The European Union has announced new Schengen Visa rules for Indian travelers giving them easier access to Schengen areas with longer validity. The article covers all the introduced changes in the Schengen Visa and the impact of the changed rules.
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Schengen Visa Rules
The European Union has adopted a new Visa scheme, the Cascade regime for Indian citizens applying for Schengen Visas. The Schengen Visa allows visitors to enter and travel within the territory of the 29 Schengen Area of European countries.
The Schengen Visa allows short-term visas to enter and travel within international borders without any restriction. However, the procedure of the Schengen visa is complex, and the need to renew it after the stay limit of 90 days was problematic for many visitors.
The new cascade regime will allow Indian visitors to enter 29 Schengen areas including 25 European countries and 4 non-EU countries (Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein) multiple times for two years, which can extend to 5 years for Visa-free Nationals.
Under the cascade rule, frequent Schengen Area visitors can easily access the Schengen Visa and are valid to stay longer. You will be allowed to visit the Schengen areas with the same travel rights as Visa-free nationals.
But remember, the Schengen Visa is available for business, tourism, or visiting friends & family, but not work in the affiliated Schengen Areas.
Eligibility for Schengen Visa under the new rules
The new rules come with some eligibility criteria that everybody must meet to avail the benefit of the new cascade rule under the Schengen Visa. Indian citizens who visit the Schengen territories through the Schengen Visa new rule can check the following eligibility criteria:
- The applicants must have obtained and used two Schengen visas within the span of three years, you can apply for the new visa category.
- Frequent travelers will fall under this bar easily and use this regime to apply for longer validity Schengen Visas.
- The two-year Schengen Visa will only extend to a five-year visa depending on your passport validity. The passport must have sufficient validity to receive a five-year-long visa.
Impact of the Change in Schengen Visa Rules
The new cascade rules would solve many problems for Indian citizens who seek to get Schengen visas and travel frequently to Schengen areas of the European Union. Here are some positive impacts that the new rule will make:
- Strengthen ties between the EU and India: The new rule will promote tourism and business exchange among both countries. The outbound travel of Indian citizens will likely increase with this rule after the drop due to the pandemic.
According to statistics, the Schengen countries play an essential role in the Indian outbound traveling rate to Europe. Now, travelers don’t have to apply for Visas again and again during their multiple visits for two years, so we can get some more traffic from Indians to European countries and strengthen ties between India and the EU.
- Less time and longer Validity: The Schengen countries are popular traveling destinations among Indian citizens but the visa delays and waiting time create problems for many visitors. With the new regime, travelers can easily get Schengen Visas in almost three or four weeks and can travel wherever they want in Schengen countries without waiting for a longer time.
- Meet your friends and families often: With easy access, people can travel anytime they wish to meet their friends and family multiple times in two years, which can eventually extend to five years depending on the passport validity.
How to apply for the Schengen Visa?
Frequent Indian travelers to Schengen can apply for a Schengen visa for their maximum 90 days stay in or transit in any 180 days. Indian citizens can apply for the Schengen Visa in the following way:
- Find an appointment slot on the VFS global website.
- Make sure you have the required documents that settle with your purpose of travel.
- Now, visit the VFS global center near you according to your slot and bring all the documents, answer the questions related to your trip, pay the visa fees, and other formalities.
- You can track your applications through the reference number you received after applying to VFS Global Center, once your application is selected.
- After the approval and review you can collect or get the Schengen Visa delivered to your address in 15 days.
The Indian citizens who frequently travel to Schengen countries have been granted a boon with the new cascade regime in Schengen Visa. The ties between the European Union and India would flourish more through such migration regimes.
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