Posted on August 01 2019

Europe takes active measures to stop “Visa shopping”

By
Anshul Singhal
, Editor

Updated July 25 2023

While travelling to Europe, you need to have a valid Schengen Visa. The Schengen Zone comprises of 26 countries of the European Union. The Schengen Visa allows you to travel throughout the entire Schengen zone without the need for multiple visas. As per rules, if you are travelling to multiple countries in the EU, you should get a visa from the country where you will have the maximum stay. Your port of entry could be in a different country. However, some people do not apply for a Schengen Visa from the country where they plan to stay the longest. They apply from the Consulate/Embassy of a country where getting a visa is easier or faster. This practice is called “Visa shopping”. For example, Germany takes a week or longer to grant a visa while France issues one in as less as 2 days. So, many people apply for a visa through France and then stay longer periods in other countries. Europe is now taking active measures to stop the practice of visa shopping. Indian tourists have to go through extensive checks to ensure that they had provided correct information while getting the visa. Hotel booking and other travel documents go under scrutiny to very the information provided. Ideally, you should be applying for a visa from the country that is your primary destination. You should be staying the longest in this country. You may also get a Schengen Visa from the country that will be your port of entry, as per the Deccan Chronicle. However, several tourists violate the rules each year. As per Officials of the European embassies in India, there is a very high volume of visa applications which makes it difficult to check each traveller’s itinerary. Hence, tourists are questioned by Immigration Officers at the airport to ensure the authenticity of the information provided. Y-Axis offers a wide range of visa and immigration services as well as products to the aspiring overseas immigrants including Australia Visitor Visa, Canada Evaluation With Registered Canadian Immigration Consultant, and Canada Express Entry. If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit, Invest or Migrate Overseas, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company.   If you found this blog engaging, you may also like…  The UAE now issues a 6-month Visit Visa

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