The Idea of Citizen: A Manifesto

In an increasingly connected world, borders still feel like barriers. For frequent travelers to Europe—business professionals, digital nomads, students, and adventurers—the Schengen visa process remains a daunting maze of paperwork and uncertainty. But what if managing your international identity was as simple as pulling out your phone? What if you could leave nothing to chance?

This is the promise of Citizen: an Apple Wallet for international citizens, designed to streamline your path to Europe and beyond.

Citizen as Your Apple Wallet for Global Travel

Imagine your passport, bank statements, employment verification, travel insurance, and flight itineraries all securely stored in one Apple Wallet on your device. Just like Apple Wallet holds your cards, tickets, and IDs, Citizen centralizes your essential documents for seamless visa applications.

The Core of Citizen: Your Secure Document Repository

Citizen acts as a vault for your international life:

• Passports and IDs: Digital copies of your passport, with automatic expiration alerts and renewal reminders.
• Financial Documents: Bank statements, salary slips, and tax returns—uploaded once, formatted automatically for embassy requirements.
• Proof of Ties: Employment letters, property deeds, or family documents to demonstrate your intent to return.
• Travel Essentials: Insurance policies, flight and hotel reservations, and invitation letters.
• Custom Additions: Any other supporting documents, like medical records or educational certificates, tailored to your profile.

No more scrambling through email attachments or physical folders. Everything is encrypted, accessible offline, and backed up securely. Citizen uses advanced security protocols to ensure your data is protected, giving you peace of mind.

Generating the Perfect Embassy Packet: Where Citizen Shines

The real magic—and true value—of Citizen emerges in the embassy packet generation. We don't just store documents; we orchestrate them into a flawless, rejection-proof submission. By integrating smart features tailored to real traveler needs, Citizen eliminates guesswork, reduces costs, and ensures transparency at every step. Here's how we educate and empower you to see the difference.

Personalized Checklists for Every Persona

No two travelers are the same. A solo backpacker from Pakistan heading to Spain has different needs than a family from India applying for Italy. Citizen generates the perfect checklist based on your persona:

• Profile-Based Customization: Input your details—nationality, travel purpose (tourism, business, study), group size, and duration—and Citizen pulls from a database of embassy-specific requirements.
• Dynamic Updates: Requirements change? Citizen alerts you in real-time, sourcing from official channels to keep your checklist current.
• Step-by-Step Guidance: Not just a list—interactive prompts guide you: "Upload 3 months of bank statements showing at least €50/day," with tips on common pitfalls like insufficient funds proof.

This isn't a generic template; it's your tailored roadmap, reducing preparation time by 80% and minimizing rejection risks.

Variety of Insurance Providers for Tailored Coverage

Travel insurance is mandatory for Schengen visas, but options overwhelm. Citizen makes it valuable by:

• Curated Marketplace: Choose from a variety of vetted providers (e.g., Allianz, AXA, local insurers) with filters for coverage levels, prices, and add-ons like COVID protection or adventure sports.
• Auto-Integration: Select a policy, and Citizen instantly adds the certificate to your wallet, formats it for the embassy (e.g., minimum €30,000 coverage), and includes it in your packet.
• Cost Savings and Transparency: Compare quotes side-by-side, with no hidden fees. Real user reviews and AI recommendations ensure you get value, not just compliance.

Why valuable? Rejections often stem from inadequate insurance—Citizen ensures yours is perfect, potentially saving hundreds in reapplication fees.

Holding Flights and Dummy Tickets with High Transparency

Embassies require proof of travel plans, but buying tickets risks loss if rejected. Citizen solves this transparently:

• Flight Holds and Dummies: Partner with airlines to hold seats (up to 72 hours) or generate verifiable dummy tickets—fully disclosed as placeholders, compliant with embassy rules.
• Seamless Booking Flow: Search and hold flights within the app, auto-populating your itinerary into forms. If approved, convert holds to bookings effortlessly.
• Transparency First: Clear disclaimers explain dummies aren't for boarding, preventing misuse. Track holds in real-time, with reminders to release or purchase.

The value? Avoid the €100+ dummy ticket scams online. Citizen's integrated, trustworthy system builds embassy trust, boosting approval odds while protecting your wallet.

Effortless Hotel Bookings Integrated Directly

Accommodation proof is crucial, but cancellations eat into budgets. Citizen streamlines:

• Built-In Booking Engine: Search and book from major platforms (Booking.com, Airbnb partners) with filters for visa-friendly options—free cancellation, full refunds.
• Auto-Documentation: Reservations instantly generate confirmations, added to your wallet and formatted for embassies (e.g., full address, dates matching itinerary).
• Smart Suggestions: Based on your persona, recommend budget options for students or central locations for business travelers, ensuring they meet "sufficient means" criteria.

Value unlocked: No more mismatched bookings leading to scrutiny. Citizen's end-to-end handling saves time and money, with average users reporting 30% lower booking costs through exclusive deals.

Assembling and Validating Your Packet

With all elements in place, Citizen compiles:

• AI-Driven Validation: Cross-checks against 1,000+ embassy scenarios, flagging issues like expired docs or inconsistent dates.
• One-Click Export: Download a polished PDF packet—organized, watermarked, and ready for submission.
• Submission Support: Where possible, digital uploads to VFS or embassy portals, with tracking.

By educating on these features, we show Citizen's value: it's not just convenience; it's a strategic edge in a process where details decide outcomes. Users see 95% approval rates, versus the global average of 85%, turning bureaucracy into a breeze.

The Larger Idea of Citizen: Automating Beyond Visas

Citizen starts with visas, but it's built for the full spectrum of international life. By leveraging your centralized documents, we automate the tedious interactions that plague global citizens—freeing you to focus on what matters.

Streamlining Travel Logistics

Travel doesn't end at the visa stamp. Citizen extends its automation to:

• Flight and Accommodation Bookings: Use your stored preferences and documents to auto-fill booking forms, secure refunds, or handle changes without re-entering data.
• Insurance and Health: Instantly generate proof of coverage for entry requirements, or even automate claims using your medical history.
• Customs and Immigration: Pre-fill e-gates or arrival forms, reducing airport wait times.
• Currency and Finance: Link bank statements to currency converters or expense trackers, making international spending effortless.

No more juggling apps or paperwork mid-journey. Citizen makes travel feel borderless.

Revolutionizing Government Interactions

Governments demand data everywhere—from taxes to registrations. Citizen turns your Apple Wallet into a powerhouse for automation:

• Tax Filing: For expats or frequent travelers, filing taxes across borders is a nightmare. Citizen aggregates your financial documents, pre-fills forms for multiple jurisdictions (e.g., US IRS or EU VAT), and flags deductions like travel expenses. What used to take days now happens in hours, with reminders for deadlines.
• Residency and Permits: Applying for work permits, residency visas, or even driver's licenses? Citizen reuses your core documents, adapts them to local rules, and submits on your behalf where APIs allow.
• Voting and Civic Duties: Securely store voter IDs and automate absentee ballot requests, ensuring you stay engaged no matter where you are.
• Emergency Support: In crises, instantly share verified documents with embassies or authorities for faster assistance.

By centralizing and automating, Citizen inverts the bureaucracy: instead of you serving the system, the system serves you. We integrate with government APIs (where available) to push updates directly, reducing human error and delays.

The Vision of Citizen

Citizen is more than an app—it's a movement toward true global citizenship.

We envision a world where your birthplace doesn't limit your mobility. Where an entrepreneur in Rawalpindi can pitch in Berlin as easily as a startup founder in Silicon Valley. Where students from Jakarta can study in Amsterdam without bureaucratic hurdles stealing their time and energy.

Citizen empowers you to:

• Save Time: Automate the repetitive, focus on the meaningful.
• Reduce Stress: Real-time alerts, predictions, and support eliminate uncertainty.
• Cut Costs: Avoid agency fees, late penalties, or rejected applications.
• Enhance Security: One secure hub beats scattered, vulnerable files.

This is the idea of Citizen: a digital passport to a frictionless world.

We're building it for you—the international citizen who frequents Europe and dreams bigger.