New Schengen visa regulations: A gateway to Europe for Indian travelers

The European Commission has made a substantial change to the Schengen visa regulations

The European Commission has made a substantial change to the Schengen visa regulations, allowing Indian citizens to apply for multi-entry, longer-term visas. Officially enacted on April 18, 2024, the new Schengen visa regulations aim to improve ties under the common migration and mobility agenda between India and the European Union (EU).

This action is expected to make short-term, commercial, and tourism trips to the Schengen area easier and more common. The Schengen visa rules are a set of guidelines that control the granting of visas for brief visits (up to 90 days during 180 days) in the 26 European nations that make up the Schengen Area and have done away with passports and other forms of border control at its shared borders.

Travelers with a clean visa history will be rewarded under the new “visa cascade” system. A two-year multiple-entry visa is now available to Indian candidates who have obtained and legitimately utilized two Schengen visas in the last three years. If there is still enough validity on the applicant’s passport, a five-year visa can be obtained after this.

Within the Schengen area, holders of these extended visas will have the same privileges as citizens without a visa, permitting brief stays of up to 90 days throughout any 180 days. It’s crucial to remember that these visas are only intended for brief visits and do not allow employment within the Schengen area.

It is anticipated that the new regulations will greatly simplify the visa application procedure for Indian citizens, hence promoting increased travel to the Schengen region. Given the difficulties Indian travel agents suffered as a result of prolonged visa processing periods, which discouraged the summer travel rush from India, this is particularly important at this time.

The strong stance taken by European authorities is indicative of their understanding of the importance of Indian tourists to the area. The European Commission expects a rise in Indian tourism as a result of the simplified visa application process, which is a positive development for tourists and the travel sector alike.

The number of operational airports in India has increased from 74 to 140 in the past eight years, with plans to develop 220 airports in the next five years.DigiYatra Initiative: Over 35 lakh users have downloaded the Digi Yatra app, which facilitates contactless processing at airports using Facial Recognition Technology (FRT). This has been implemented at 13 airports as of 20232. The government has granted in-principle approval for the development of 21 Greenfield airports across various regions. According to Henley Passport Index 2024, India’s passport ranking improved significantly, securing the 82nd position with access to 62 countries without a visa. these are some of the reasons which reflect India’s growing global engagement.

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