AMN
European Union, EU has adopted new visa rules that will allow frequent travellers from India to apply for multiple-entry Schengen visa with longer validity, easing travel to 29 European countries. Announced by the EU delegation to India and Bhutan yesterday, the rules will make it easier for regular Indian travellers to get the visa under the new cascade regime. The delegation’s statement said, Indian nationals can now be issued long-term, multi-entry Schengen visas valid for two years after having obtained and lawfully used two visas within the previous three years. The two-year visa will normally be followed by a five-year visa, if the passport has sufficient validity remaining. It added that during the validity period of these visas, holders will enjoy travel rights equivalent to visa-free nationals. EU ambassador to India Hervé Delphin lauded the new rules saying the EU had taken another step towards enhancing people-to-people contact with India. The new favourable visa regime for Indians comes as part of the India-EU Common Agenda on Migration and Mobility (CAMM) , first signed between the two partners on 29 March, 2016. Schengen visas allow the holder to travel freely in the Schengen area for short stays of a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period. The visas are not purpose-bound, but they do not grant the right to work. The Schengen area consists of 29 European countries of which 25 are EU states. The EU states covered by Schengen area are, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, The Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden. Countries that are not members of the European Union, but members of the Schengen area include Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.