While steps have been done by the EU authorities and Member States to enhance their operational capabilities and solve the existing issues, applicants have continued to voice their dissatisfaction with the visa processes.
Due to this, EU Helpers has contacted EU Member States and the Commission to find out more about the steps they intend to take to speed up the visa application process and reduce the amount of necessary papers.
Schengen Visa Interviews, According to Applicants, "Take Forever"
Applications have complained that Schengen visa appointments "take forever" and about the rules that the nations who issue the visas must abide by.
An applicant noted that some embassies store passports for up to two months before issuing only one-week single entry visas while also stating that you never know when you'll be able to discover open appointment dates.
Furthermore, according to Mohan, the Schengen Member States' system for granting visas is "a complete mess." He emphasized that, even though it would be more expensive, a system should be created that would allow applicants to apply for a one-year multiple-entry visa instead of issuing visas with the validity that embassies desire.
Other applicants have also voiced complaints about brokers scheduling all the meetings and then reselling them for a higher price. They have also demanded that the embassies of the Schengen Member States expand their geographic presence and accessibility.
Regular Updates to the Visa System Streamline the Application Process & Enhance User Experience Switzerland Says
According to Switzerland, the Schengen visa application process is streamlined and user-friendly improvements are made on a regular basis while still adhering to EU regulations.
The Federal Department informed EU Helpers that Switzerland routinely evaluates the current visa acceptance centers and any requirements to open new or enlarge existing ones.
As previously mentioned, Switzerland recently began outsourcing to Algeria and established one acceptance center there.
Additionally, the Department announced that in an effort to speed up the visa application process, the country's representation in New Delhi has opened a second center in Lucknow, the representation in Saudi Arabia has opened a new center in Al Khobar, and the representation in Sri Lanka has opened a new center in Malé.
Additionally, the Department stated that Switzerland has expanded its current visa application centers or is currently preparing to do so at some other locations, including Beijing, Cairo, Dubai, Istanbul, New Delhi, Pretoria, Prishtina, Shanghai, and Singapore, in order to address the difficulties faced by applicants for Schengen visas.
The Swiss authorities underlined that in addition to moving human resources and improving personnel qualifications, they had streamlined the Schengen visa application procedure. It has been revealed as a result that the majority of Swiss representations are currently using the same operating configuration as before the outbreak.
Sweden Attempts to Expand Its Geographic Reach to Boost Accessibility
Similar to Switzerland, Sweden stated that it is attempting to alter its visa application procedures.
According to the Swedish Migration Agency for EU Helpers, the nation's representations abroad continuously assess the need and work toward greater geographic coverage to make it simpler for applicants to go through the process of applying for a Schengen visa, even though no new visa application centers have been established.
It went on to say that the Visa Code is a kind and advantageous regulatory structure that permits frequent travelers who don't abuse their visas to get visas with longer validity periods for multiple entries.
The Swedish Migration Agency emphasized that they must handle all applications in accordance with the regulations and that they are unable to vary from the code in regards to speeding the entire process by, among other things, simplifying the application rules.
Member States are required by the EU Commission to reduce lengthy wait times by releasing more appointments.
After the COVID limits were relaxed and demand for Schengen visas surged, the European Union Commission urged the Member States to strengthen their operational capabilities and reduce the lengthy wait periods by opening up additional appointments.
However, difficulties persist. Anitta Hipper, the Home Affairs Spokesperson for the European Commission, told EU Helpers that when new appointments are made available, intermediaries using sophisticated IT tools book them on behalf of the applicants, making it challenging for other people to do the same.
Furthermore, Hipper emphasized that delays are felt more so during the holiday season and that embassies and consulates must adhere to the regulations and make every attempt to reopen.
Additionally, according to Hipper, the updated Visa Code, which became effective in February 2020, has a number of rules designed to streamline the visa application process.
The window for applying was extended from three to six months prior to the start of the intended visit, and Member States have begun issuing multiple entry visas with a long validity when the applicants meet the necessary requirements. These are just two of the changes made to improve the Schengen visa application rules.
According to Hipper, the digitalization of the visa process would lessen the administrative load of managing paper applications and visa stickers and will speed up the processing time.
All applicants will be able to submit their applications online once the visa application procedure is fully online, according to Hipper, saving them money on travel expenses to the consulate or the visa application center.
Additionally, because the visa will be provided in digital form, applicants won't need to leave their travel documents at the consulate while they apply the visa sticker, and retrieving the document will be free of charge.
These Are the Nations Where Getting a Schengen Visa Is Simplest
Data indicate that some Schengen visa-issuing nations have lower rejection rates than others, despite the fact that all of these nations must go by the same standards when processing visa applications.
Iceland, Lithuania, and Latvia were the top three nations with the lowest rejection rates in 2022, according to recent Schengen Visa Statistics data. This indicates that obtaining a visa is the simplest for these three nations.
Iceland's rejection rate was under 1.9% in 2022, whereas rejection rates for Latvia and Lithuania were 7.8% and 9.5%, respectively.
Slovakia, Finland, Luxembourg, Poland, Switzerland, Greece, and Italy round out the top 10 list of nations where obtaining a Schengen visa is the simplest.