NEW DELHI: If you are planning to travel to Germany, here is a good news for you. Georg Enzweiler, the deputy head of mission at the German Embassy, announced on Wednesday that the processing time for Schengen visas to travel to Germany has been reduced to eight weeks, and more efforts are being made to further decrease this duration.
“We are very happy to have increasing numbers of tourists from India to Germany. This is one of our goals to attract people from India to visit Germany and we are doing our best to cope with the visa applications that go with it. Sometimes it's not easy, but I think we have improved a lot over the last months. But we still want to improve that further. And I'm optimistic that we can do it. We have increased staff and I think we are slowly getting there,” he said.
Enzweiler emphasized the significance of the visa application process, expressing a desire for prompt improvements. He acknowledged the bureaucratic challenges in achieving immediate changes but noted proactive steps taken to address the issue. The German Embassy has substantially augmented its staff presence in Mumbai, resulting in a noticeable reduction in waiting times.
The current waiting period stands at approximately eight weeks, a timeframe that is expected to improve as part of the embassy's commitment to streamlining the process. Enzweiler underscored the Embassy's intention to avoid inconveniencing Indian tourists by necessitating visa applications years in advance, particularly as the objective is to encourage and facilitate tourism between India and Germany.
A Schengen visa grants individuals the ability to travel within the 27-country Schengen Area of Europe for tourism or business purposes for stays of up to 90 days. Overcoming delays in visa processing has been a challenge for those planning travel to Europe.
In 2022, Indian tourists spent over 623,000 nights in Germany, marking a substantial 209 percent surge in comparison to the preceding year. Nonetheless, this figure represented only 65 percent of the pre-pandemic levels, as per fresh statistics furnished by the German National Tourist Board.
The Director of the German National Tourist Office (GNTO) in India, Romit Theophilus, highlighted that Indians spent more than 201,000 nights in Germany during 2021. While the pinnacle achieved in 2019, with over 961,000 overnight stays by Indian visitors, remains unreached, Theophilus emphasized that the current achievement signifies 65 percent of the 2019 level. This leaves ample room for ongoing expansion as Indian travelers gradually resume their journeys. Theophilus further commented on the substantial appetite among Indians for international travel during a press conference.
(With inputs from agencies)
