Schengen visas for France, Spain and Portugal are now obtainable in the Maldives.

A Schengen visa is a short-stay visa that allows a person to travel to any member of the Schengen Area. It is the most common visa for Europe and 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.

The Foreign Ministry said in an announcement yesterday that applications for Schengen visas for France, Spain and Portugal can be made through the Global Joint Schengen Visa Application Center (VFS Malay) in Male'. Switzerland has also joined the VFS Center since 21st of last month and can now issue Schengen visas to Switzerland, the Netherlands, Poland, Luxembourg, and Slovenia.

The ministry said this was the result of successful discussions with the foreign ministries of the countries in the Schengen zone to further expand the Schengen visa service.

A Schengen visa center was opened in March. The center at the German Embassy in the Maldives issued only Schengen visas for Germany and the Czech Republic.

Before the opening of the Schengen Visa Center in Maldives, Maldivians have to go to Colombo, Sri Lanka or New Delhi, India to obtain a Schengen visa.