UAE residents planning summer trips to Europe are facing wait times of up to 6 to 8 weeks for Schengen visa appointments, even as rare last-minute slots appear and vanish within minutes — triggering a rush to secure bookings or rethink travel plans.
As summer travel demand surges, many are finding themselves caught between long processing timelines and limited appointment availability, with industry experts warning that the window to secure visas is rapidly narrowing.
Rashida Zahid, VP – Operations at musafir.com, pointed to a steep rise in interest, noting they are “already seeing a 50 to 60 per cent surge in summer Europe travel queries,” adding that “the window is still open but it’s moving fast.”
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She explained that while appointments are currently available for most European countries, this availability is effectively the “green light everyone was waiting for”— prompting a rush that is quickly overwhelming supply.
Tight timelines, limited appointments
However, other industry experts also reiterate that the window may already be closing.
Avinash Adnani, Managing Director, Neo Travel, highlighted the growing difficulty, stating that, “Schengen visa appointments are not easily available, especially for tourist visa applicants,” with timelines now clashing with imminent holiday periods.
With the Eid break less than four weeks away, he warned it is “virtually impossible to obtain the visa in time,” given both the shortage of slots and processing timelines that often exceed the usual 10 to 15 working days.
This crunch is already reshaping travel behaviour. Adnani noted that destinations in the Far East—from Bali to Vietnam—are seeing a spike in bookings, as travellers look for alternatives with easier entry.
Yet, there remains a sliver of hope for Europe-bound travellers. He added that “appointments open up over the next two weeks for certain Schengen countries, such as Iceland and Denmark,” suggesting late planners may still salvage their summer trips.
The race for cancelled slots
Behind the scenes, the competition for appointments has become increasingly intense — and, in many cases, digital.
Alena Iakina, founder of Visarun.ai, explained, “Getting a Schengen visa appointment now takes at least 6 to 8 weeks,” with countries like France, Spain, and the Netherlands already fully booked for spring travel.
She described how rare openings emerge unpredictably, saying, “Our monitoring system finds last-minute slots… due to cancellations, technical issues, or quota changes,” but these are snapped up within minutes —making manual booking nearly impossible.
For travellers in urgent need of visas for June or July, she advised that “your best options are to use automated tools to catch a cancelled Schengen slot or switch to a visa-free destination.”
Looking further ahead, Iakina suggested applying through less crowded embassies such as Hungary, the Czech Republic, or Slovakia for late-summer travel.
Shift towards visa-free travel
On the ground, travel agencies are witnessing the ripple effects of this backlog.
Binsiya Ferbin, Director at Wings & Wonders Tourism, said “We’re seeing a serious backlog, where getting an appointment itself can take 2 to 3 months,” with total processing stretching to “6 to 10 weeks or more.”
As a result, last-minute Europe plans are becoming increasingly unrealistic, pushing travellers to rethink their options.
Ferbin also noted that “travelers are quickly shifting to easier destinations like Maldives, Seychelles, Mauritius, Thailand, Bali, Vietnam,” among others, as real-time booking trends show a clear move toward visa-free or visa-on-arrival countries.
Instead of waiting on uncertain approvals, many UAE residents are opting for destinations that offer “quick access, better prices, and short travel times,” making their travel decisions faster — and far more flexible.
Source: Khaleej Times