The President of Guyana, Irfaan Ali, has said that five European Union countries have agreed to support its Schengen bid.
Such news was announced by President Ali last week, with him saying that the authorities are doing everything they can so that citizens of the country get to travel to the Schengen Area visa-free as soon as possible.
“In terms of the removal of the visa, you have to have sponsoring countries, and I’m very pleased to tell you that we have at least five countries that have agreed to sponsor us to begin the process within the EU itself,” President Ali said.
However, he did not disclose which countries have supported its Schengen bid.
While the country expects to receive good news on the matter and further support from other countries, President Ali stressed that they still have some issues to address.
He said that the country needs to update its passport in order to be granted visa-free travel to the Schengen Area.
“Biometrics and e-passport are very critical for global travellers. So, we have to now work expeditiously on having our system transformed so that we can have ease of movement and ease of travel,” President Ali added.
At the same time, he pointed out that they are working on having Schengen visas processed in the country, as currently, all citizens of the country applying for the document have to travel to Suriname for their visa interview.
The news regarding the support from the five countries comes not long after President Ali pushed for facilitated Schengen visa rules.
At the beginning of last week, President Ali discussed with the Deputy Prime Minister of Slovenia, Tanja Fajon, the possibility of reaching a visa-free travel agreement and, at the same time, urged the EU authorities to no longer apply strict rules for its citizens.
When applying for a Schengen visa, all citizens of Guyana are required to submit several documents.
Guyanese citizens applying for the document need to submit the completed and signed visa application form, two recently taken photos, and their valid passports.
In addition, they also are required to submit proof of having secured accommodation in the bloc, a roundtrip itinerary, proof of having purchased travel health insurance, proof of paid visa fee, and proof of enough financial means.
Additional documents are required, too, depending on the employment status of the applicant and the type of visa they are applying for.
