There are no available appointments to obtain a Schengen visa until mid-September, leaving would-be travellers unable to obtain a short-stay visa to the entire area due to high demand, according to Schengen Visa Info. And South Africans are reporting no availability until October.
This applies to almost the entire Schengen Area. Travel executives say that a couple of countries may have slots open for August, but at most embassies appointments are fully booked until the middle of the following month.
Travel companies have noted that many third-country travellers are considering other destinations such as Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Egypt, and Türkiye.
In general, pre-existing Schengen visa applications are being processed and answered quickly – within a period of three weeks, Schengen Visa Info reports.
According to a recent Visa Barometer run by Travel News, the process of applying for a visa to a Schengen nation, plus the processing time thereafter, has taken anywhere from two to eight weeks in the last two months.
A Schengen visa is a short-stay visa that permits a person to enter any of the 26 Schengen Area countries for a stay of up to 90 days.
