Schengen Visa Ease for Indians Traveling in Europe with Extended Stays under the Cascade Regime

Monday, April 22, 2024

European Union enhances travel for Indians with a new Schengen visa cascade regime, allowing longer, multiple-entry stays.

The European Union has implemented a new visa policy that grants Indian frequent travelers the opportunity to obtain multi-entry Schengen visas with extended validity, simplifying entry into 29 European nations.

EU Ambassador Herve Delphin shared on social media platform X that the European Commission formalized the protocol for granting these visas to Indian citizens on April 18.

The Schengen visa zone includes 25 EU member countries along with four non-EU states: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

These revised visa guidelines are an improvement over the traditional Schengen visa regulations previously in place, according to a release from the EU’s delegation to India.

For Indians living in India and seeking short-stay Schengen visas, the newly established visa “cascade” system will offer multi-year visas more readily to those with proven travel histories. Initially, eligible Indians will receive a two-year visa after having used two visas within the last three years. Subsequently, a five-year visa may be granted, dependent on the passport’s validity.

Schengen visas permit travel within the Schengen area for up to 90 days per any 180-day period for non-work purposes.

Countries that are part of the Schengen agreement include Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden, along with the non-EU states Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.