A Nairobi TikToker has been granted a Denmark visa after a tense embassy visit that forced him to abandon a shortcut he had used to shore up his bank records.
Daniel Shirima had a genuine invitation from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with his accommodation and most of his travel plans already in place.
His problem was his bank statement. It showed very little activity because, like many Kenyans, he does most of his transactions through M-Pesa rather than a traditional bank account.
Worried that this would sink his application, Shirima turned to an agent. The agent assured him the embassy would never contact his bank, so he submitted his documents.
At the counter, an embassy teller reviewed the file and handed him a form. It asked for his bank details and his signed consent for the embassy to call the bank directly.
Shirima tried calling the agent and the original contact who had given him the all-clear, but neither picked up. He decided that walking away would look more suspicious, so he signed and braced for the worst.
The call to the bank never came. The officer instead noticed that hotel booking confirmations were missing, returned all his documents and told him to sort them out and rebook his appointment.
Shirima later described that as an unexpected second chance. He returned with a genuine one-month bank statement and a complete file, and he did not use an agent. The visa was approved.
“Sometimes when we feel like we’ve run out of options, we start doing things we wouldn’t do normally,” he said. He added that the ordeal taught him he did not have to compromise himself out of fear.
He urged other travellers to use their bank accounts and remember their statements when they suddenly need a visa.