SCHENGEN VISA INCREASED TO 5 YEARS

Good news for South Africans who want to travel to Europe. Getting a Schengen visa is no easy feat as there are several rules, laws and regulations to adhere to to get a visa to enter the Schengen states.

The countries offering the long-term visa are Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium and Greece.

And, having the green mamba passport has often made it more difficult than it should be.

Now, several of the Schengen countries are allowing South Africans to apply for a five-year visa. This means that travellers won’t need to apply for a visa each time, but they can visit any of the 29 Schengen countries over the period of five years.

But, there are some limitations attached to the five-year visa.

According to Travel And Tour World, the five-year multiple-entry Schengen visa allows travellers to stay in the Schengen Area for up to 90 days within any 180 days. This means that over five years, visa holders can spend a total of 450 days in the Schengen Zone, provided they adhere to the 90/180 rule.

The long-term Schengen visa will make travelling easier for people who often travel to Europe for work or who have family members in one of the Schengen countries.

Image credit: Schengen News