How long for Schengen visa approval? How long will the embassy process your application and release your visa for your upcoming trip? Before you submit your application, these are important questions you should ask to plan your trip better. Many travelers looking to enter the Schengen area on a particular date are often left disappointed when they are no longer able to do so due to delays with their visas.
How Long For Schengen Visa Approval?
The waiting period for Schengen visas is often 15 calendar days if you submit your application to the embassy. Some applicants are fortunate enough to receive theirs before then, depending on how fast the embassy is able to process their application. But it is pertinent to note that multiple factors may delay the visa issuance beyond the 15 days timeframe, most of which are beyond your control.
Here are some of the factors that may cause delays.
Travel Restrictions: One of the factors that may delay your visa is if the European Commission or the Schengen country you plan to visit has imposed travel restrictions on travelers coming from your country. There may be one or more reasons for these restrictions, especially political or economic reasons.
Policy Changes: Another reason why your visa may take a while longer to implement is if there is a new policy. Policy changes may delay the process as embassies adjust to those changes. This is especially true if it is a major policy change, but this only happens once in a while.
Political Unrest: If there is political unrest in the Schengen country you plan to visit, the government of that country may communicate to its embassies not to issue visas or delay issuance for a time.
Demand Surge: There may be an increase in a visa applications for the Schengen country you wish to visit, especially during the summer months or before or during a special event. With so many applications to deal with, the embassy may take some time to process so many applications.
Pandemic: If there is a pandemic in the country where you are, the Schengen country may shut its borders to travelers from that country; the same will be the case if there is a pandemic in the Schengen country you wish to visit. Delay in issuing visas or not issuing any at all is a way to check the spread of the virus.
Where You Apply: If you apply for the visa through a visa application center, there may be delays as the center will have to pass your documents to the nearest embassy in the same or another country. Application through centers may be necessary if the Schengen country you wish to visit has no embassy or consulate in your country.
These are some of the situations to bear in mind when applying for a visa. If any of these situations occur, it may take longer than 15 days for your visa to be approved. Also, note that the approval timeframe is much longer for family visas compared to individual visas.
Schengen Visa Application Process
When starting your visa application process, it is always important to plan and submit your application as early as possible. Let us review the visa application process.
Know If You Require A Visa: The first step before you even apply for a Schengen visa is to know if you require a visa. Many people do not know that not all travelers need visas to enter the Schengen Area. Be sure you are not from a visa-exempt country.
Arrange All Required Documents: The next step is to arrange all the documents you require for the application process. Arrange them in a single file so you can access the documents at short notice.
Fill out The Form: Fill out the Schengen visa application form correctly and leave no section empty. Make sure your details are accurate.
Schedule An Appointment: The next step is to schedule an appointment with the embassy in your country using the appropriate method.
Attend The Appointment: The next step is to attend the appointment and submit your documents to the officer in charge. You will also pay the application fee for processing.
After submitting the documents and attending e interview, wait for feedback from the embassy regarding the status of your visa. Successful applicants will be asked to return to collect their visas after processing.
Kindly note that you must visit the country that issued the Schengen visa before any other country in the region in case you plan to visit multiple countries during your trip.
How long for Schengen visa approval? The Schengen visa processing time is often 15 calendar days, but it can take more or fewer days, depending on the current situation. Just try and submit your application as early as possible.