Indian traveller gets 5-year Schengen visa in 4 days, internet asks how

A recent post on Reddit about the quick processing of an Indian traveller's multiple-entry Schengen visa gained a lot of popularity online. The user shared several details about how he obtained this long-term Schengen visa, which was issued under the European Commission's visa "cascade" arrangement. He wrote, "I am sharing my experience with those interested in knowing about the cascade arrangement - it seems to be working well after all, at least in the case of France!" The Indian passport holder claimed that it took the Bengaluru consulate only 4 working days to process his 5-year multiple-entry Schengen visa from France.

The user explained that he has a long travel history of 32 countries. He informed that he previously had three Schengen visas issued by Germany and Spain. All of these were reportedly issued within the last 2 years. His most recent visa was from Spain, and it was valid for only 45 days. The comments section raised several questions about what exactly the traveller did to get this much-coveted visa. The user claimed that he provided the following information in his application for this Schengen tourist visa:

A cover letter that included a request for a long-term visa.

His old passport and a scanned copy of each page of the old and new passports (with stamps)

Details about his 10-day itinerary for France

2 years of income tax returns, 3 months of bank statements and salary slips (as financial proof)

Other key documents commonly required for Schengen visa applications

The user explained that he provided his travel history and also mentioned that he had been to the Schengen area three times before. "Under the cascade arrangement, you need at least two visas in the last three years to be eligible for a two-year visa, but granting a long-term visa is entirely at the discretion of the visa officer," he wrote.

How can Indians get a multiple-entry Schengen visa?

Indians can apply for multiple-entry Schengen visas under the visa "cascade" arrangement. If you have used two Schengen visas in the last three years, you can get a two-year multiple-entry Schengen visa. After using this visa, you can subsequently apply for a five-year visa, provided your passport has sufficient validity. During the validity period of these visas, holders enjoy the same travel rights as visa-exempt citizens, according to the European Union. Like short-term Schengen visas, these long-term multiple-entry visas allow free travel within the Schengen area. The holder can stay in the region for a maximum of 90 days in any 180 days. These visas cannot be used for work purposes.

The multiple-entry Schengen visa provides entry to the entire Schengen area, which includes 29 European countries. These countries are: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

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