• By Abhirupa Kundu
  • Tue, 23 Apr 2024 09:58 AM (IST)
  • Source:JND

Schengen Visa News: In a delight to Indian travellers who frequently travel to Europe, the European Union (EU) has announced that Indian nationals can now apply for the Schengen (short-stay) visa which will enable easier access to visas with multi-year validity and the rules for this visa will be more favourable than the standard rules of the Visa Code applied till date. Adopting the new visa rules, the EU on April 18 said that the Schengen visa will be accessible to tourists with an established travel history.

"This new visa 'cascade' regime for Indian nationals residing in India who apply for Schengen (short-stay) visas in India will provide easier access to visas with multi-year validity for travellers with an established travel history, if the passport validity allows," EU's press release read.

Following this, Herve Delphin, Ambassador of the European Union to India, announced a significant development in travel ease between Europe and India.

"Travel to Europe made easy! takes another step towards enhancing people-to-people contact with . New Schengen visa regime gives frequent travellers access to multi-year visa (up to 5 y.) Europe delivers on the partnership!." Herve Delphin said on X.

As per the newly adopted visa "cascade" regime for India, Indian nationals 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, the press release added.

The two-year visa will normally be followed by a five-year visa, if the passport has sufficient validity remaining. During the validity period of these visas, holders enjoy travel rights equivalent to visa-free nationals.

This decision comes in the context of strengthened relations under the EU-India Common Agenda on Migration and Mobility, which seeks comprehensive cooperation on migration policy between the EU and India, with the facilitation of people-to-people contacts being of key aspect due to the importance of India as a partner for the EU, the press release stated.

Schengen visas allow the holder to travel freely in the Schengen area for short stays of a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period. The visas are not purpose-bound, but they do not grant the right to work.

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The Schengen area consists of 29 European countries (of which 25 are EU states): Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden, along with Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.