EU Says Schengen Visa Waiver for Kuwaiti Citizens Is on ‘Right Track’
Kuwaiti nationals have a good chance of obtaining free visa travelling, as the Vice President of the European Parliament, Eva Kalili, has confirmed that the Schengen visa waiver file at the European Parliament is on the right track.
These comments were made during a meeting with Kuwaiti officials during her official visit last week, and the main topic of discussion was the Schengen visa waiver, which, once it is passed by the European Parliament, would have to wait on the confirmation by the Council, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
If the measure is adopted by the European Parliament and the Council, the European Commission will start negotiations for the agreement to abolish visa requirements for Kuwaiti nationals, ensuring full reciprocity with EU citizens. Visa-free travel to the EU for Kuwaitis will become effective once the visa waiver agreement is finalised.
The aim of this meeting with ambassadors of the EU Member States represented in Kuwait was to inform them about the discussion with the Kuwait government and National Assembly officials, in addition to other representatives from the government.
Due to long visa processing times, Kuwaiti nationals sometimes look at other options to reach the Schengen Area, which don’t align with EU policies. For this reason, previously, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called on Kuwait, planning to obtain Schengen visas, to submit the visa application through the office approved by adequate embassies. The Ministry also pointed out through a statement how important it is to submit the visa application before a sufficient period of travel date, such as several months in advance, also submitting all the needed documents to the office, approved by the embassy.
The same Ministry stressed that citizens must remain committed to the date of their appointment by the embassy, so they don’t have to deal with the visa issuance process.
However, the Ambassador of Kuwait to the European Union, Jasem Al-Budaiwi, remains positive on the Schengen visa waiver, as he welcomed the European Commission’s proposal to put an end to visa requirements for Kuwaiti citizens.
“The people of Kuwait have increasingly looked to Europe and all the EU member states for tourism, education, health, investment, business, and much, much more. This breakthrough will positively facilitate this trend and ensure that Kuwait remains an important partner,” the Ambassador pointed out.
According to Schengen Statistics, there were a total of 12,389 visa applications, including multiple ATVs, MEVs and LTVS, issued by the embassy of Germany in Kuwait, with a refusal rate of 2.66 per cent or 338 applications.
