Kuwait has called on all of its citizens not to apply for Schengen visas through unauthorised intermediaries.
In an official statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kuwait said that applicants risk having their visa applications refused if they make so-called “fake reservations”, SchengenVisaInfo reports.
The Ministry urges dear citizens to avoid making fake reservations to obtain a visa, which hinders applicants from obtaining a visa and results in the application being rejected by the relevant embassy.
To avoid a visa refusal, the Ministry called on all citizens of the country who plan to travel to the bloc to file their visa applications through the official website of the embassies.
As explained by the authority, by completing the application on their own through the official websites of embassies, applicants avoid paying intermediaries and do not risk their visa as long as they meet all the requirements.
The Ministry stresses the importance of dealing with accredited offices through the relevant embassies by accessing their official websites and avoiding dealing with any offices or intermediaries that are not accredited by the embassies.
In addition to the above-mentioned, the Ministry called on citizens of the country to not leave the visa application at the last minute.
According to the Ministry, it is important that Schengen visa applicants start their application process as soon as they have clear travel plans.
Schengen visa applications can be submitted six months before the planned entry to the Schengen Area at the earliest and 15 days before the planned entry to the zone at the latest.
The authority advised everyone to make sure that they submit all the necessary documents to the relevant embassies.
Kuwaitis Are Eligible for 5-Year Multiple-Entry Schengen Visas
In September of last year, the Commission of the EU adopted more favourable Schengen visa rules for Kuwaitis.
Since then, all Kuwaitis, including first-time applicants, have been eligible for five-year multiple-entry Schengen visas.
Under the cascade visa regime that the Commission adopted for Kuwait, nationals of Kuwait are issued visas with a five-year validity provided that their passport validity allows.
While on this visa, Kuwaitis can enter the Schengen Area multiple times a year without having to undergo visa procedures each time they want to travel to the bloc.
However, Kuwaitis must still follow the 90/180-day rule, which does not permit stays in the Schengen Area for more than three months within any six-month period.
