The Chargé d’Affaires of the Austrian Embassy in Kuwait Christian Vlazny affirmed that the embassy issued more than 7,000 visas in 2023, which is an increase of about 40 percent compared to the previous year, reports Al-Qabas daily. In a press statement, he explained that the number of days of residence for Kuwaiti citizens in Austria is likely to be much higher, as the Schengen via is often used to visit several countries within the Schengen area.

The features of the new regulations adopted by the European Commission for Schengen visas for Kuwaitis represent a profitable matter for the Kuwaiti and European sides. A one-time application could lead to the immediate issuance of a Schengen visa for Kuwaiti citizens with validity of five years.

It entitles them to stay for 90 days every six months. Therefore, Kuwaiti citizens will be able to make their travel plans more flexibly in the future, and will not have to worry about re-applying for a visa before each trip. The new feature will also help in saving significant costs and time, over a period of five years. This will benefit not only travelers, but also the tourism sector in Austria and the entire Schengen region.

Ambassador Vlazny revealed that the embassy implemented the new regulations immediately, in accordance with the European Commission’s decision issued on September 8, 2023. He said, “We have already granted the new visa for a validity period of five years. However, if the passport is valid for a period shorter than that, the visa will be valid for up to three months before the expiry of the travel document for all applications received since then”.

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