South Africans visiting Europe must now appear in person for the application, as new biometric data becomes part of the Schengen visa application process.
Travellers based outside of cities where the relevant consulates are equipped with the necessary technology will face additional costs and inconvenience in having to travel to a different consulate.
The process will apply to all foreign passport holders requesting short-stay visas (up to three months) for relevant Schengen states. However, once applicants’ biometric data – fingerprints and a digital photograph – has been entered in the VIS, personal visits to the consulate may be waived for the following five years.
Children under the age of 12, persons of whom the collection of fingerprints is physically impossible, as well as heads of state and members of national government when travelling for official purposes may be exempted from the provision of fingerprints.
My question is : Why dont all countries should have a uniform visa application process?
