Germany considers 5-year multiple entry Schengen visa for UAE residents

Yamina Sofo, Director of the Marketing & Sales Office – GNTO GCC, clarified that while demand from UAE residents to travel to Germany remains high, visa issuance depends on several factors, including the applicant’s travel history.

Speaking to Al Khaleej newspaper on the sidelines of Germany’s 12th participation at the Arabian Travel Market 2025, Sofo said: “The Visa department at the German Consulate General in Dubai is handling a high volume of applications from UAE residents seeking Schengen visas, with 26% more visas issued in 2024 than the previous year.

She added: “The length of a Schengen visa is determined by several factors—including a traveller’s visa history. The more frequently someone has travelled to Germany with previously issued visas, the higher the likelihood that future applications may be granted for longer durations—up to five years in some cases. This is similar to citizens of some of the GCC countries who are already eligible for such long-term visas.”

Sofo added that over 10,000 Schengen visas were issued to UAE residents in the first quarter of 2025.