Tag Archives: Schengen visa

The Finnish Border Guard has announced that Finns will be the first in the world to test digital travel documents starting from August 28 2023. According to the Border Guard, all Finns on Finnair’s flights who will be travelling to London, Manchester, and Edinburgh will be able to test the digital travel document. This means that they will have the chance to go through the controls faster without having to wait for a long period, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. “The Finnish Border Guard invites passengers on Finnair’s Great Britain flights to test their digital travel document at the border check at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport starting on August 28, 2023. Finnair customers on the London, Manchester and Edinburgh routes have the opportunity to go through the border control faster and more smoothly than usual without queuing,” the statement of the Finnish Border Guard reads. As explained, passengers will be able to go through faster procedures by registering as voluntary users of a digital travel document. Once they register, they will be able to use their digital document when travelling from and to Finland. However, it has been stressed that the document can only be tested at the Helsinki Airport. Those who register to the system will be able to test the digital travel document until the end of February 2024. The digital travel document, known as DTC (Digital Travel Credentials), is being tested for the first time in the world, as the Border Guard explains. DTC is a digital version of the physical passport, and it is just as reliable as the latter. “DTC is a digital version of a physical passport and is equally reliable. It enables a smooth and fast border crossing …

With 3203 issued visas per 100,000 inhabitants, Kuwait has the highest number of approved visa applicants for 2022, with the visa approval rate being 93.4 per cent, while 3.2 per cent of the population obtained a Schengen Visa in 2022. Schengen Statistics reveals that approximately every 31st applicant from Kuwait received a positive answer for their application, while every 39th applicant from Qataris, which is the second nationality for the highest number of approved applications last year. More specifically, 2,556 positive applications per 100,000 people were recorded in Qatar, indicating that 2.56 per cent of the population has received a positive answer for their visa application, while the visa approval rate reached 86.95 per cent, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. The third nationality with the highest rate of visa approval per 100,000 people was Surinamese, with 2,145 issued visas. This means that every 46th Surinamese applicant was issued a visa, taking the visa approval rate to 78.7 per cent, and the share of people with approved visa applications was 2.15 per cent. The three following nationalities with the largest number of issued visas per 100,000 were Cape Verdeans, Armenians and Emiratis, with 2,097, 1,933 and 1,489 visas issued per capita, respectively. While the share of the population with approved visa applications is 2.1 per cent for Cape Verdeans, 1.93 per cent of all population in Armenia has received a positive answer on their application in 2022. In addition, 1.49 per cent of Emiratis were issued a Schengen visa last year. This means that the visa approval rate for Emiratis was 75.7 per cent, while Cape Verdeans and Armenians had 71.45 and 86.61 per cent of their applications approved. Every 47th Cape Verdean national …

Possibilities of granting nationals from Kuwait visa-free access to the Schengen Zone have been discussed during official talks held between Kuwait’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. Both countries’ authorities also discussed new opportunities that would further enhance their collaborative relations, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. Italian Foreign Minister reiterated Italy’s support for the abolishment of Schengen visa requirements for citizens of Kuwait, emphasizing Rome’s ongoing efforts on the matter in the European Union and European Parliament. At the same time, Sheikh Salem Abdullah affirmed keenness regarding boosting the friendly relationship between both states. Kuwait’s Minister of Foreign Affairs has intensified the efforts so citizens of the Asian country can travel without additional requirements such as visas to the Schengen Area. Sheikh Salem Al-Jaber Al-Sabah recently held talks with Hungarian counterpart, Peter Szijjarto, during the Kuwait delegation’s official visit to Hungary’s capital. Among the main topics discussed in the meeting was the exemption of Kuwaiti citizens from visa requirements and also rallying European support for such a move. Last month, authorities in Kuwait also called on the European Union to abolish visa requirements for their citizens in a bid to facilitate the travel process, especially during the peak summer season. The request came in a meeting that Kuwait’s Minister of Foreign Affairs held with European Union ambassadors, during which he stressed that the country should no longer be subject to Schengen visa requirements. “The minister, during the luncheon held at the Foreign Ministry headquarters, called upon the diplomats to act to ease off difficulties facing the Kuwaiti nationals seeking the Schengen visa, facilitate procedures to apply for the visa, set …

Holders of US, UK or Schengen visas can now obtain a visa on arrival in Saudi Arabia, it has been announced recently. The move comes in line with the Kingdom’s recent implementation of tourist visas. While holders of American, UK and Schengen visas will now be able to obtain a tourist visa on arrival, they are not eligible for the electronic visa system. However, the visitor must have already used his US, UK or Schengen visa to visit the respective countries before arriving in Saudi Arabia.

Athletes and coaches from all around the world regularly criss-cross their region, country, or continent as they travel to one major sporting event after another in order to participate and compete. We spoke to Omar Al Souma, Saudi-based Al Ahli football player about the planning and preparation he needs to undertake for his travel. He has been playing football for almost two decades – his popularity skyrocketed in 2007 when he travelled from Syria to Dammam to participate in the Asian Youth Cup and lead his team to victory. Al Souma says that he has travelled frequently since and requires a visa for most countries he visits. Earlier, he had to visit the visa application centre to submit his application and biometric information but that has changed since he started using VFS Global’s new Visa At Your Doorstep service. The technology-enabled service brings the visa application process directly to the applicant, and that too at their preferred time and location. Recounting his experience, Al Souma said, “I have been playing matches all over and the visa process can be time consuming. Visa At Your Doorstep proved to be the best decision I could have taken for this process as I travel regularly – it not only enabled me to apply for my Schengen visa to France in comfort, but the team was professional, competent and consistently responsive to any questions I had.” “Throughout my Schengen visa application, VFS Global provided a personalised approach which suited my needs perfectly. The application that the French consulate received was very detailed and complete, which I feel was the reason why the whole experience was smooth and most importantly, brief,” he added.