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Schengen countries extend suspension of visa issuance in China in wake of coronavirus
The member countries have instead announced that the suspension period would be extended until Feb. 9 at the earliest.
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Schengen visa stamp on passport. (Shutterstock.com/MA8)
F
ollowing the suspension of all visa issuance in China, due to the coronavirus outbreak, the visa centers of the seven Schengen member countries that were supposed to re-open on Feb. 3, have remained closed.
The member countries have instead announced that the suspension period will be extended until Feb. 9 at the earliest.
A notice published by the Slovak visa center in China indicated that the re-opening of the centers may change, dependent on advice from authorities.
“In light of the current coronavirus alert, please note that the Slovakia Visa Application Centers across China will remain closed until Feb. 9 (included). However, the re-opening of the centers may change, subject to further notifications from central, provincial and city authorities. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and kind co-operation. Please return to this page for further updates,” the notice reads as reported by schengenvisainfo.com.
As there is no improvement in the coronavirus epidemic, with the death toll rising to 497 as of Wednesday, authorities for the Schengen member countries extended their closure for at least a week more than intended.
Read also: Indonesia closes doors to travelers from China
The Schengen members involved are:
- Austria – Feb. 9
- Belgium – Feb. 9
- Estonia – Feb. 10
- Liechtenstein – Feb. 10
- Norway – Feb. 10
- Slovakia – Feb. 9
- Switzerland – Feb. 10
France remains the only Schengen country that has announced the closure of the Wuhan Visa Application Center, while the European Union prepares to tighten entry conditions for Chinese nationals who have traveled to China in recent months.
Cautionary action has been taken by numerous countries as the coronavirus has infected more than 20,000 people in China since emerging in December and has now spread to more than 20 countries. (mad/kes)
