Despite costs, delays and the complexity of applying for a Schengen visa, South Africans' appetite for travel to Europe has not dulled.
A recent Schengen Statistics report shows that 165,893 South Africans spent more than R271m on Schengen visa application fees last year.
“Our recent data shows that travel volumes to the Schengen area have remained strong this year, even during the highly sought-after summer peak period,” says Lynette Machiri of Flight Centre South Africa.
“Recent data speaks to the continued resilience of the South African traveller and the popularity of Europe even amid challenges.
“While we continue to see interest in visa-free destinations, often also destinations where our rand stretches that much further, it’s clear that Europe has always been a bestseller and is set to continue to be one in our market.”
The complexity and costliness of the Schengen visa application procedure continues to be a sore point for some.
In some cases, travellers are required to journey to other cities for their applications if there is no representation in their own city or town.
In addition, a vast amount of supporting documentation is mandatory, even for frequent travellers to the Schengen zone who need to apply each year.
Not all Schengen visas are issued with the same validity, which can vary from a year to five years for multi-entry visas.
The most common Schengen visa issued for South African travellers is a short-stay visa which allows travellers a maximum stay of 90 days over 180 days.
The Association of Southern African Travel Agents (Asata) has long advocated for a simpler and more cost-effective Schengen visa application process.
“Flight Centre is in full support of a more streamlined visa application process. Digital applications would be a game-changer, not only saving our travellers significant time and admin but also alleviating the extra costs,” said Machiri.
This progressive step towards simplification reflects a shared commitment to meeting the demand for travel to the Schengen area while making the process more traveller-friendly
Last year the EU Parliament and Council agreed to transform Schengen visa application procedures from lengthy paper documentation into an online process in the near future.
Travel experts say this progressive step towards simplification reflects a shared commitment to meeting the demand for travel to the Schengen area while making the process more traveller-friendly.
The EU Parliament and the Council of the EU recently agreed on rules to digitalise the procedure for Schengen visas.
However, the agreement still needs to be approved by the member states of the EU. If successful, the new online system will allow travellers to apply, process, pay for and monitor their application through a single website.
There are no definite timelines as to how long this approval process will take.
Schengen statistics show South Africans spent the highest amounts on visa applications to Germany — 26,735 applications, or more than R43m in expenditure.
Flight Centre and Asata tips to ensure a smoother Schengen visa application:
- Start the application process at least 6-8 weeks before your intended departure date.
- Ensure you have all the required documents as specified by the embassy or processing centre and submit them together for a comprehensive application.
- Obtain correctly-sized passport photos from trusted retail stores such as Kodak or Postnet, familiar with Schengen visa application requirements.
- If applying for multiple visas (such as UK and Schengen), determine which visa to apply for first and allocate sufficient time for each application.
- Apply at the embassy of the country where you plan to stay the longest or, if staying an equal amount of time in multiple countries, the first port of entry.
- If you will be entering and exiting the Schengen area multiple times, ensure you apply for a multi-entry visa to facilitate your travel plans.
- Confirm whether your travel insurance covers visa denials and understand the extent of coverage provided.
- Arrive punctually for your visa application appointment, as missing or rescheduling can cause delays and disrupt your travel plans.
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