Embassies are reeling under the pressure of a major backlog of applications.
33-year-old Prayash Giria was looking forward to his trip to Greece along with his three cousins, but with only two weeks left for his flight the visa is nowhere in sight.
Mr Giria says he submitted his documents more than a month ago. On the WhatsApp group that Greece visa applicants have formed after finding each other through social media, over 160 members have similar complaints.
With a proper resumption of travel after two years of the pandemic, many who planned an international holiday this summer are facing the nightmare of not getting their visa on time.
Mr Giria told NDTV, "I have never faced a visa experience like this before. I've been travelling internationally for 12 years in which I have visited over 20 countries. Usually I would get my visa in 4-5 days but this time it has been over a month since I applied. I am scared because I have been hearing about people not getting the visa on time. Some others managed to get their visa at the last moment. I have spent close to Rs 1.5 lakh already on tickets, hotel, insurance etc and if the visa does not come in time I will lose out on a lot of money."
Embassies are reeling under the pressure of a major backlog of applications. The Greece Embassy recently notified that it is adding more staff members to deal with the surge. While the British High Commission website says visitor visa applications may take six weeks to process, it is 129 days or over four months for Canada. Embassy of Denmark has temporarily suspended all visa applications due to "a shortage of staff and an unforeseen increase in the number of applications".
US Embassy recently announced resumption of in-person visa appointments from September and slots are completely booked till April 2023 in cities like Delhi and Mumbai.
Travel companies say they are dealing with a large number of hassled customers. The Travel Agents Association of India has now written a letter to the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, seeking his intervention and a government to government dialogue over delay in Schengen and US visas.
Jyoti Mayal, President of Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) said, "Its a lot of pent-up demand. It is the first proper summer holiday after Covid. People have already travelled to neighbouring countries like Dubai and Maldives. So now the Schengen countries are facing the brunt of the entire population moving that side. A lot of people are getting to travel with their friends or cousins after a long time."
"Embassies are not able to cope up with the demand. During Covid a lot of their staff had moved back to their countries and that is why there is a shortage of staff now. We have not only written to the External Affairs Minister of India, we are also seeking time from embassies of various countries so that our delegation can meet them and urge them to resolve these issues," Ms Mayal said.