After UK, Schengen states may soon offer super priority visa in India

Schengen super priority visa (SPV) service promises to charge much lower than the UK's visa fees

Need to travel to Europe on urgent basis? A Schengen super priority visa (SPV) is the one for you. A super priority visa is an optional service for citizens who need to travel to any European country in a hurry.

The United Kingdom (UK) started the super priority visa service a year back and Schengen states are also aiming to reach out to more and more Indians. The SPV service is targeted at business travellers, frequent visitors and those needing to travel to Europe urgently. 
 

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) allows eligible customers to apply for a super priority visa and receive a decision within 24 hours. Presently, UK offers this service and charges, in addition to the visa fee at Rs 90,000 for the “super priority” category which prompts visa decision in a day and Rs 20,000 for “priority" category for which, visa decision comes in less than a week, reported TOI.
 

However, Schengen priority service promises to charge much lower than the UK’s visa fees. It can be much cheaper to travel between European countries with a Schengen visa.
 

What is Schengen?
 

As a term, “Schengen” means an agreement between many European Union countries that allows people and goods to pass freely across the borders of each country without passport controls and standardizes visa policy.

What is a Schengen visa?
 

A Schengen visa is a document issued by the authorities concerned to the interested party for visiting/travelling to and within the Schengen area.
 

Who needs a Schengen visa?
 

The citizens of the non-Schengen member countries are required to have a mandatory Schengen visa in order to enter the Schengen zone. Schengen visa is usually issued for business travels and short-notice visits.
 

The Schengen visa is required by those willing to visit or travel within and to the Schengen area, which comprises 26 countries in Europe, including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, and Greece. Uniform Schengen visa is a permit of one of the Schengen Area member countries for a person to transit or reside in the country for a certain period of time, up to a maximum of 90 days, every six-month period starting from the date of entry. 
 

When to apply for Schengen visa?
 

According to the EU, it is advisable to lodge the visa application at least 15 calendar days before the intended visit. Importantly, applications can be lodged no more than three months before the start of the intended visit.

With inputs from the Times of India and The Economic Times