditeur om dit te bevestig op sy briefhoof en oorspronklik. Mediese versekering...genoeg (R5 milj).
 
Hi, I am assuming that you are travelling on a Southafrican passport? Is that why you need a visa? With a Canadian passport you are allowed 90 days without a visa. Just wondering. Good luck and Buen Camino. :arrow:
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
If you look at clause No 8 on the list of requirements for a Schengen Visa when applying in South Africa, it states:

El Camino de Santiago pilgrims can send a copy of the front page of their ‘Credencial’ from the Confraternity of St James as confirmation that they are walking the Camino.

Might be worth joining the CSJ and getting a Credencial before you go?
 
Didn't help a thing Sil!

Instead, when he saw we are doing the Frances, he insisted on the bank giving a letter that we have means that would cover at least R12 000,00 per person (minimum) PLUS a bank statement reflecting the total amount in my credit card statement the day of applying.

AND medical insurance up to minimum of €30 000 per person.

AND the new unabridged birth certificate for the kids (new since March 2013)... (Which takes 3-6 weeks) ... or a letter from the hospital where they were born. Maternal and paternal names must appear.

AND, if self employed, a letter from your auditor confirming it, plus a vat registration nr or practice nr on his originally signed letterhead..

Oh, and the cherry on the cake.... A personal itinerary if you could not produce train/flight/bus tickets once in Paris/Madrid/Barcelona TO and FROM your entry/exit point on your Camino.

Phew... After all that, I felt like a terminally ill, self employed child trafficking travel agent, albeit with a few bucks in the bank :-)
 
Looks like you will be in Santiago when I volunteer in the alberque called "Fin de Camino" - check it out (I live in Calgary, I've done Camino twice, we can compare experiences - both from Spain and Canada, my son lives in Vancouver).
Buen Camino!
 
3rd Edition. More content, training & pack guides avoid common mistakes, bed bugs etc
Ouch! I can empathise with you as we have to go through the same palaver every time we need a Schengen Visa. Although the actual visa only costs €60 we have to pay courier fees and service fees so that we end up paying €138. And, if you live within a 400 km radius of Cape Town you have to make an appointment with the Consulate for an interview which can double the amount in traveling costs.

This is our Visa application Check List for Spain

1
Completed Schengen Visa Application Form
Use a black ink pen and print the information clearly
2
Two recent colour passport photos on a white background 35x45mm : Do not smile, remove your spectacles
3
Valid Original Passport issued with maximum of 10 years of validity - Valid for a period of at least 3 months after expiry date of the requested Schengen Visa: Copy of the information page of the passport. At least two blank pages to affix visa.
4
Itinerary of trip to Spain drawn up by applicant including details on: Dates on entry and return. Number of days in each Schengen state.
5
Means of Transport: Valid return flight tickets/train ticket/ferry ticket showing Spain as the main destination, booking are accepted, original flight tickets need to be presented on day of collection.
6
Accommodation for entire period of the stay in Schengen territory present: Hotel Bookings, time sharing booking (with name of applicant on it) For Tours and Cruises you need the paid invoices.
7
Host's invitation from Spanish Nationals or foreign residents in Spain is available at any Spanish National police station (apply a few months in advance of your trip) : In some cases and with the due guaranties a personal letter of invitation with details of host and guest, copy of the host’s passport/ID in Spain, utility bills (water, electricity, etc.) and civic registration could be taken into consideration. In cases of property ownership or leasing, copy of relevant documents
8
Medical Travel Insurance: Insurance must cover assistance in the Schengen area not “reimbursement” Valid minimum of €30.000. Name of beneficiary (your name as it appears in your passport), a copy of the Insurance Visa Letter and the first page showing validity, schedule of benefit and amount covered. Medical repatriation expenses must be included.
9
Financial Means: For stay up to 9 days minimum amount required is €600 : Stay for more than 9 days add an additional amount of €64 per day : The Original last 3 month's bank statements (savings, cheque or credit card account) stamped by the bank.
Photocopies, bank letters or internet bank statements are not accepted. Booking of foreign exchange could be taken into consideration. Expenses covered by the company do not exempt from bank statement.
11
El Camino de Santiago pilgrims can send a copy of the front page of their ‘Credencial’ from the Confraternity of St James as confirmation that they are walking the Camino.
12
Employment letter (confirming position and salary) pension, retirement, university, college or school letter. If self employed provide CC/CK documentation or VAT registration.
13
FICA letter - electricity bill, SARS document etc to prove you are who you are!
 
It is such a schlepp!!! I feel really sorry for guys that live outside Pretoria or Cape Town.... Your info is up to date Sil... Just when taking kids, the unabridged birth certificate is now required.
 
You know the saying about the harder it is to achieve something, the greater the accomplishment.....you guys will be euphoric from the moment you touch Spanish soil!
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
MariannaP said:
Looks like you will be in Santiago when I volunteer in the alberque called "Fin de Camino" - check it out (I live in Calgary, I've done Camino twice, we can compare experiences - both from Spain and Canada, my son lives in Vancouver).
Buen Camino!
Mariane in which town is the albergue? Would love to connect with
 
Wow...I had no idea how easy we North Americans have it.
You have to be very motivated to take that on.
I have obtained visas all over the world (China, Russia, India, Burma, Vietnam, Egypt, Sri Lanka, etc,) and have never had to do anything close to that.

Do other countries have the same harsh requirements?
 
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
For some time South Africa was a conduit for illegal immigration to other countries. False identity documents, false passports, drivers licences etc. were easy to come by.
People - mostly from other African or Eastern countries, could enter South Africa and then spread out across Europe using their false documents.
British Banks don't accept a South African passport as proof of identity - one had to also produce a South African bar-coded ID.
As ex-members of the Commonwealth, we used to travel freely to the UK but with so many illegals entering the UK on false passports, all visitors from South Africa, including those in transit through UK airports, need to have a Visa. If you can prove that you have family in the UK (as many South Africans do) you can apply for a long term visa.
South Africa has very strict rules regarding money leaving the country. To purchase foreign exchange we must have an air ticket, passport, FICA letter (Financial Intelligence Centre Act) confirming that we are who we are and live where we say we live (electricity bill, SA revenue services letter etc.) And, we are limited to how much money we can take out of the country. By law, when we return home, we have three months to convert the foreign money back into South African Rands.

Dante would have been proud of us pilgrims to Saint James coming from South Africa!

So far, I don't have to travel to Cape Town (which is 1800km from my hometown) for an interview at the Spanish Embassy for a visa. But, if apply through the French Embassy, I have to travel to Pretoria or Johannesburg which is 600km away.
 
Hi Johan - living in Pretoria made things a lot easier for my friend and I. We went to the agency that the Spanish Embassy are now using. The one thing that they were adamant about was that we (my friend Des and I) had enough money in our current accounts to cover the 6weeks that we'll be away. We needed to prove that we had R26000 in our current accounts. I do think that you could use a credit card as well although he didn't volunteer that. With all the documentation in place it took a couple of days. We are members of the Confraternity and they give a letter supporting your trip for visa purposes. We leave on the 22nd April returning on the 1st June. Nervous and excited! :D
 
Hi Johan
Ook 'n bietjie Afr van my kant af! Ek en 'n vriendin het verlede jaar die Camino Norte gan stap in Aug. Ons het so Julie maand aansoek gedoen by Spaanse ambassade en net alle gedoen soos hul gevra het....en daar was geen probleme nie! Dit is 'n KLOMP werk, maar ons Suid Afrikaners is mos nie sissies nie! Al wat ek kan by voeg is dat daar so +_R25 000.00 in jou spaar rek moet wees pp vir omtrent 3x weke in Spanje. (nie in jou kredietkaart rek nie!) Ons het maar soveel geld vir 3 maande in ons spaar rek laat lê en dit daarna weer na ander rekeninge oorgeplaas! Ai eks seker julle sal die Schengen kry, ons het ook ons peregrino paspoort aangeheg by die aansoek en in bree trekke ons plan en 'n paar dorpe aan hul uitgewys! Geen probleme gehad nie! Baie sterkte en laat weet ons jaloerse SA'ners of jul reggekom het! Ons het Aug die Norte gedoen en ons weer was fantasties - net die 1e dag effe reen gehad en verder perfekte sonskyn dae! Ons was in 2007 ook daar - Franse roete - ook goeie weer gehad maar dit was party oggende mar lekker koud gewees! Ek dink Aug is die beste - net bietjie besig want dis Europa se skool vakansies! Maar dit maak dit interessant! Julle moet dit BAIE geniet en ons bid vi julle!!!
Ria van Plettenbergbaai
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
Hoe wonderlik om sulke aanmoediging in my moeder taal te ontvang
Julle het geen idee hoe lekker dit is om die boodskappe te lees nie.
Ek het hopelik nou alles gereed vir die aansoek wag net op n brief van die canadian company of pilgrims wat hulle ook ter ondersteuning geskryf het sowel as vir ons plgrims paspoorte, dan hoop ek is dit alles want dit moet Toronto gestuur word en dan wag en bid en vertrou ons die Vader dat Hy vir ons n pad sal maak en dat ons en ons aansoek guns sal he.
Ek laat weet sodra ek nuus het
 
"My" albergue (Fin de Camino) is in Santiago de Compostella (sometimes people call it just Santiago).
 

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