Schengen visa: Visa time for Europe-bound travellers unlikely to fly soon

The travel industry welcomed the more “favourable” Schengen visa rules for Indians but said the changes are unlikely to bring any immediate benefit for those seeking to travel to Europe and frustrated by long appointment wait times for the third year running. Still, the move will boost travel by frequent fliers to the continent and shorten visa queues in the long run, industry executives said.The European Union announced Monday that, according to the new “cascade” regime, Indians can now be issued long-term, multi-entry Schengen visas valid for two years after having obtained and lawfully used two visas within the previous three years.

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The Schengen visa is an entry permit valid for 29 European countries, including France, Germany, Spain and Italy. The visa has to be from the country that’s the port of entry. The two-year visa will normally be followed by a five-year visa, if the passport has sufficient validity, according to the announcement. Holders will enjoy travel rights equivalent to those of visa-free nationals.

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The measure will ensure convenience and inspire repeat visits with a force-multiplier effect for the travel and tourism ecosystem, said Madhavan Menon, executive chairman, Thomas Cook India Group.

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However, e-visas may be a better solution, said Subhash Goyal, chairman, STIC Travel and Air Charters Group.

“To be able to apply for the long-term visa, travellers will still have to wait to get appointments which are not available for some countries currently,” he said. “There is a waiting time of one or two months for dates and, many times, travellers cancel their programmes.”

Relief likely by next year only
No new visa appointment slots are available for countries such as Iceland, Portugal and Hungary in Delhi, according to travel industry executives.

Neither are they available for Spain and Hungary in Mumbai. In Bengaluru, no slots are available for Iceland, Italy and Portugal. Kolkata has no slots for France, Iceland, Portugal, Hungary and Norway. Wait for visa appointments stretch to 35-40 days for countries such as Italy and Austria in Delhi and about 90 for Germany. Travellers in Mumbai might have to wait for over 50 days for a German visa appointment.

The changes will bring some relief only next year as the wait for visas continues, said Rajiv Mehra, president of Indian Association of Tour Operators.

Schengen countries have been struggling to keep up with the demand generated by the Indian tourism industry, said Jyoti Mayal, vice chairperson of the Federation of Associations in Tourism & Hospitality (FAITH).

“Indian travel agents have reported delays as a major challenge,” she said. “These are due to the backlog of applications and the time it takes for the embassies to process them. The appointment calendars have also been packed to the optimum.” Vijay Kesavan, founder and CEO of StampThePassport, is optimistic though, having received several queries on the development on Tuesday.

“It seems everyone wants to go for it,” he said. “This is a good and sensible move and should benefit the frequent travellers. It’s impractical for embassies to hire extra staff only for the peak summer season demand rush so they are looking to find solutions such as this.”