She further said that there are also times when foreigners apply for a visa in a Schengen country embassy just because they know that the procedure is easier and due to a lack of appointments in the country they intend to visit, as per the report by Schengen visa news.
Marinska said that the digitalisation of the process will be a game changer as it will offer a seamless procedure for visa applicants and automatically allocate appointments, SchengenVisaInfo reported.
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In January this year, France became the first European country to issue digital Schengen visas to visitors for the upcoming Paris Olympics. France has announced plans to shift entirely to online procedures for 70,0000 French Schengen Visas, in a move that aligns with the EU’s digitalization plans.
Last year, the European Union announced plans to turn the Schengen visa digital. In November, European Union foreign ministers adopted a change to shift the process of applying for visas to visit the Schengen area to an online platform. Once enforced, this will eliminate the need for visa applicants to obtain a sticker in their passport, streamlining the application process and doing away with consulate or service provider appointments.
The Schengen area includes 23 of the 27 EU member countries, along with associated neighbors Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.
Fernando Grande-Marlaska, Spain’s Interior Minister and the current holder of the EU presidency, earlier said that the online visa system “will streamline the application process for travelers.” Once operational, visa applicants for the Schengen area can submit required documents, data, and electronic copies of their travel documents, including biometric information, and make payments through the online platform.