The VFS Global Centre for France in Algiers, Algeria, has said that it will be unable to accept visa applications without prior appointments until mid-April.
Announcing the news through an official statement, VFS Global said that applications without appointments, also known as walk-in applications, will not be accepted from April 4 until April 15, SchengenVisaInfo reports.
The same cited the maintenance of the system as the reason behind this decision.
We inform our kind customers that due to the maintenance of the France-visas system scheduled for April 4 and April 15, 2024, starting from 12 p.m., the visa application centre for France will be unable to receive visa applications without appointments.
According to the statement, as soon as the maintenance of the French visa system is completed, the centre will resume accepting visa applications without appointments too.
In addition, VFS Global said that no one will be exempt, stressing that spouses of French nationals, as well as those applying to renew their residence permits, will also have to wait until April 15.
For those who have a visa or residence permit appointment on April 15 starting from 12 pm, VFS Global has suggested that they go to the centre in the morning in order to avoid any inconvenience.
If your appointment is scheduled for April 15, 2024, starting from 12 p.m., we kindly ask you to come to the centre in the morning to avoid any inconvenience.
The same stressed that during this period, the contact centre and passport collection will operate normally. This means that those who have already applied will be able to collect their passports as soon as they are ready without having to wait until April 15.
Algerians Filed Over 239,900 France Schengen Visa Applications in 2022
Schengen Visa Statistics show that Algerian passport holders applied for a total of 239,927 France Schengen visas in 2022.
Of the total number of applicants, 110,090 were granted a French visa, whereas 115,807 were refused the document.
This means that the rejection rate for France Schengen visa applications filed by Algerians in 2022 was higher than the approval rate.
As for the total number of applications to all Schengen Member States, data show that Algerians applied for 392,053 short-term Schengen visas in 2022. In the same year, Schengen countries granted visas to 191,187 Algerians and denied visas to 179,409 Algerians.
