Travellers planning trips to Europe’s Schengen Area this summer may face difficulty securing visa appointments as demand rises during the peak travel season from May to August, according to Fragomen. In an immigration alert, the firm said appointments for Schengen C visa applications are currently limited due to an increase in application volumes.
The advisory asked travellers to plan their trips well in advance and warned businesses to remain flexible while arranging travel to Europe.
The Schengen C visa is issued for short-term travel across countries in the Schengen Area, which includes most European Union member states.
Europe begins digital Schengen visas
The European Union is moving towards a fully digital Schengen visa system by 2028. Under the proposed system, visas will be issued digitally with encrypted barcodes to improve security and streamline the application process.
During the transition period, travellers are expected to encounter a mix of digital and paper-based procedures before the complete rollout of the new system.
According to Fragomen report, travellers must be prepared for possible delays at airports and border checkpoints across Europe due to the recent rollout of the Entry Exit System (EES). The EES is a digital border management system designed to record the entry and exit details of non-EU travellers entering the Schengen Area.
According to the advisory, these measures could increase processing time for travellers during the busy summer season.
