The Spanish visa Centre in Casablanca will resume the reception (Spain Starts Reopening its Visa Application) of Schengen visa applications; BLS International Company has announced in a recent statement on its official page on Facebook.

However, BLS clarified that only persons who have had a minimum of one Schengen visa of six months or more, “or two Schengen visas of 3 months and within the past two years,” will be eligible to file an application this year, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. you may also like top know the top places to study in Europe 

Applications that do not fulfil the requirements mentioned above will not be accepted;

BLS International has stressed while urging applicants not to come to the visa center application center unless they receive the new appointment by email.

The country’s high rates of Coronavirus infection, recorded since the beginning of the pandemic, pushed its authorities to follow the example of many European countries by imposing entry bans and travel restrictions to halt the spread of the virus.

In addition, Spain’s government temporarily froze the issuance of visas in order to prevent an upsurge in the number of infections.

Spain is the tenth hardest-hit country by the Coronavirus pandemic, with over 3,625,920 reported cases and 79,568 deaths.

However, even amid the COVID-19 situation, when the B.1.617.2 variant of the virus continues to affect countries worldwide, Spain’s authorities have decided to gradually resume the reception of conditional Schengen visa applications in other countries. you may also like to study in japan without IELTS

Earlier today, BLS International also announced that Spain’s visa application center in St Petersburg, Russia, has resumed accepting applications for some visa types.

In this regard,

Shikhar Aggarwal, Joint Managing Director, BLS International, stressed that “Being the trusted partner to the Spanish MOFA globally for more than four years now,

BLS continues to build on its robust expertise in the field of visa outsourcing and is committed to providing high-quality services coupled with the highest customer satisfaction.”

Aggarwal added that “the amenities at the center illustrate our commitment to efficient, faster, and secure operations along with strict health & safety measures and Covid protocols to facilitate safe travel to Spain.”

On May 18, BLS International stressed that it would once again accept applications in its visa center located in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. On the same day, the visa application center in Ankara, Istanbul, also resumed accepting visa applications.

Earlier this month, Spain’s visa application centers in Nursultan, Kazakhstan, as well as those in Minsk, Belarus, and Yerevan, Armenia, resumed visa application acceptance after being closed for months due to the Coronavirus situation.

BLS International is an outsourcing service provider in charge of receiving visa applications for Spain in several countries in the world. Checkout Japanese government Scholarship  for International student

Schengen Visa Information

Schengen refers to the EU passport-free zone that covers most of the European countries. It’s the largest free travel area in the world.

What is a Schengen Visa? (Spain Starts Reopening its Visa Application)

A Schengen visa is a short-stay visa that allows a person to travel to any members of the Schengen Area, per stays up to 90 days for tourism or business purposes.

Schengen Area signifies a zone where 26 European countries, abolished their internal borders, for the free and unrestricted movement of people, in harmony with common rules for controlling external borders and fighting criminality by strengthening the common judicial system and police cooperation.

Schengen Area covers most of the EU countries, except Ireland and the countries that are soon to be part of Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia and Cyprus.

Although not members of the EU, countries like Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Lichtenstein are also part of the Schengen zone Checkout

Schengen Area Countries (Spain Starts Reopening its Visa Application)

The 26 Schengen countries are Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Currently, the Schengen Area consists of 26 member countries. All of these countries are located in Europe, from which:

• 22 members fully implement the Schengen acquis,
• Four of them – members of the EFTA, implement Schengen acquis through specific agreements related to the Schengen agreement.
• Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Lichtenstein are associate members of the Schengen Area but are not members of the EU. They are part of the EFTA and implement the Schengen acquis through specific agreements related to the Schengen agreement.
• Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City have opened their borders with, but are not members of the visa-free zone.
• The Azores, Madeira, and the Canary Islands are special members of the EU and part of the Schengen Zone even that they are located outside the European continent.
• There are five more EU members, that have not joined the Schengen zone: Ireland – which still maintains opt-outs and Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Cyprus – that are seeking to join soon.

The external borders of the Schengen Zone reach a distance of 50,000 km long, where 80% of it is comprised of water and 20% of the land. The area counts hundreds of airports and maritime ports, many land crossing points, an area of 4,312,099 km2, and a population of 419,392,429 citizens.

A holder of a Uniform Schengen visa can travel to all 26 member countries of the Schengen Area

The Schengen visa is the most common visa for Europe. It enables its holder to enter, freely travel within, and leave the Schengen zone from any of the Schengen member countries.

There are no border controls within the Schengen Zone. You may also like to checkout top 20 fully funded scholarship in china for international student.

However, if you are planning to study, work, or live in one of the Schengen countries for more than 90 days, then you must apply for a national visa of that European country and not a Schengen Visa.

Over 15 million people used their Schengen visa in 2019 to travel around Europe.

Travel Documents and Entry Requirements for non-EU Nationals

You will have to present several documents at the Schengen port of entry, in order to be permitted to enter, if you are a non-EU/Schengen country national, regardless if you are a visa-exempt or not.

The documents you need to provide when entering the Schengen Area are as follows:

• Valid Passport. Issued within the previous 10 years and valid for at least 3 months after the date you intend to leave the EU.
• Schengen Visa. If you are a national of one of the third countries in need of a visa.

EU/Schengen border officials may also ask for other information and documents such as sufficient funds,  proof of accommodation, how long you intend to stay, round-trip airline ticket, the purpose of your entry, travel insurance, invitation letter, etc.

Please, make sure that the border officer gives you an entry stamp in your passport when you enter the Schengen area. Without a stamp, you could be fined or detained.

Who Needs a Visa to Enter Europe? (Spain Starts Reopening its Visa Application)

All nationals of third countries, which have yet not reached a visa-liberalization agreement with the Schengen member states, need to obtain a visa prior of their arrival in Europe.

Check whether you need a Schengen Visa to travel to one of the Schengen member countries.