Schengen Visa Crackdown: European Consulates Target Appointment Scalpers

According to the Consul General of France in Tangier, the number of Schengen visa applicants has increased very sharply in recent months, causing confusion in the filing appointments.

This overflow has benefited the intermediary offices in Morocco who are flocking to the consulates to monopolize the filing appointments, before reselling them at a high price to visa applicants. According to the Consul, new measures will have to be introduced from February 2020.

For its part, the Spanish Consulate in Tangier has decided to implement a new system on its website, which, according to the authorities, is likely to reduce the intervention of intermediary offices.

The new system, operational from Monday, December 23, gives visa applicants a unique chance to file their applications. This involves the allocation of a personal number, usable only once.