The EU Commission and Member States are
currently addressing the challenges of obtaining a Schengen visa, including
lengthy waiting periods, complex application criteria, and other barriers. They
are also addressing the issue of some embassies issuing short-term,
single-entry visas in violation of established procedures and keeping passports
on file for extended periods.
According to a Schengen visa applicant, "Appointments take forever, and then there is no way to guarantee the validity of a visa. Sometimes one week, sometimes one year, the entire guidelines of if you’ve had two-year visas, you can get a three-year visa, etc., seem to not be followed at all."
Switzerland and Sweden are enhancing the user
experience and streamlining the visa application process in line with EU
regulations. Switzerland evaluates visa acceptance facilities and expands as
needed, while the Swedish Migration Agency assesses staffing levels and
geographic coverage to prepare for peak season spikes. The Visa Code emphasises
compliance with regulations and enables regular travellers to obtain visas with
longer validity and multiple entries.
The European Union Commission has called for
more appointment slots to reduce wait times, highlighting the need for
embassies and consulates to comply with laws and improve operational
capabilities. The digitalization of visa operations is expected to modernise
and simplify the process, reduce administrative constraints, and accelerate
processing times. This digitalization also saves on travel expenses and
eliminates the need for paper stickers and document retrieval. Iceland,
Lithuania, and Latvia will have the lowest rejection rates in 2022, while
Malta, Sweden, Belgium, and France will have the highest rejection rates among
Schengen visa-issuing nations.
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