Schengen erects barriers

New rules for obtaining a Schengen visa came into force in Russia on September 14. Now, to obtain a Schengen visa, Russian citizens are required to provide fingerprints. This innovation will hit the tourist flow from Russia to Europe, which has already decreased by more than a third due to the depreciated ruble. Residents of regions where there are no visa centers will suffer the most. The number of Russian tourists in Schengen may decrease by another 40% , experts believe.

According to the new rules, when applying for Schengen visas, Russians over 12 years of age must undergo fingerprinting once every five years. The biometric data obtained will be stored in the Visa Information System. When entering Schengen countries, holders of new visas will have their fingerprints checked with a special scanner.

This measure will not apply to children under 12 years of age, disabled persons without arms or fingers, whose fingerprints cannot be taken physically, as well as heads of state and government, members of cabinet ministers, members of delegations and their spouses, if they need a visa for official visits.

The data will be stored in the VIS (Visa Information System) for 5 years. During this period, you will not have to provide fingerprints to obtain a visa for another Schengen country. Except for individual cases when a Schengen country has doubts about the identity of the applicant. The service fee remains the same – €35.