10-year validity passport to Schengen visa

BANGALORE: If you have a passport valid for 20 years, you're no longer eligible for a Schengen visa. So, if you're planning to travel to any of the 15 countries to which this visa gives you access, it's best to apply for a new passport right away.
Consulates and embassies which give the Schengen visa stopped issuing this to passengers whose passports were issued before 2001.Many passengers have had to cancel their trips due to this since May this year. Travel agencies say the European Union doesn't recognize the barcode of older Indian passports.
Most passengers who approached travel agencies for this visa were asked to reapply for a passport. Those travelling at short notice had it particularly tough as the reapplication procedure takes around 20 working days. People have to apply just like they would have for a new one.
"Valid passports issued before 2001 cannot be used for a Schengen visa. This rule came into effect in May, and as we understand, it's because the consulate offices are unable to read the older barcode. We asking those passengers to reapply for passports," said a travel agent at Thomas Cook. Since May, 15 passengers faced this problem at the agency.
At the Mumbai Schengen visa website, the instruction is: `The passport must not be older than 10 years and needs to be valid for at least three months beyond the intended duration of stay in the Schengen territory and needs to contain at least two empty pages'
Visa power
* Visa holder can travel to any 15 European countries
* No hassle and expense of obtaining individual visas for each country
* Member countries: Austria, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands
* Reapply for passports if visa is more than 10 years old
* Same process as applying for new passport
* Will take 20 days to be delivered