Appointment delays, strong demand
Travellers planning trips to Europe’s Schengen Area between May and August are already facing limited appointment availability due to a sharp rise in application volumes, immigration services firm Fragomen recently warned in an alert.
VFS Global said travel demand to Europe has remained strong despite recent geopolitical tensions and regional airspace disruptions.
“Demand for travel to Europe remains robust,” she said.
“Across our Schengen visa centres, we continue to see strong daily application volumes with no noticeable decline attributable to the current geopolitical situation.”
According to VFS, demand for Schengen visas has been growing by nearly 10 per cent year on year and has increased by almost 22 per cent since 2022.
Why appointments remain difficult
The visa appointment crunch has become a recurring issue for UAE residents since international travel rebounded after the Covid-19 pandemic.
VFS said some embassies and consulates had briefly suspended operations during the initial weeks of recent regional tensions, although services resumed soon after.
However, the timing of the disruptions added further pressure to an already strained system. “The disruption did impact travel plans, particularly as it coincided with a period when many people were planning trips for Eid and the summer season,” Monaz.
“By the time operations normalized, it was closer to Eid and summer, and the resulting pent-up demand placed additional pressure on appointment availability.”
The company stressed that visa appointment capacity is determined by embassies and consulates, not by VFS itself. “It is not fair to generalise as different Embassies and Consulates have different appointment availability,” she added .
VFS also clarified that Schengen appointments are generally released up to six months in advance and are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Additional slots may appear periodically when cancellations occur or embassies release more capacity.
Warning against unofficial agents
The growing shortage of appointments has fuelled a parallel market of unofficial agents charging travellers for faster slots.
VFS warned applicants against paying high fees to third parties for appointments that are officially free.
“While we continue to work towards circumventing this growing issue, we also urge applicants to beware of malicious entities extracting high prices for what are actually free appointment slots,” Monaz said.
“Plan your trip in advance, apply for a visa early, and avoid last minute challenges.”
The company said some countries have also introduced waitlist systems that notify applicants when appointments become available.
Despite rising travel costs and ongoing visa frustrations, Europe continues to remain one of the most popular summer destinations for UAE travellers due to its proximity and strong air connectivity from the region.
Dhanusha is a Chief Reporter at Gulf News in Dubai, with her finger firmly on the pulse of UAE, regional, and global aviation. She dives deep into how airlines and airports operate, expand, and embrace the latest tech.
Known for her sharp eye for detail, Dhanusha makes complex topics like new aircraft, evolving travel trends, and aviation regulations easy to grasp. Lately, she’s especially fascinated by the world of eVTOLs and flying cars.
With nearly two decades in journalism, Dhanusha’s covered a wide range, from health and education to the pandemic, local transport, and technology. When she’s not tracking what’s happening in the skies, she enjoys exploring social media trends, tech innovations, and anything that sparks reader curiosity. Outside of work, you’ll find her immersed in electronic dance music, pop culture, movies, and video games.