Schengen Visa Appointments for Indian Tour Groups Not Suspended

The Embassy of Switzerland in India has issued a clarification, stating that it has not suspended Schengen visa appointments for Indian tour groups. Contrary to recent reports, the Embassy revealed that it continues to offer "800 daily appointments" until the end of September 2023, with 22 groups included in this arrangement.

In a social media post, the Swiss Embassy emphasized the importance of people-to-people contact in the Swiss-Indian relationship.

Moreover, the Embassy reported a remarkable increase in visa processing compared to pre-pandemic times. In the year 2023, they handled 129,446 visa applications from January to June, surpassing the 120,071 applications received during the same period in 2019, representing a notable 7.8 per cent rise.

Switzerland Embassy Clarifies

To make the visa application process more accessible and convenient for Indian applicants, the Embassy has implemented various measures throughout the year. This includes expanding their overall capacity in India, with a new Visa Application Centre (VAC) in Lucknow, bringing the total number of VACs in India to 13 for the submission of Swiss visa applications.

In a significant change to the visa application process, travelers from India planning a trip to Switzerland can now apply for their visa six months ahead of their intended travel date, compared to the previous one-month window.

The Swiss Embassy assured that the processing time is efficient, with no more than 13 working days between the appointment secured at VFS Global and the Embassy's decision on the application.

Earlier today, media reports erroneously claimed that the Switzerland Embassy in India had temporarily suspended group tour visas until the start of October, citing a backlog of existing visa applications. However, the Embassy has officially denied this claim, and members of the travel trade and VFS Global have confirmed that no communication regarding such a decision has been received.