Since the beginning of 2024, demand for Schengen visas has increased by 35%

The head of the corporate department of Visakhod, Natalya Volkova, points out that registration for New Year’s trips is almost completed and that free places are only available in exceptional cases.

The growing interest in European destinations is confirmed by OneTwoTrip data. According to Elena Shelekhova, a representative of the company, sales of airline tickets to Europe in September-October increased by 30% year-on-year: the bulk of bookings corresponded to France (18.7%), Italy (18.4%). and Spain (17.4). %). Yandex Travel also reports a ten percent increase in interest in traveling to Europe. In November, Italy entered the top 10 of the most popular foreign destinations according to Intourist.

The director of the visa and migration department at Continent Express, Yulia Otvagina, attributes the increase in visa applications to the decrease in the number of multiple-entry visas issued. At the French and Italian consulates, he said, visas are now valid for up to six months, although a year ago applicants could count on entry permits of one to two years. Visakhod’s Natalya Volkova adds that long-term visas, from two to five years, have become rare.

The Hungarian Visa Application Center confirmed that the validity of visas has been reduced due to the difficult geopolitical situation and the decision to suspend the issuance of multiple entry visas for long periods. The process has become more complicated: the wait for an appointment can last up to two months and the review of documents up to six weeks. In addition, the list of requirements for applicants is increasing. In the case of France, for example, the possibility of submitting documents using a handwritten power of attorney has been removed, and a certificate from the Pension Fund for the last ten years is now required for visas from Italy, Spain and Croatia. .

The visa situation also affected Sweden: this fall, the visa application center temporarily suspended acceptance of standard visa applications, leaving exceptions only for urgent applications for medical and other compelling reasons. The reason is staff shortages and geopolitical tensions. The Swedish visa center noted that some European commissioners proposed stricter controls on the validity of visas for Russians at the September meeting.

Despite the difficulties, interest in traveling to Europe does not diminish. Intourist representative Daria Domostroeva considers the lack of direct flights and problems with visas to be the main factors holding back demand in Europe, but Raketa marketing director Daria Zubritskaya is confident that interest for visas will remain high. Applicants quickly adapt to new barriers, says Natalya Volkova.

Bulgaria, which has partially joined the Schengen zone, does not issue Schengen visas to Russia. In May, one of the tour operating companies confirmed the problem. They reported that the capital’s visa center has set a quota for applications and accepts only 50 passports per day.