No Schengen Entry For The Summer?

With summer vacation just around the corner, the travel plans of Indians are not looking great, especially if they are planning to fly off to Europe to cool off. According to reports, the interview slots for the Schengen Visa are high in demand and low in supply, with the waiting list extending for months now.

According to insiders, the next available slot for a visa interview for Germany or Italy travel is in July 2024. The news does not come as a surprise, considering there has been a 44% increase in Schengen Visa applications around the world, with India’s visa applications for Schengen countries rising to 9.7 lakh in 2023 from 6.7 lakh in 2022. As per the European Commission, India saw the second-highest rise in European visa applications after China.

Due to the lack of availability of interview slots, many Indians are set to face disruptions in their summer travel plans. Talking of the same, Anil Kalsi, Vice President, Travel Agents Federation of India, told Times of India, “Appointments for Schengen Visa interview are simply unavailable with the majority of Schengen countries. If you plan to travel to Europe this summer, the earliest appointment date for Germany and Italy is in July. This is making life very difficult for travellers.” The experts also note that the demand for visa may actually be higher than the figures estimated till now. However, the lack of entry interviews are discouraging many Indian travellers at the last minute.

The Schengen Visa allows entry into countries such as Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Iceland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.