The Embassy of Switzerland in India has clarified that they have not suspended Schengen visa appointments for Indian tour groups.
The spokesperson of the Embassy of Switzerland in India has explained that they have nearly 800 daily appointments until the end of September, including 22 groups of travellers.
“The Embassy of Switzerland in India has not suspended Schengen visa appointments for Indian tour groups. We have almost 800 daily appointments through the end of September 2023. These include 22 groups,” the spokesperson said.
Such a clarification from the Embassy was made after SchengenVisaInfo.com and other media, citing an article from Tamedia newspapers as well as an article from Swissinfo.ch, reported that the Swiss Embassy in New Delhi would be unable to accept new applications from tour groups due to the high demand.
It was never claimed that the Embassy would suspend the Schengen visa appointments for this group of travellers.
As the spokesperson of the Embassy of Switzerland in India reveals, so far this year, the embassy has processed more Schengen visa applications than in 2019.
From the beginning of this year until June, the Embassy of Switzerland in India has processed a total of 128,446 Schengen visa applications, representing a 7.8 per cent increase compared to the pre-pandemic period.
“In 2023, the Embassy of Switzerland in India has processed more visa applications than it did in 2019. We have surpassed our pre-pandemic times processing level. From January until June, we handled 129,446 applications, as against 120,071 during the same period in 2019 – a 7.8 per cent increase,” the statement of the spokesperson reads.
In addition to the above-mentioned, the spokesperson pointed out that the embassy has already implemented some measures to facilitate the Schengen visa application process for applicants from India.
According to the spokesperson, all Indian applicants can apply for the visa six months before their travel date.
As part of its measures to ease the visa application process for Indian applicants, the Embassy of Switzerland in India has also increased its overall capacity throughout the country. A new visa application centre was opened in Lucknow earlier this year, raising the number of application centres all over India to 13.
Moreover, the spokesperson said that they have also taken measures to accelerate the processing period.
“Currently, it takes no more than 13 working days between the appointment by our partner VFS and the Embassy’s decision on the application,” the spokesperson said.
Since India has not reached a visa-free travel agreement, all of its citizens are required to apply for a visa, regardless of their purpose of travel, to be permitted entry into Switzerland and the other Schengen countries.
When applying for a Switzerland Visa, Indian applicants must submit several documents, including the completed visa application form, their passport, two passport-size photographs, a roundtrip flight itinerary, proof of accommodation, and proof of having purchased travel health insurance and having sufficient financial means, among others.
