UAE Residents Might Have To Wait Till September For Schengen Visa Appointments!

by Anupriya Mishra
UAE Residents Might Have To Wait Till September For Schengen Visa Appointments!

Although the dates for Eid al-Adha will depend upon moon sighting, tentative dates are already out. As a result, many people are opting to take one-day or two-day leave to make the most out of the long holiday that may fall upon the UAE. And so, several of these people want to take a vacation abroad, preferably in a European country. However, due to the high demand, appointments for Schengen Visa are not available until September, as per travel agents. Here’s all you need to know about this travel development.

Schengen Visa Appointments Not Available Till September?

Schengen Visa
Pic credits: Wikimedia Commons

Travel agents across the UAE are seeing a sharp increase in the demand for Schengen Visa appointments. As a result, now UAE residents who want to get Schengen Visa appointments will have to wait until September! It so happens that these travel agents are even getting as many as 700 enquiries in a day, according to a report by the Khaleej Times. It’s worth mentioning that while the visa processing time has declined, due to the rapid surge in demand, these slots are fully booked. And several agencies are receiving high numbers of enquiries that include emails, chats, and even queries through websites.

Also Read: No More 10-Day Grace Period For Dubai Visit Visa? Here’s What You Need To Know!

High Number Of Enquiries For Appointments

visa line
Pic credits: Flickr/Harsha K R

The rush for visas is so high that even premium services which can be obtained by paying an extra AED400 are no longer available! The report also mentioned that people are ready to pay twice this amount for an appointment, but slots are full. Moreover, many people want to travel to Schengen countries and most of them on a salary of AED5000 or above. However, it’s worth mentioning that some people have managed to get their hands on visas they planned ahead.

Since many of these people applied during the start of the year in the month of January or February, their visas have already been issued. This surge in demand comes as no surprise as Europe remains a popular holiday destination for UAE residents. And this demand has only increased as summer is here, plus with the Eid al-Adha holiday in tow, many people want to take up foreign vacations.

So, if you are also planning to travel to the Schengen area later this year, then make sure to contact a travel agent and book your slot accordingly.

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