Schengen visas in great demand in India, interview slots fall short

Schengen countries received the third-highest number of visa applications from India last year, totaling 9.7 lakh, up 44% from 6.7 lakh in 2022. According to the European Commission, India saw the second-highest increase in visa applications among the top five countries after China, with Morocco and Turkey trailing behind. However, due to the surge, many Indians encountered difficulties due to a lack of visa interview slots, causing disruptions in their travel plans.

Anil Kalsi, Vice-President of the Travel Agents Federation of India, told the Times of India that appointments are simply not available in the majority of Schengen countries. If you want to travel to Europe this summer, the earliest available appointment date for Germany and Italy is July. This is making it extremely difficult for travellers. According to the rules, people must apply to the consulate of the country that will be their primary destination in Europe. However, people are forced to choose any country that has an appointment available for a visa on time.”

According to travel experts in India, the true demand for Schengen visas is likely much higher than the official figures indicate. However, due to a shortage of available visa interview slots, many Indians who wanted to travel were unable to apply for Schengen visas.

Russia and China have experienced distinct dynamics. China, which only opened its borders for international travel last year, experienced a significant increase in demand, rising from 22nd place in 2022 to first place in 2023. It had the highest increase, a staggering 1,104 percent, indicating a tenfold increase in applications over the previous year.

Russia, on the other hand, fell from second place in 2022 to fifth place in 2023, owing primarily to the war in Ukraine and subsequent sanctions. Russian Schengen visa applications fell by 25% over the course of two years.

According to the Times of India, several travel agents have complained to Visa Facilitation Services (VFS) on multiple occasions but have not received a response.

Regarding the complaints, a VFS Global spokesperson told TOI, “Visa decision timelines are entirely at the discretion of the respective embassies/consulates… To avoid last-minute surprises, we recommend that travelers plan their trips in advance. Most countries accept visa applications up to 90 days (3 months) before travel.” The revised Schengen Visa Code, effective February 2, 2020, allows you to apply for a Schengen visa up to 6 months before your travel date.”

In fact, until recently, European Union policy allowed for the issuance of short-term visas to frequent visitors, which required multiple applications. However, the TOI reported that nothing has changed.

The Schengen visa zone includes 25 EU member states and four non-EU countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden are members of the European Union.