FINGER-SCANNING FOR SCHENGEN VISA

Finger-scanning mandatory for Schengen visa
By Preeti Kannan (Staff Reporter)

11 February 2008

DUBAI - Expatriates and UAE nationals applying for Schengen visas through the French consulate in Dubai will soon have to undergo finger-scanning.

In an attempt to tighten security and eliminate fraud, the French consulate in Dubai - the first diplomatic mission of a Schengen member-nation in the UAE - will ensure that visa applicants get all their fingers scanned if they have to visit France first.

The consulate is one of the “pioneer posts” where the biometrics equipment will be tested today and tomorrow as part of a global pilot project. In this connection, the French consulate would remain closed on the two days.

French Consul-General in Dubai Nada Yafi, told Khaleej Times, “The French government has made it mandatory to use biometric data for visa applicants and the consulate in Dubai is the first place where it is being tested out. All applicants, be they tourist, business or students, have to get their fingers scanned. The decision was taken last year to make it easier for people to get visas and also eliminate any element of fraud.”

She added that this was only the testing process and if all goes well, the biometric data system would be implemented from Thursday.

Apart from Dubai, a few French missions across the world are being equipped with the biometrics equipment and all of them, including the French mission in Abu Dhabi, are expected to have them in place by 2009.

According to Schengen visa rules, the applicant must first identify which Schengen country is the main destination, which determines the embassy or the consulate where the traveller should apply. If the main destination cannot be determined, the traveller should file the visa application at the embassy or consulate of the Schengen country of first entry.

“People will simply have to apply for a French visa if France is their main destination and submit their biometric data at the consulate. If they are visiting other Schengen member-countries first, they can go to France after that and do not need to get their fingers scanned,” said Yafi.

She remarked that as per European Union proposals, all member-countries are also expected to follow suit in the next few months where all non-Europeans would need to submit biometric data before crossing.

Source: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2008/February/theuae_February372.xml&section=theuae