Following the Czech Republic’s example, all Schengen Member Countries but France, have halted the admission of Schengen Visa applications and visa issuance, in the light of the current Coronavirus alert.

The embassies and consulates of 25 Schengen countries have closed their visa application centers, announcing that they will be closed at least until Monday, February 3, though chances are this period will be extended amid the worsening of the situation.

“However, the re-opening of the centers may change, subject to further notifications from central, provincial and city authorities. We apologies for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and kind co-operation,” reads a notice by the VFS Global, which processes visa applications in China for most Schengen countries.

SchengenVisaInfo.com has reported on Wednesday that the European Union was preparing to tighten entry conditions for Chinese nationals and those who have traveled to China in recent months, in a bid to prevent the situation from getting out of control.

“The block has already decided to activate the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, but if the virus keeps spreading at the current tempo, the EU may introduce entry restrictions by the end of the week to Chinese nationals and recent visitors to mainland China,” a source had confirmed.

According to this source, the suspension of visa issuance for the nationals of a few countries in addition to China is also an option if the situation does not improve for the better.

So far, the Schengen Members are planning to reopen their visa centers in China as follows:

Austria – February 3, 2020
Belgium – February 3, 2020
Czech Republic- February 17, 2020
Denmark – February 10, 2020
Estonia – February 3, 2020
Finland – February 9, 2020
Germany- February 10, 2020
Greece – February 9, 2020
Hungary – February 9, 2020
Iceland – February 10, 2020
Italy – February 9, 2020
Latvia – February 10, 2020
Liechtenstein – February 3, 2020
Lithuania – February 10, 2020
Luxembourg – February 9, 2020
Malta – February 10, 2020
Netherlands – February 9, 2020
Norway – February 3, 2020
Poland – February 10, 2020
Portugal – February 10, 2020
Slovakia – February 3, 2020
Slovenia – February 9, 2020
Spain – February 7, 2020
Sweden – February 10, 2020
Switzerland – February 3, 2020
As per France, so far it has only announced the closing of the Wuhan Visa Application Centre.