Planning a Europe trip? Plan better with these tips

New Delhi, March 4 If you are one of the lucky ones heading away on an amazing adventure to Europe, you arent the only one. An increasing number of Indians are travelling to beautiful Europe, thanks to the new guidelines of Schengen visa.

A Schengen visa is undeniably one of the most imperative entry keys to Europe. Obtaining a Schengen visa by any of the 26 Schengen area member countries consents a visa holder to enter, travel within, and egress the Schengen territory from any of the member countries.

Number of Schengen visa applications from India is among the highest in the world and Spain is one of the preferred Schengen destinations which witness a huge number of influxes from India.

One of the probable reasons behind this immense footfall is India not being amongst the visa-exempt nations for the Schengen.

Shikhar Aggarwal, JMD, BLS International writes some common things to consider while applying for a Schengen visa from India:

1. As per the recent changes in the Schengen visa rules, applicants can now apply for the visa in 6 months advance, this allows you to plan your trip in advance.

2. Know your port of entry and the visiting nation in the Schengen territory. Accordingly, you have to apply for a visa to the embassy of the respective country.

3. Knowing your purpose of visit is another point of consideration for Schengen visa applicants. This helps you know which visa category you are entitled for. Once your purpose of visiting tallies your support, you are permitted to apply for Schengen or National visa.

4. Next comes in; the number of entries. Perhaps one of the biggest benefits of Schengen visa is the number of entries you are granted. Usually, there is single-entry, double-entry, or multiple-entry visa categories that one can apply as per the eligibility.

5. Attend the appointment as per scheduled slot carrying all the documents and required fees.

6. All applicants for Schengen visa must submit their biometrics, which is obligatory if not given in last 59 months.

7. The processing time of Schengen visa is usually within 15 working days. However, under certain scenarios, it may take 30-60 days. The final decision to approve/delay/reject an application is at the discretion of the embassy.

Although preparing for a holiday is not without its challenges, to make sure you get to your destination smoothly with as little stress as possible, visa services agencies are offering a plethora of services. They are designed to suit the evolving requirements of the new-age traveller, and to make the visa application process more convenient, exclusive, personalised, time saving and hassle-free.