Picture for illustrative purposes only. ARCHIVE

Schengen visa application in UAE likely to be digitized

UAE residents who want to visit Schengen countries may soon be able to apply for a visa online. This follows a recent report that 27 EU countries are planning to digitalize the visa application process, making it easier for travelers to apply for their visa online. Currently, Schengen visa applications require travelers to make appointments, stand in line for hours, and present their passports and supporting documents for visa processing. Members of the EU parliament have voted on the online application to modernize the visa process. The report was approved with 34 votes in favor, 5 votes against, and 20 abstentions. Negotiations on the specifics will start as soon as there are no objections when the EU parliament announces the interinstitutional talks on the matter. In a press release issued by the European Union’s Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee, the new digitalisation plan will move visa applications to an online platform. The online application system is designed to work with the EU’s border management systems and databases. Getting the visa stamped on the passport is also likely to be removed. According to a statement by EU Member of Parliament Matjaž Nemec, the visa sticker would be replaced with a digital visa. The 27 Schengen countries are composed of Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. KD/Expat Media
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