Are you planning to travel to the Schengen area in the near future? Be warned, you may have to join countless others on the long waiting list for a Schengen visa as the increased demand for travel has also extended the wait. Travelers have started planning their travels now that the COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted in most countries of the European Union/Schengen area. However, those who need a visa to enter the EU face difficulties due to a scarcity of appointment rooms.
According to a report in Times Travel, a Delhi doctor recently lost lakhs of rupees on hotel and flight cancellations after failing to receive his visa on time. Likewise, many others have been dealing with the same issues in recent days. As the rule says, the airline tickets and hotel bookings must be confirmed along with visa applications, many travelers lose money due to cancellations because the process takes longer than usual and passports do not return on time. According to the report in the news portal, there are no appointments (for submitting visa applications) for European countries until the end of June.
The Joint Secretary of Travel Agents Federation, Anil Kalsi, said that while the minimum visa processing time is generally 15 working days, a number of customers have reported that they have not received their passports even after a month.
The countries with currently the longest waiting times are Germany, the Netherlands and Austria. France, on the other hand, has the fastest turnaround time. As a result, travelers are pushed to apply for a French visa even if they plan to visit another country, which makes them spend more money as they have to get to their target country through France.
“We are dealing with high volumes of visa applications coupled with limited appointment availability and long timelines for processing visas from India,” a Swiss VFS Global spokesperson told TOI, adding that VFS Global averages about 20,000 applications from India per week. day, which is comparable to the pre-pandemic peak season.
A Schengen visa is a short-term visa that allows you to visit any country in the Schengen area. You can stay in your intended destination for up to 90 days as a tourist or on business.
Get all the latest news, breaking news, watch top videos and live TV here.
