Delays and high expenses associated with Schengen visas lead UAE residents to abandon planned trips to Europe
Frustration Mounts as Schengen Visa Wait Times Soar for UAE Residents
In 2025, UAE residents are experiencing prolonged delays in obtaining Schengen visas, leading to cancelled or postponed European holiday plans. The cause of this bottleneck is a mismatch between high demand and limited consular capacity during peak seasons.
Many UAE residents, like Jad who works in the real estate sector and travels to Europe at least three times a year, have been trying since January to secure an appointment without success. Jad typically obtained one-year Schengen visas over the past few years but has been met with a 15-day stay this year, limiting his ability to attend training camps and family events in Europe.
The Schengen visa, which allows entry to 29 European countries for non-EU nationals, including UAE residents from numerous countries in Asia, Africa, and South America, has seen an increase in demand that outstrips the available visa service capacity. Holiday-goers have opted to book summer trips to Africa and Asia instead.
Embassies control appointment releases, which are insufficient to meet the rising demand, creating a bottleneck at the initial document submission stage. Normally 15–30 days, visa processing can stretch to nearly two months depending on the consulate, further exacerbating the wait times.
Some applicants pay high fees (up to Dh2,500) to intermediaries for securing appointments, adding to frustrations and costs. Travel agencies reported lengthy wait times of five to six months for Schengen visa appointments and slots booked up to September.
However, a new EU "cascade" visa system aims to ease frequent travellers' burdens by allowing longer-term multiple-entry visas if prior short-term visas were properly used. This could reduce repeated applications in the future for eligible residents from certain countries, including some expats in the UAE.
VFS Global, the company that facilitates the Schengen visa process in the UAE, does not control appointment availability nor visa validity periods. The company cautions travellers against agents promising quick appointments in exchange for high fees.
Ms. Ahmed, a marketing professional, paid Dh2,500 to a travel company for assistance in securing a Schengen visa appointment to Portugal. Ms. Cherry Pachisia, another Dubai resident, could not find a Schengen visa appointment despite tracking availability since January and has opted to travel to Kenya instead.
Meanwhile, Jad received a 15-day Schengen visa this year, limiting him to a single competition in France, unlike his teammates who will enter multiple sporting events this year.
In summary, the prolonged Schengen visa wait times for UAE residents in 2025 are caused by a mismatch between high demand and limited consular capacity during peak seasons, prompting many to seek destinations with more straightforward visa rules for their holidays.
Read also:
- Detailed Assessment of Vietnam Airlines' Premium Economy Class Experience
- Flights from India Divert Routes Due to Pakistan Airspace Shutdown
- Comparative Evaluation of Elite Services: A Personal Review of Three Distinct Airlines, Revealing a Stellar Performer Surpassing All Anticipations
- Unbridled Railway Journey: Exploring the Boundless Distance by Train across International Territories
