Schengen, Work Visas for Europe Still Tough for Indians

Despite recent efforts to simplify the Schengen visa process, Indian applicants continue to face significant hurdles in securing both short-term and long-term work visas for Europe.

The European Commission introduced a "visa cascade" system in 2024, allowing Indian nationals with a history of lawful Schengen travel to obtain multi-entry visas valid for up to two years. This initiative aims to enhance mobility between India and the EU. However, high rejection rates, rising fees, and inconsistent processing continue to pose challenges.

Dr. Ewa Suwara, Deputy Head of the European Union Delegation to India, acknowledged the complexity of the visa process, noting that applications must be made to individual EU member states, as there is no centralized EU visa system. This fragmentation can be frustrating for Indian applicants.

The lack of a centralized system means that each member state has its own set of requirements and processing times, leading to inconsistencies and delays. For instance, while Germany and France have more robust staffing to handle visa applications, other countries may have limited resources, contributing to longer waiting times.

In response to these challenges, the EU and India are engaging in broader discussions under the EU-India Migration and Mobility Dialogue, aiming to address visa-related issues and enhance people-to-people contacts. These discussions are part of a larger effort to build an enhanced strategic partnership between the EU and India.

While the introduction of the "visa cascade" system marks a positive step, experts emphasize the need for further reforms to streamline the visa process, reduce bureaucratic hurdles, and improve transparency. Such measures are essential to facilitate greater mobility for Indian professionals and strengthen EU-India relations.