Schengen visa application to be more flexible

"Europe welcomes the tourists from China. I hope the visa regime will be flexible and more open so that Chinese may have a better access to Schengen countries," said Jo Leinen, president of the European Parliament Delegation with China.

As of Oct 27, Schengen visa application will be simpler for Chinese applicators for business visit, short-term professional training, participation in cultural or sports activities or visiting friends and relatives in Schengen countries. The proof of hotel and flight tickets booking is no longer required. However, tourists are not included in the program. According to the EU, China is the first country to enjoy such a simplified procedure.

In 2013, China is the fourth biggest destination for international travelers.

Visa issue has always been the key point of international travelling, and the growing tourism consumption has already helped to simplify the visa application procedure for Chinese people.

But Chinese people are still part of the 66 per cent of the world population who still suffer the complicated visa application procedure to travel internationally.

"There are about 5 million Chinese tourists in Europe a year and we have 300,000 Chinese students in Europe. We welcome Chinese tourists to discover Europe and the young people to study in our universities. I and my delegation will continue to work on the visa regime to make it more open and flexible for Chinese visitors," said Leinen.

http://www.ecns.cn/2014/11-20/143509.shtml