EU Schengen visa new rules: How your European tour just got easier?

The European Commission has introduced new rules regarding multiple entry visas for Indian nationals, aiming to streamline the process and provide greater accessibility. Indian nationals applying for Schengen visas in India may now benefit from easier access to visas with extended validity, based on their travel history and passport validity, under the new visa ‘cascade’ regime, the EU said in a statement on Monday.
• Newly adopted visa rules for Indian nationals introduce a “cascade” regime for Schengen visas.
• Under this regime, Indian citizens can obtain long-term, multi-entry visas valid for two years after using two visas within three years.
• Following the two-year visa, eligible applicants may receive a five-year visa, contingent on passport validity.
• Holders of these visas enjoy travel rights similar to visa-free nationals throughout the validity period.
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• Schengen visas permit unrestricted travel within the Schengen area for short stays, allowing a maximum of 90 days within a 180-day period.
• The visas are not restricted by purpose but do not confer work rights.
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• The Schengen area consists of 29 European countries (of which 25 are EU states): Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden, along with Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
According to the statement, this decision is in line with the EU-India Common Agenda on Migration and Mobility, aiming for enhanced cooperation on migration policy “with facilitation of people-to-people contacts being of key aspect due to the importance of India as a partner for the EU.”