The cover letter is the only document in your file that you write yourself. Everything else — the bank statement, the NOC, the insurance certificate — is a fragment. The cover letter is where those fragments become one coherent story about who you are, why you are going, and why you are coming back. Below are editable letters for tourism, family visits and business travel.

Checked on 13 September 2026 against consulate checklists published for UAE applicants. These templates are unofficial and are not endorsed by any embassy. Always follow your destination’s own checklist.

On this page

• Is a cover letter required?
• What the letter has to do
• Structure
• Template 1: tourism
• Template 2: visiting family or friends
• Template 3: business travel
• Explaining a problem in your file
• Mistakes to avoid

Is a cover letter required?

The EU Visa Code does not list a cover letter among the mandatory supporting documents. But several consulates name one on their own checklists for UAE applicants, and officers rely on it whether or not it is formally required.

The practical answer: include one. It costs you twenty minutes, it is the cheapest thing in your file, and it is the only place where you get to explain anything.

What the letter has to do

A consular officer looking at your application has a stack of documents and limited time. Your cover letter is the map. It should answer, in order:

• Who are you? Name, nationality, what you do, where you live in the UAE.
• Where are you going and when? Exact dates, countries, and which is your main destination.
• Why? The actual reason, stated plainly.
• Who is paying? You, an employer, or a sponsor.
• Why will you return? Job, family, home, commitments in the UAE.
• What is enclosed? A short list so nothing looks missing.

The main destination sentence matters more than anything else in the letter. Where you are visiting several countries, say explicitly which one you are spending the most time in and that this is why you are applying to that consulate. It shows you understand the rule and stops the officer having to work it out from your hotel bookings. Our Schengen guide explains how the rule works.

Structure

One page. Typed, not handwritten. Addressed to the consulate you are applying to, by name. Signed and dated.

Keep it factual. This is not a persuasive essay, and officers read hundreds of them. Emotional appeals, promises about how much you have always dreamed of seeing Europe, and assurances that you are an honest person all work against you. Facts that match your documents work for you.

Template 1: tourism

[Your Full Name]
[Your Address, Emirate]
[Phone] · [Email]

Date: [DD Month YYYY]

The Consular Section
[Embassy or Consulate name]
[Abu Dhabi / Dubai], United Arab Emirates

Subject: Application for a short-stay Schengen visa — [Your Full Name], passport [Number]

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to apply for a short-stay Schengen visa for the purpose of tourism.

My name is [Full Name]. I am a [Nationality] national and have lived in the United Arab Emirates since [Year]. I work as [Job Title] at [Company Name] in [Emirate], where I have been employed since [Start Date]. My UAE residence visa is valid until [Date].

I intend to travel to [Country] from [Departure Date] to [Return Date], a total of [Number] days. [Country] is my main destination, where I will spend [Number] nights of the trip, which is why I am applying to this consulate. [I will also spend [Number] nights in [Other Country].]

My itinerary is as follows: [City, dates, accommodation] · [City, dates, accommodation].

All costs of this trip, estimated at approximately [Currency and Amount], will be met from my own funds. My bank statements for the last [three/six] months are enclosed.

I will return to the UAE on [Return Date] and resume my duties at [Company Name] on [Date]. My employment continues, my family resides with me in [Emirate], and my tenancy at the above address runs until [Date].

Enclosed with this application: completed application form, passport and copies, UAE residence visa and Emirates ID copies, photographs, travel medical insurance certificate, return flight reservation, hotel bookings, employer no objection letter, salary certificate and bank statements.

I would be grateful for your consideration of my application, and I am happy to provide any further documents you require.

Yours faithfully,

[Signature]
[Your Full Name]

Template 2: visiting family or friends

Here the consulate needs to understand your relationship to the host, who is paying for what, and where you will stay. If your host is covering your accommodation, say so and make sure their invitation letter says the same.

[Your Full Name]
[Your Address, Emirate]
[Phone] · [Email]

Date: [DD Month YYYY]

The Consular Section
[Embassy or Consulate name]
[Abu Dhabi / Dubai], United Arab Emirates

Subject: Application for a short-stay Schengen visa — [Your Full Name], passport [Number]

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to apply for a short-stay Schengen visa in order to visit my [brother / sister / friend], [Host’s Full Name], who resides in [City, Country].

I am a [Nationality] national resident in the United Arab Emirates since [Year], employed as [Job Title] at [Company Name] in [Emirate] since [Start Date]. My UAE residence visa is valid until [Date].

I intend to travel from [Departure Date] to [Return Date], a total of [Number] days, spending the entire visit in [Country], which is therefore my main destination.

I will stay at my [relationship]’s residence at [Full Address of Host]. [His/Her] invitation letter, identity document, proof of residence and proof of income are enclosed.

[Choose one: All costs of the trip will be met from my own funds. / My host has confirmed that [he/she] will cover my accommodation during the visit, and I will meet all other costs from my own funds.]

[Host’s Full Name] is my [precise relationship, e.g. elder brother]. [He/She] has resided in [Country] since [Year] and holds [nationality or residence status]. [Supporting document, e.g. our birth certificates, is enclosed to confirm our relationship.]

I will return to the UAE on [Return Date] and resume work at [Company Name] on [Date]. My spouse and children remain in [Emirate], and my employment and tenancy continue.

Enclosed with this application: completed application form, passport and copies, UAE residence visa and Emirates ID copies, photographs, travel medical insurance certificate, return flight reservation, invitation letter and host’s documents, employer no objection letter, salary certificate and bank statements.

Yours faithfully,

[Signature]
[Your Full Name]

Template 3: business travel

[Your Full Name]
[Your Address, Emirate]
[Phone] · [Email]

Date: [DD Month YYYY]

The Consular Section
[Embassy or Consulate name]
[Abu Dhabi / Dubai], United Arab Emirates

Subject: Application for a short-stay Schengen visa, business purpose — [Your Full Name], passport [Number]

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to apply for a short-stay Schengen visa in connection with business travel.

I am a [Nationality] national resident in the United Arab Emirates since [Year]. I am employed as [Job Title] at [Company Name], [Emirate], since [Start Date]. My UAE residence visa is valid until [Date].

I will travel to [City, Country] from [Departure Date] to [Return Date] in order to [attend the [Event Name] exhibition at [Venue] / hold meetings with our partner [Company Name] / inspect equipment at [Location]]. [Country] is my main destination and the sole purpose of this trip.

[Where applicable: An invitation letter from [Host Company], confirming the purpose and dates of the meetings, is enclosed.]

All expenses relating to this trip, including airfare, accommodation and daily expenses, are borne by my employer, [Company Name], as confirmed in the enclosed letter.

I will return to the UAE on [Return Date] and resume my duties on [Date]. My employment, residence and family commitments in the UAE continue as normal.

Enclosed with this application: completed application form, passport and copies, UAE residence visa and Emirates ID copies, photographs, travel medical insurance certificate, return flight reservation, hotel booking, employer letter confirming purpose and funding, [invitation letter from host company,] salary certificate and bank statements.

Yours faithfully,

[Signature]
[Your Full Name]

Explaining a problem in your file

This is the cover letter’s most valuable use, and almost nobody takes advantage of it. If there is something in your application that will raise a question, answer it before it is asked. An unexplained oddity looks like something concealed. An explained one is just a fact.

Examples of a sentence that can be added to any of the templates above:

• A large recent deposit: “The credit of AED [Amount] to my account on [Date] is my annual bonus from [Company Name], as confirmed in the enclosed letter.”
• A previous refusal: “I applied for a [Country] visa in [Month Year] and was refused on the grounds of [reason given]. Since then [what has changed]. I have enclosed the refusal notice.”
• A short time in your job: “I joined [Company] in [Month], having previously worked at [Previous Employer] in the UAE since [Year]. Both employment letters are enclosed.”
• A gap between hotel bookings: “On the night of [Date] I will be travelling overnight by train from [City] to [City]. The reservation is enclosed.”
• Someone else paying: “My husband, [Name], is funding this trip. His sponsorship letter, employment letter and bank statements are enclosed, together with our marriage certificate.”

Be brief and factual. One or two sentences, with the supporting document attached. Do not apologise or over-explain.

Mistakes to avoid

• Dates that do not match your other documents. The letter is checked against your flights, hotels and insurance.
• Not naming your main destination when visiting several countries.
• Writing more than one page.
• Emotional appeals. “It has always been my dream” adds nothing and takes up space.
• Promising to return without giving the reasons you will. Say what keeps you here.
• Using a template without editing it. Officers see the same downloaded letters repeatedly. Write it in your own words, using these as structure.
• Leaving brackets in. Read it aloud before you print it.
• Claiming anything your documents do not support. Every statement here should be verifiable from the file.

Related guides

• UAE employer NOC letter templates
• Schengen requirements checklist by applicant type
• How to order and present your file
• Schengen visa from Dubai and the UAE

Sources

• German Missions in the United Arab Emirates — Schengen visa checklists: uae.diplo.de
• Royal Danish Consulate General in the UAE — family and friends checklist, June 2026, published via VFS Global
• Embassy of Portugal in Abu Dhabi — Schengen visa checklist for UAE applicants
• EU Visa Code, Regulation (EC) No 810/2009

Written by Asad Waleed M, Dubai. Asad researches visa rules from government and consular sources and publishes what they actually say. He is not an immigration lawyer or consultant, and Sifqa does not process applications. Read the editorial policy.

Last checked 13 September 2026. Rechecked quarterly. Found an error? Email asadwaleed2020@gmail.com — it gets fixed and logged.