Foreign residents in the United Arab Emirates who are planning to visit the European Union in April and during the summer months are being advised to start planning their trips and book their Schengen visa appointments in advance.
While UAE passport holders are exempt from the Schengen visa requirements, the same does not apply to foreigners in the country. They need to apply for a visa in order to be allowed entry into the Schengen Area.
It is expected that there will be a high interest in visiting the Schengen Member countries in spring, during the Eid holidays, and throughout the summer. Therefore, to avoid any last-minute inconvenience, it is recommended that everyone has a clear plan and books a visa appointment in advance.
According to Khaleej Times, the regional head for VFS Global, Monaz Billimoria, expects a high number of Schengen visa applications from the UAE this year. She emphasized the importance of applying for the visa in time, as applications can be made up to 180 days in advance.
She also stressed the importance of not applying for the document through intermediaries that ask for large sums of money to help with the application. The demand for Schengen visas in the UAE saw an increase of 25% in 2023 compared to 2022, and it also exceeded 2019 levels by 18%.
While Billimoria did not disclose which European countries are the most popular among UAE Schengen visa applicants, it is believed that those known for their architecture are more popular during spring, whereas those known for their beaches are more popular during summer.
Schengen countries’ embassies in the UAE have opened up booking slots for visa appointments, and the processing time for a Schengen visa is currently less than two weeks. In addition to the streamlined visa process, flight prices to some countries have dropped, with some under €276. Among all Schengen countries, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, France, and Germany are the most popular destinations among UAE residents for April.
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