There are more and more complaints about the extremely long waiting times at the external service provider Vfs global, which has been appointed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the collection and control of the Schengen visa application forms. The waiting times for an appointment can be as long as 3 to 5 months, while according to the visa code every visa applicant must be able to make an appointment within 14 calendar days. Complaints come mainly from Suriname, Thailand and Senegal (Gambia).
There were already at the end of last year complaints about the long lead time at the CSO in The Hague for the assessment of Schengen visa applications. The Consular Service Organization (CSO) is an independent service unit within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The organization processes all visa applications and applications for Dutch travel documents abroad.
Vfs global
Those who want to apply for a Schengen visa can usually no longer go to the Dutch embassy, but to a so-called 'external service provider'. In November 2018, after a global tender, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs selected VFS Global as the external service provider for the provision of visa services in eight of the nine regions worldwide.
Long waiting times at VFS Global in Bangkok and Paramaribo
The procedure for a visa application for Schengen is described in the 'Visa Code'. It states that anyone who expresses the wish to do so must be able to make an appointment within 14 calendar days to apply for a Short Stay Visa (art. 9 paragraph 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/NL/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32009R0810). However, those who want to make an appointment through the appointment system of VFS Global are confronted in some countries with waiting times that can amount to 3 to 5 months and this is contrary to the agreements made with the European Commission.
Dutch embassy in Bangkok points to The Hague
A reader of the weblog Thailandblog inquired at the Dutch embassy in Bangkok and was told by the Deputy Head of Consular and Internal Affairs, Niels Unkel, that the problem is known: “We are bound by the maximum number of applications that we can accept, this is determined by The Hague and passed on to us. It is known to us and in The Hague that the current maximum requests are insufficient to be of service to everyone within the desired period, a solution is being worked on in The Hague.”
Readers of Thailandblog and the foreign lawyer Prawo call for complaints to be filed with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the European Commission.
VFS Global in Bangkok
VFS Global in Bangkok has another explanation for the long waiting times for an appointment. According to them, it has to do with the increased number of travelers who want a visa for the Netherlands. They write this on their own website:
“There may be longer waiting times to get an appointment. And it may take longer than 15 days to process your request. This is because a growing number of applicants are looking to travel to the Netherlands now that COVID travel restrictions have eased globally.
The number of available appointments will be expanded as soon as possible. New appointment times will be added to the online appointment system on a regular basis. If no data is available, please try again later.
Plan your trip well in advance. And make sure you have all the documents ready for your appointment.”
Ministry of Foreign Affairs response
The editors of Schengenvisum.info have since asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (consular services) for a response. Mr. Casper Soetekouw, consular affairs spokesman, informed us as follows:
“Following the easing of covid travel restrictions worldwide, there has been an increased demand for short-stay visas for the Schengen area.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working hard to process the increased number of applications, but faces a number of personnel and systemic challenges. Other Schengen countries face similar challenges, including countries that represent the Netherlands for short-stay visa applications.
Applicants may experience longer wait times to book an appointment and longer turnaround times. Unfortunately, the Ministry faces these challenges in a number of countries around the world, and they are not specific to any one region.
We are increasing capacity weekly and hope to handle pre-covid numbers by the end of this year. Meanwhile, applicants are advised to plan their travel well in advance and ensure all requirements are met to ensure speedy processing of their visa application.”
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Sources: https://www.thailandblog.nl/lezers-inzending/maximale-wachttijd-voor-afspraak-bij-vfs-global-2-weken-lezersinzending/ en https://www.dbsuriname.com/2022/06/23/buitenlandse-zaken-neemt-klachten-over-lange-wachttijden-aanvraag-visum-serieus/
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