The National Union of Consumer Associations in Morocco has required that citizens of the country who have had their Schengen visas denied are offered a refund for their unused travel insurance policies.
Just like nationals of other countries who need to obtain a visa to enter the Schengen Area, Moroccans also must purchase travel insurance that covers their stay before they receive a decision on their application.
The proof of having purchased travel insurance needs to be submitted along with the other documents when attending the visa interview.
Since a large number of Moroccans had their Schengen visa applications denied last year and wasted large amounts of money on travel insurance, the union has said that citizens of the country should be given a refund for their travel insurance policies that were not used, Schengen.News reports.
As Morocco World News explains, the union has already held a meeting with the Insurance Supervisory and Social Security authority to ask them to change the policies for reimbursement of travel insurance when Schengen visas are denied.
This is not the first time that the union has required the relevant authorities to take measures on the matter. Not long ago, the union said that insurance companies should adopt rules that permit them to offer refunds for unused travel insurance packages.
MPs of Morocco Demanded Application Fee Reimbursement for Rejected Schengen Visas
While the union has only required refunds for unused travel insurance policies, Moroccan MPs have demanded that all Moroccans whose Schengen visas have been rejected receive reimbursement for their application fee.
In 2023, Moroccan spent €10.9 million on rejected Schengen visas, with this amount representing an increase of just over 14 per cent from the 2022 expenditure levels.
Since this is the most evident difference in spending for Schengen visas recorded by any nationality in 2023, the MPs have said that the government should take measures and push for a refund of expenses for applicants who received a negative decision on their application.
Calculations show that last year, the Schengen visa application cost Moroccans working in the public sector up to 24 per cent of their wage and Moroccans working in the private sector up to 27 per cent of their wage.
Taking into account that the EU has increased the Schengen visa application fee from €80 to €90, the visa application expenditure for nationals of Morocco is expected to grow higher this year.