Definition
Copies of your filed Income Tax Returns, usually the last two or three years' acknowledgements (ITR-V), submitted as proof of stable income. Many embassies ask Indians for them, especially self-employed applicants who have no salary slips.
Why embassies ask for ITRs
An ITR is a government-filed record of your income, which makes it harder to fake than a bank statement. Consulates use it to check that your income matches your lifestyle, your bank balance and the cost of the trip.
Who submits what
- Self-employed and business owners: two to three years of ITRs, plus business registration and bank statements
- Salaried applicants: ITRs or Form 16, with salary slips and a leave letter
- Retired parents: ITRs if they file, plus pension statements
- Students and homemakers: the sponsoring parent's or spouse's ITRs with a sponsorship letter
Example
A Surat textile trader applies for a Schengen visa for a ₹4 lakh family tour. His ITR shows income of ₹6 lakh a year, but his bank statement shows ₹18 lakh deposited a week before he applies. A modest declared income next to a sudden large deposit is a classic refusal trigger. Had he shown three years of ITRs at ₹15–20 lakh and a steady balance, the same trip would look easily affordable.
Practical advice
- Submit the full acknowledgement (ITR-V), plus the computation of income if you have it.
- File on time. An ITR filed a week before the visa application looks staged.
- Avoid large unexplained deposits in the three to six months before applying. If money came from a property sale or a matured FD, include the paperwork.
- Your annual income should comfortably cover the trip.
TCS paid on an overseas tour package shows up in your tax records and can be claimed in your ITR; see TCS on foreign travel.
Our visa assistance team reviews financial documents before you apply.