What is visa shopping and here's why one should avoid this practice

With a limited supply of appointments, tourists applying for Schengen visas are often tempted to apply for countries wherever appointments are available

As tourism has returned back to normalcy following the lull caused by the Coronavirus pandemic, people are gearing up for summer travel in full swing. 

Travellers going to Europe are once again facing difficulties in getting visa slots and visa delays, similar to previous years. According to an Economic Times report, in such cases where visa slots and visa delays are involved, many tourists look to apply for a Schengen visa from the country where it is faster or easier to obtain, as compared to other countries. 

With limited appointments, tourists applying for Schengen visas are often tempted to apply for countries wherever appointments are available.

According to the Embassy of Estonia in India, 'Visa shopping is the practice of applying for a visa from the country where it is faster or easier to get as compared to others.'

The embassy explains, "In the case, you plan to visit two or more countries for an equal number of days (we are talking a few days of difference), then you should apply for a visa from the country that you visit first or is your main destination. However, many people do not abide by the Schengen visa rules. They tend to apply for visas at Embassies, which are easier or faster to get. Then they use that visa to stay in other countries for a longer period."

Be aware, Embassies are doing a very thorough check of travel plans, the embassy further added.

It also said that "there might be more severe consequences – starting with the refusal of the visa and if traveling with a different itinerary, ending up being offloaded from the plane or returned back home from the European Union (EU) borders."

Citing a spokesperson from VFS Global, ET said that it is advisable to abstain from visa shopping, which has unfortunately become a trend among Europe-bound travelers and this could lead to visa rejections due to improper documentation, the report added. 

The Schengen area consists of 27 countries - Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.