Due to the limited availability of Schengen visa appointments, Indians are choosing travel destinations outside the Schengen Area. According to travel and tourism industry executives, Indians are opting to spend their summer vacations in Australia, Georgia, and Japan instead of the Schengen Area, as these countries impose less stringent rules.

Besides these three countries, Indians are also showing interest in visiting Armenia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. Frustrated with the system, Indians have complained about the limited availability of Schengen visa appointments, stating it is impossible to find available slots and urging authorities to take immediate action.

Due to the scarcity of appointments, many Indians have had to cancel or postpone their travel plans to the Schengen Area. Indian travel agents have also expressed concern about the current situation, noting that the earliest available appointments for German and Italian Schengen visas are in July.

This means Indian passport holders planning to apply for German or Italian Schengen visas will not be able to do so this month or next. They will have to wait until new appointments become available in July. Recent data reveals that in 2023, Indians submitted a total of 966,687 Schengen visa applications, placing them as the third-largest nationality group in terms of visa requests, following the Chinese and Turks, who hold the first and second positions, respectively.

Despite the large number of Indian applicants, not all received approval for their Schengen visa applications. Out of the total, 811,290 Indian applicants were successfully granted a Schengen visa last year, while 151,752 applicants faced rejection. Last year, the top five Schengen countries granting the highest number of Schengen visas to Indian passport holders were Switzerland, France, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands.

In 2023, these countries issued 166,919, 146,938, 118,919, 77,194, and 70,071 Schengen visas to Indians, respectively. Starting from April of this year, Indians have become eligible for two-year multiple-entry Schengen visas, thanks to the EU adopting more favorable regulations for them.

The aim of these new rules is to simplify travel to the bloc for Indians, although not all will qualify for the extended validity and multiple-entry visas. According to the EU Commission, the two-year multiple-entry Schengen visa will only be granted to Indian nationals who have lawfully obtained and utilized two Schengen visas within the last three years, and who have a documented travel history to the Schengen Area.

In most instances, the two-year multiple-entry visa will be followed by a five-year visa, provided the applicant's passport maintains sufficient validity.