During the upcoming May holidays, the number of people applying for Schengen visas has increased significantly. Consequently, visa centers are experiencing disruptions, with staff unable to cope with the large volume of applications, and document processing may be delayed. It may take longer than usual. Therefore, Prabuddha Sen, head of the representative office in Russia, the Baltics, and Eastern Europe for VFS Global, a company that operates visa centers for many countries, recommended that Russian tourists submit their documents in advance.
"During peak season, depending on the volume of applications, document processing time may be longer and varies by country. Therefore, travelers should try to submit their application as early as possible, taking into account the average processing time and their intended travel date," he said, according to Interfax.
The company's CEO also reminded tourists who are unable to get to the visa center during business hours can submit their documents in the evening using the "Prime Time" service. Furthermore, visa applications can be submitted through the Premium Lounge, significantly reducing wait times.
As a reminder, it was previously reported that the BLS Spanish visa application center in Moscow had suspended appointments for document submissions, and tourists were advised to purchase travel cancellation insurance to avoid trip disruption. A similar situation has also been observed at visa application centers in France and the Czech Republic, but appointments have not been suspended.
Source: trn-news.ru