The Visa Information System (VIS)
If one Thai national applies for a Schengen visa (Visa Short Stay) for the Netherlands at the Dutch embassy in Bangkok, he or she will have to deal with the Visa Information System. But what exactly is that?
Visa Information System (VIS)
The Visa Information System, simply called VIS, is a registration of visas issued to travel to the European Union and has been operational since 2004. Suppose your Thai partner wants to travel to the Netherlands, then he or she must apply for a Schengen visa at the Dutch embassy in the country of origin. When applying for a visa, a number of data must be provided, including passport photos and the issuance of fingerprints. This data is stored in the VIS, a European database located in Strasbourg, France, for five years (with a backup in Austria). At full capacity, the VIS is expected to hold 70 million biometrics.
The VIS aims to prevent visa fraud and visa shopping and to assist in the identification of foreign nationals in the Schengen area.
The police, judicial authorities, the General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD) and special investigative services have access to the Dutch copy of the VIS. This is in turn linked to the database containing the fingerprints of all refugees who apply for asylum in the Netherlands.
Schengen Information System (SIS)
In addition to the VIS, there is another central database related to Schengen, which is the Schengen Information System (SIS). This automated register provides the police and judicial authorities in each of the Schengen countries with permanent insight into the international investigation information of the other Schengen countries.
This system was created to compensate for the loss of border controls at the internal borders in the Schengen area. This required more far-reaching cooperation in the field of police and judicial tasks. The SIS is one of the instruments for this, the legal basis for the system lies in the Schengen Implementation Convention of 1990.
I recently applied for a Schengen visa and traveled to the Dutch embassy. Of course I received it, but I was never asked for my fingerprints. Not even in 2012 and 2013??? I sometimes wonder what measurements are used at the embassy. And yes, for the sake of completeness… so I have had a Thai passport for 20 years.
Of course, a Dutch person does not have to give fingerprints, that goes without saying.
Indeed, in 2013 I made a visa application twice with my girlfriend, but no fingerprints were taken, but a shoe box of papers was delivered. We traveled back to Thailand via Frankfurt together before the expiry of the visa date. Asked at Schiphol where we could hand in the departure ticket from the aliens police, in the Netherlands or in Germany, it is Schengen after all, you never know.. The Marechaussee had no answer to that so quickly, was the first to ask, after calling for help to have a higher one was allowed in NL and thank you very much, they said yes. Oh yes, keep smiling….
Dear Cees, also money for you if you applied for a visa in 2013? Did you apply for 2 visas after November 14, 2013? Seems stiff to me, handing over shoebox papers again, but not knowing the rules!
Indeed, 2x a visa application was made in 2013, the VIS has been operational since 2004. So I do not understand your mentioned date of November 14, 2013 very well.
And I know the rules, but I am not in control of the implementation.
Dear Cees, the obligation to provide fingerprints only started on November 14, 2013:
The Dutch embassy in Bangkok has announced that there is a change in the visa procedure, for example, a mandatory fingerprint will be taken for all visa applications. This applies to both short and long stays. The change in the visa procedure will take effect from November 14, 2013, which means that fingerprints will become a requirement during every application.
The embassy in Bangkok has implemented this system since November 14, 2013:
https://www.thailandblog.nl/nieuws/ambassade-bangkok-verplichte-vingerafdrukopname-bij-visumaanvragen/
It could well have been one of the last embassies that introduced this because other embassies (for example some Dutch representations in Africa) already introduced this obligation of digital fingerprinting earlier (in the example sometime early 2013).