“Schengen” visa holders must firstly go through the country that issued it

The “Schengen” visa now requires its holder to enter the Schengen area first via the country that issued it in line with new regulations enforced by the European Union, as announced Monday by “Air Algerie” Company on its website.

So, if a traveler wants to go to France for instance, the visa application must be filed with the consulate of France and with France being compellingly the first point of entry. If you ever want to start your journey in transit through another country of the “Schengen” area before you go in France for example, you should expect to be turned away at the airport. 

This measure is certainly not new and has existed since the introduction of the “Schengen” visa as emphasized by a European official, while noting that for several years, consulates had been rather lenient and closed their eyes on the required first entry point. But for over a year, things have changed. Consulates have now become adamant about this new visa-related regulation.

However, this does not make sense for visa applicants who sometimes prefer to transit through one or more countries of the “Schengen” area before going to the country of destination. Still, if you want to visit several Schengen countries, you must apply for a visa at the embassy or consulate of the country where your stay will be longer. 

On the other hand, if you want to visit several Schengen countries for equivalent lengths of stay, you must apply for a visa at the embassy or consulate of the country that is your point of entry into the “Schengen” area.