Planning Europe in summer? Schengen visa appointments get harder to secure

Indians planning summer trips to Europe may need to prepare for longer wait times, limited visa appointments and potential airport delays across the Schengen region this year as demand for travel surges during the peak May-to-August season.

 

Travel advisory updates indicate that appointment slots for Schengen short-stay (C category) visas are becoming increasingly limited because of a sharp rise in applications during the busy holiday period. 

 

"Appointments for submitting Schengen C visa applications are limited amid increased application numbers during the peak travel season of May to August. Travelers should plan as much in advance as possible for upcoming travel to the Schengen Area. It is also recommended that businesses and business travelers remain flexible to ensure sufficient time for obtaining the appropriate visa prior to travel to the Schengen Area," said immigration law firm Fragomen in a post on Tuesday. 

   

The development could impact:

 

tourists,

business travellers,

students attending short programmes,

and families planning Europe vacations.

 

For Indian travellers — one of the fastest-growing outbound tourist groups globally — the timing is significant as Europe remains among the most popular international summer destinations.

 

Why Schengen visa appointments are getting delayed

 

According to the advisory, the main reason behind appointment shortages is: a spike in seasonal demand between May and August.

 

This is traditionally Europe’s busiest travel season because of:

 

school holidays,

summer tourism,

festivals,

business travel,

and favourable weather.

 

As a result:

 

visa appointment slots are filling faster,

processing timelines are stretching,

and travellers applying close to departure dates may face risks of delays.

 

The warning especially affects travellers requiring:

 

• first-time Schengen visas,
• fresh biometric submissions,
• or complex documentation checks.
• What Indian travellers should do now

 

Travel advisors are recommending that applicants:

 

plan travel well in advance,

avoid last-minute visa applications,

and keep itineraries flexible.

 

For travellers from India, experts suggest:

 

applying several weeks or even months earlier than usual during peak season,

particularly for:

family holidays,

honeymoon travel,

business conferences,

and multi-country Europe itineraries.

 

Business travellers are also being advised to remain flexible with meeting schedules and travel dates to accommodate possible delays in visa issuance.

 

Europe is preparing for a digital visa transition

 

The advisory also highlights a major long-term change underway in Europe’s visa ecosystem.

 

The European Union is currently working toward a full digitisation of the Schengen visa process by 2028.

 

Under the new system:

 

visas are expected to become digital,

paper visa stickers may eventually be phased out,

and encrypted barcodes will be used for authentication and security.

 

The shift is expected to:

 

simplify visa applications,

improve fraud prevention,

reduce paperwork,

and streamline border verification processes.

 

However, until the transition is fully completed, travellers may experience:

 

hybrid procedures,

overlapping paper and digital systems,

and temporary operational adjustments.

Airport delays may increase across Europe

 

Apart from visa delays, travellers may also face:

 longer queues and processing delays at European airports.

 

This comes after the rollout of Europe’s new:

 

Entry Exit System (EES).

 

The EES is a new digital border management system designed to:

 

electronically record the entry and exit of non-EU travellers,

replace manual passport stamping,

and improve border monitoring.

 

While the system is intended to modernise immigration processing, the transition phase could temporarily increase waiting times at airports and border checkpoints.

 

"Travelers should also plan ahead for potential delays at airports across the Schengen area due to the recent completion of the roll out of the Entry Exit System (EES) and the temporary reintroduction of internal border checks by some Schengen countries including Austria, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia, France, Germany, Norway, Poland and Sweden," said Fragomen.

 

Which countries are conducting extra border checks?

 

The advisory also notes that several Schengen countries have temporarily reintroduced internal border checks.

 

Countries mentioned include:

 

Austria

Denmark

Italy

Netherlands

Slovenia

France

Germany

Norway

Poland

Sweden

 

This means travellers moving within Europe may encounter:

 

• random passport checks,
• additional screening,
• and slower cross-border movement,
• even within the Schengen zone.