Schengen visa processing from France to Guyana faces shortage of euros – Demerara Waves Online News – Guyana

Last updated on Tuesday, October 22, 2024 at 14:24 by Denis Chabrol

Ambassador of France to Guyana. Nicolas Bouillane de Lacoste.

The French Diplomatic Office began processing Guyanese applications for Schengen visas in France on Monday, but officials are already saying there is a shortage of euros to pay for the process.

“Some people have difficulty getting euros because we are asking for cash and cash in euros and this morning I learned that not all banks and not all exchanges have this possibility to buy euros, so this is a limitation that explains that it is not necessarily very easy although it is much better than of course going all the way to Paramaribo, but there is still a limitation in Euros,” French Ambassador to Guyana Nicolas de Lacoste told Demerara Waves Online News.

He said that visa payments are only accepted in Euros, but there is not much of that currency available in Guyana.

The cost of a Schengen visa is 90 euros, while specific visas for French Guiana, Guadeloupe and Martinique cost 60 euros. The French envoy explained that the applications would be taken to the French embassy in Paramaribo and then forwarded to the French Ministry of the Interior for processing that could take up to 10 days.

Instead of traveling to Paramaribo, Suriname, to obtain Schengen visas, Guyanese could apply for them in Georgetown if they go to France “as their primary destination”. De Lacoste said France could eventually hire a specific agency to collect the applications, rather than the French embassy collecting them directly. He said French embassy officials would return to Guyana in November for two days to accept more applications. On the first day of accepting applications, the French ambassador said there were people interested in visiting Guadeloupe and French Guiana.

De Lacoste explained that Schengen visas issued by the French embassy are “strictly” for visiting France for specific purposes, but this could change if France reaches an agreement with other European Union (EU) member states to allow the Guyanese enter the EU area. from other countries.

He said France chose to allow Guyanese to apply for visas in Guyana in an effort to boost business and tourism as well as foster closer relations. “Obviously, we want to foster bilateral relations, including trade relations between France and Guyana. Many French businessmen who live here, work here, do business in Georgetown told us that this possibility here made it difficult for them to work and in general,” he said.

Guyana is one of two countries that France used a mobile biometric capture system.