From April 18, a new EU visa policy is in effect, offering Indian nationals the opportunity to obtain long-term, multi-entry visas that remain valid for up to two years. This significant change brings a host of benefits, notably the freedom to travel unrestricted across the Schengen zone, eliminating the need for multiple visa applications.
Indians are now eligible for long-term, multi-entry visas to the European Union (EU) under a new ‘more favourable’ policy.
The EU is a bloc of 27 European countries linked via open borders and the free movement of people and goods. Many of them have the same currency, the euro. The EU has a standard visa regime called a Schengen visa.
Under the Schengen visa regime, 29 European countries —25 EU states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland— now grant visas that allow seamless travel across all these countries, forming the ‘Schengen zone’. This means that Indian nationals can transit from one Schengen country to another without any checks, making travel within the EU a breeze.
The EU’s visa policy has been an issue for Indians. Unlike the United States, which issues long-term visas, the EU used to issue short-term visas requiring multiple applications in a cumbersome process, according to The Times of India.
2-year, multiple entry visa for Indians under the new policy
Under the new policy adopted on April 18, Indian nationals can get long-term, multi-entry visas with a validity of up to two years, which would be extendable up to five years.
Under the newly adopted visa ‘cascade’ regime for India, Indian nationals can now be issued long-term, multi-entry Schengen visas valid for two years. This is possible after obtaining and lawfully using two visas within the previous three years. The two-year visa can be extended to five years if the passport has sufficient validity remaining. Throughout the validity period of these visas, holders experience travel privileges equivalent to those of visa-free nationals, making it an exceptionally advantageous choice for frequent travellers.
The visa policy has come against the backdrop of the strengthened India-EU relations under the framework of the EU-India Common Agenda on Migration and Mobility (CAMM), according to ToI.
The EU-India CAMM was signed in 2016. It seeks to facilitate safe and legal migration between India and the EU and address the challenges related to irregular migration.