New Delhi: Indians gained the most as Norway granted a total of 13,214 visitor visas to them from January until October this year, according to a report.
Statistics provided by the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) to SchengenVisaInfo.com marked a notable monthly increase in the number of visitor visas for Indians from January until June. A total of 138 visitor visas were granted to Indian citizens in January, 273 in February, 842 in March, 959 in April, 1,500 in May and 2,368 in June.
The highest increase in the number of visitor visas granted to Indian nationals was noted in September, clocking a total of 2,156.
In July, Indians received a total of 1,635 visitor visas, followed by a total of 1,869 in August, in September and 1,476 in October, the visa website reported.
In total, 47,917 visitor visas were granted for a period between January and October this year, according to UDI.
A visitor’s visa allows one to stay in Norway or other countries in the Schengen area for up to 90 days over a period of 180 days. The processing time for these visas is between 15 and 30 days. To cut down processing time, one can apply up to six months in advance.
The visa fee costs 80 euros (approx Rs 6,700) for adults and 40 euros (Rs 3252 approx) for children aged six -11. It is free for children under six years.
–IANS