Citizens urged to rely only on official embassy websites for authentic information
The European Union (EU) office has issued a “scam alert,” cautioning Pakistani citizens about fraudulent activities by “criminal organizations” disseminating misleading information regarding visa and consular appointments.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), the Delegation of the European Union to Pakistan revealed that its diplomatic missions in Islamabad have identified fake entries for EU member states’ embassies on Google Maps. These entries include deceptive information and counterfeit telephone numbers linked to visa and consular services.
“This is a serious scam by criminal organizations,” the EU office warned, emphasizing the importance of relying solely on authentic information provided on the official websites of EU member states’ embassies.
The delegation clarified, “Only the websites of EU Member States’ embassies offer authentic information and contact details for visa and consular issues of the respective countries. Entries on Google Maps or other embassy directories should not be trusted.”
Schengen Visa and Travel Guidelines
The official EU website outlines that the border-free Schengen Area enables the free movement of over 400 million EU citizens, along with non-EU nationals, businesspersons, and tourists legally present in the territory.
The EU Delegation to Pakistan underscored that it does not issue passports or visas. These services are exclusively handled by the embassies or consulates of individual member states.
Pakistani citizens are required to obtain a Schengen visa to travel within the Schengen Area and a national visa for destinations in EU member states outside the Schengen zone.
The statement highlighted that the Schengen Area currently includes most EU member states, except for Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, and Romania. However, Bulgaria and Romania are in the process of joining. Non-EU countries such as Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland are part of the Schengen Area, while Liechtenstein is expected to join soon.
The Schengen visa permits visitors to enter one member state and travel freely across the entire Schengen zone.
The EU office advised Pakistani citizens to directly contact the relevant embassy or consulate for accurate visa information and to avoid falling prey to scams.
For further details, travelers are encouraged to visit the official websites of EU member states’ embassies.
