Switzerland’s embassy in New Delhi has stopped accepting Schengen Visa applications from Indian tour groups until October, according to a report by SchengenVisaInfo.com. This is due to the high volume of applications yet to be processed, the report said, adding that tour operators have been notified to plan group trips for a later period of time, but in advance, in order to avoid delays.
The report added that tour operators “were not happy about this,” as these international tours are “most profitable” for operators in India. Moreover, the Head of Markets East at Switzerland Tourism, Simon Bosshart said that the country’s embassies are “currently dealing with a lack of staff.”
Bosshart, who is responsible for the Asian market, stressed that apart from Indians, “staff shortages are also affecting travellers from China who wish to visit Switzerland in groups.” He added that before the pandemic, there were around 17 visa processing centres in China. However, due to the onset of covid-19, embassies have been “dealing with issues,” which is the reason why they are unable to process a high number of applications in time.
In a statement, Switzerland’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs said that the country is currently processing 94 per cent of the visa applications that were made available in 2019. “While Switzerland is already processing 94 per cent of the visa applications made available in 2019, many other Schengen countries at various locations have not yet been able to restore their visa capacities from 2019,” a statement by the department reads.
Authorities have expressed concern over delays in processing Switzerland Schengen visa applications, attributing them to the practice of “visa shopping.” This issue has been impacting the efficient scheduling and handling of visa requests.
As part of the standard procedure, all foreign nationals applying for a Switzerland Schengen visa are required to furnish various essential documents. These include a fully completed and signed Swiss visa application form, a valid passport, two passport photos, and copies of their previous visas.
Additionally, applicants must provide a comprehensive round-trip flight itinerary, evidence of accommodation arrangements in Switzerland, proof of sufficient financial resources, and documentation of travel health insurance coverage, among other stipulated requirements.
These documents are crucial for the visa application process, but the delays caused by visa shopping are posing challenges for both the applicants and the authorities involved.
