The European Commission announced that new rules for obtaining Schengen visas will come into force on 2 February 2020. It is now possible apply for a visa six months before your planned trip, and this can be done electronically.
For For Russian tourists, the consular fee will remain the same: 35 euros for a regular visa and 70 euros for an urgent visa, plus the service fee of the visa center itself. For representatives of other countries, the consular fee has increased to 80 euros. Travelers with a positive history and regular trips to the Schengen area will receive a multiple-entry visa. According to experts, the term for such people may be increased to five years.
What are the main changes that await us?
Appearance
The design has changed. Now they issue Schengen visas of a new design.
Fees for foreigners
For example, the consular fee for submitting documents for a Schengen visa to Spain for foreign citizens will increase to 80 euros. For citizens of Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Azerbaijan and Georgia, the fees will remain the same.
Review periods
The visa application processing period may last up to 45 calendar days, instead of the previous 30 days.
Visa issuance procedure
According to Article 24 of the Visa Code, to obtain a visa:
— for 1 year, it is necessary to correctly use 3 Schengen visas obtained over the last 2 years.
- for 2 years, you must correctly use the annual Schengen visa obtained in the last 2 years.
- for 5 years, it is necessary to correctly use a two-year Schengen visa obtained within the last 3 years.
Submission to the Consulate
The consulate has the right to refuse to accept documents for a Schengen visa from the applicant personally, and in such a case, tourists must contact the Visa Application Centre of the country itself.
Understandable reasons for refusal
In the new questionnaires, some points are separated, which allows for more specific and expanded list of refusal decisions.
The official date for the changes to come into force is February 2, 2020.
Source: trn-news.ru