Jakarta - Indonesians planning to travel to Schengen-visa countries in Europe are going to get faster visa application service, a press statement from the European Union office in Jakarta received here on Wednesday said. The statement said the Jakarta embassies of countries in the Schengen visa area offered a much faster service to Indonesian visa applicants. In the vast majority of cases, successful applicants would receive their visas within just a few working days after submitting their passports and supporting documents. Schengen visas allow travel to 22 of the 27 EU countries, as well as some non-EU countries including Norway and Switzerland. Ambassadors of these countries commented: "People-to-people links are a vital part of the relationship between Europe and Indonesia. We are delighted to see more Indonesians visiting our countries in recent years. With this latest reduction in processing times, now it is even more convenient for Indonesian citizens to apply for visas. We hope to see even closer ties in future". The service may vary at peak times, and applicants should ask for further information when they apply for a visa. Applications should be submitted to the embassy of the country which is the main destination for the trip. The Schengen area consists of Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Travellers intending to visit any of these countries for a short stay for the purposes of leisure, tourism or business can apply for a visa which allows entry to all of the countries in the Schengen area. Before applying, travellers should check that they have a valid travel document and supporting documents as required. Further information is available from the Embassies' websites.
