In 2024, more than 1.65 lakh Schengen visa applications from India were denied, resulting in a financial loss of nearly Rs 136 crore in non-refundable fees. With each application costing an average of €85 (Rs 8,270), India ranked third globally in terms of money lost to visa rejections, after Algeria and Turkey, according to data…
Starting July 1, 2025, Germany will officially discontinue the informal remonstration process used to challenge visa rejections. This move, announced by Germany’s Federal Foreign Office, applies globally and marks a significant shift in how applicants can respond to a denied visa. Until now, applicants—particularly students, skilled workers, and tourists—could appeal a rejection by submitting additional…
Romania and Bulgaria became full members of the Schengen zone on Wednesday, expanding the borderless area to 29 members and ending a 13-year wait for the two eastern European countries. The expansion, made possible when Austria and other members dropped their objections to the former communist countries joining, officially took place at midnight on January…