The European Commission has announced new visa rules to help facilitate easier travel for Indian nationals ahead of summer vacations. Under the latest regulations, Indian citizens will now have easier access to long-term Schengen visas with multi-year validity, marking a big shift from previous visa requirements.

“On 18 April 2024, the European Commission adopted specific rules on the issuing of multiple entry visas to Indian nationals, which are more favourable than the standard rules of the Visa Code that applied to date,” the European Commission said in a statement. The revised visa framework — referred to as the “visa cascade” regime — allows Indian nationals residing in the country to obtain long-term, multiple-entry Schengen visas valid for up to two years.

This extended validity comes after successfully obtaining and lawfully utilising two visas within the preceding three years. Holders of these visas will enjoy travel rights equivalent to visa-free nationals for the duration of their validity period. “The two-year visa will normally be followed by a five-year visa, if the passport has sufficient validity remaining. During the validity period of these visas, holders enjoy travel rights equivalent to visa-free nationals,” the European Commission said.

“This decision comes in the context of strengthened relations under the EU-India Common Agenda on Migration and Mobility, which seeks comprehensive cooperation on migration policy between the EU and India, with facilitation of people-to-people contacts being of key aspect due to the importance of India as a partner for the EU,” it added.

The Schengen visa system permits holders to travel freely within the Schengen area for short stays of up to 90 days within a 180-day period. With the adoption of these new visa rules, Indian travelers can look forward to smoother and more convenient travel experiences within Europe, particularly as the summer vacation season approaches.

The Schengen area consists of 29 European countries (of which 25 are EU states): Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden, along with Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

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