Indians can now stay in Switzerland, Amsterdam for up to 2 years like visa-free nationals. Check details
Schengen visa rules for Indians, the strength of Indian passport is arguably set to grow with travel to 29 European countries getting seamless and hassle-free. Incidentally, Indian passport is currently ranked at 85, as per Henley Passport Index for 2024 that ranks 199 nations based on the strength of their passports. Our neigbouring country Pakistan is ranked at 106, while Bangladesh at 102.
Under the new Schengen visa regime, Indians will now be able to enter any of these European countries multiple times for two years, which is further extendable by 5 years, and stay there like visa-free nationals. This is a stark departure from the current practice. Until now, when Indians intend to travel to one or more European countries, they are meant to apply for the much sought-after Schengen visa, which is given for a maximum of three months.
ALSO READ: Indians can now apply for multiple entry Schengen visa with longer validity. Check details But now, under the cascade regime -- guess what? You can stay in Switzerland, Amsterdam, and/ or any other European countries such as Austria, Hungary, Poland, Belgium, Germany, France, among others, for as long as two years, which is extendable, without any hiccups. According to a report in Aug 2023, Scandinavian region in Europe saw a substantial growth of 140 percent as of August 2023 in comparison to pre-COVID levels in 2020, according to insights from MakeMyTrip.
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