There have been several news reports making rounds on the Internet stating that the Swiss embassy in New Delhi has suspended Schengen visa applications for Indian tour groups till the month of October. Information about suspending visa applications for groups is making headlines everywhere. In between all the buzz and confusion among people, the Swiss Embassy has revealed the actual facts!
Swiss Embassy Cleared Up All The Confusion Regarding Schengen Visa Applications’ Suspension For Indian Tour Groups
Viral news: The reason behind this pause is the massive amount of pending applications left to process. This is resulting in a huge delay and that is why the Swiss Embassy decided to suspend the Schengen visa applications till October. So if you have travel plans to fly to Switzerland soon, hold your plans. In fact, tour organisers have been asked to reschedule their travel dates for group holidays to get more time for visa processing, according to SchengenVisaInfo.com.
Also read: Schengen Visa Rejection: India Had The 2nd-Highest Rejection In 2022, Losing Almost ₹90 Crore
Clarification by the Swiss Embassy: The official representation of Switzerland in New Delhi has shed light on all the news going on all around us. The actual fact is that the embassy has not suspended the Schengen visa applications for Indian tour groups, according to a report by News 18. An embassy spokesperson stated that all this news is not the truth. The Swiss Embassy currently has around 800 appointments every day till September-end, as shared by a Wion reporter on the social media platform ‘X’. The spokesperson also emphasised the significance of people-to-people contact and how it is important for the relations between India and Switzerland.
Further Updates On Swiss Embassy & Visa Processing:
- The embassy shared how they have processed more Schengen visa applications in comparison to the pre-pandemic years.
- They processed 129,446 applications in the first 6 months of 2023. The number was 120,071 in the first half of 2019. This is a rise of 7.8 per cent and also shows how the process is taking place efficiently.
- The Swiss Embassy made some necessary changes for India that are helping in visa processing. The expanding capacity in the country is a great step.
Also read: With 18% Rejection, India Had The Second-Highest Schengen Visa Rejection Rate In 2022
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