The European Union (EU) member states’ ambassadors on March 29 agreed the Council’s negotiating mandate for a proposal to digitalize the Schengen visa procedure. The proposal includes the ability to apply for Schengen visa online, as well as the replacement of the present visa sticker with a digital visa, according to a press release of the European Council. The move intends to enhance the efficiency of the visa application process as well as the security of the Schengen area, it said. Read More: Schengen visa fee for Bangladeshis to go up from Feb 2 “A digital Schengen visa will make it easier for legitimate travellers to apply and will at the same time help make the Schengen area safer. Online applications will reduce the number of trips to the consulate for travellers and make the process smoother for national administrations. At the same time, the digital visa will put an end to the risk of falsification and theft of the visa sticker,” said Maria Malmer Stenergard, Swedish minister for migration. The proposed new guidelines will establish a platform for visa applications. All Schengen visa applications will be made through this platform – a single website that will forward them to the applicable country visa systems. Schengen visa applicants will be able to enter all required data, submit electronic copies of their travel and supporting papers, and pay their visa fees on the website, it said. Read More: Saudi Visa Service Centre launched in Dhaka   Travellers will also be informed of any decisions made regarding their Schengen visa. First-time applicants, those whose biometric data is no longer valid, and those with a new travel document, will be required to be present in-person at the consulate, said the press release. When a person wishes to visit several Schengen countries, the platform will automatically decide which one is in charge of evaluating the application based on the length of stay. Read More: US announces in-person interview waivers for certain visa applicants throughout 2023 Nevertheless, the applicant will be able to choose whether the application should be handled by a certain member state based on the purpose of travel, the release also said. Schengen visas will be issued in digital format, as a 2D barcode that is cryptographically signed, under the proposed new guidelines. This would reduce the security threats associated with counterfeit and stolen visa stickers. Background and next steps for Schengen visa process Current migration and security issues have dramatically altered the setting of the EU’s visa policy. Furthermore, the Covid-19 outbreak hindered Schengen visa processing and generated a demand for additional digital procedures. Read More: Umrah e-visa: Biometric data must for pilgrims from Bangladesh, 4 other countries Simultaneously, technology advancements give additional security features and potential to make procedures more efficient and effective for both visa applicants and national authorities, the release said. In this regard, the Commission proposed a legislative proposal aiming at digitalizing the Schengen visa procedure on April 27, 2022. The Council presidency will begin discussions with the European Parliament to agree on the final text based on the negotiating mandate agreed upon on March 29 meeting. Read More: Bangladeshi applicants for UK visa need to pay online from Nov 28

Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmad on Monday said a process continues to sign memorandum of understanding (MoUs) with several European countries including Croatia and Serbia in order to export manpower from Bangladesh. He said this while addressing a function in the conference room of his ministry here in the city, which was arranged to mark the farewell of 30 workers out of 102 intended for going to Romania through Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Ltd (BOESL). The Minister said the Europe is a potential labuor market for Bangladesh and the rate of labour migration to Europe is constantly increasing. read more: Manpower export to Malaysia resumes after four-year gap He said the process of sending workers to Romania and other European countries will continue through BOESL. The Minister urged the workers who are willing to go abroad to enhance the reputation of the country by being responsible towards the country and paying attention to responsible behaviour and works. Read more: Recruit more manpower from Bangladesh: President to Sultan of Brunei Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Secretary Dr. Ahmed Munirus Saleheen and other high officials from the ministry, BOESL and the Wage Earners’ Welfare Board were present, said a press release.

While most students want to go abroad for higher studies, the biggest problem they face is the tuition fees. Studying in countries like the USA, UK, Canada, and Australia is very expensive. If a full scholarship cannot be arranged in these countries, then it becomes very difficult for any international student to study. So, wouldn’t it be great if you could find some countries with universities charging zero tuition fees for foreign students! Well, there are a few European countries offering free education for international students based on their academic performance. 8 European Countries with No Tuition Fees for International Students in 2022 If you fail to secure a fully funded scholarship from a university or are unable to pay tuition fees, you can get admission to universities where tuition fees are completely free. Among them are Germany, Italy, Norway, Iceland, Belgium, and Austria. Those countries offer free education or very low tuition fees for foreign students. Germany Germany offers the best opportunity for international students to study good subjects at low or almost no cost. But you will get the best chance if you know the German language. Because most of the advanced courses are in the German language. There are no tuition fees for undergraduate courses at public universities in Germany. But, you will have to pay a small administrative fee, between one hundred and fifty to three hundred euros a year. Read Higher Study in Germany: Scholarship Opportunities for Bangladeshi and Other International Students Additionally, Every year, The German Academic Exchange Service DAAD provides financial aid to more than 120,000 highly skilled German and foreign students to study in Germany for free. Germany’s education system is also very advanced, and its universities are among the best in the world. There are many opportunities to study in this country. But if your subject is Science, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, or Economics, then the chances of getting a scholarship are highest. Top free German universities are, Heidelberg University, Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, RWTH Aachen University and LMU - Ludwig-Maximilians. Read Higher Study in China: Scholarship Opportunities for Bangladeshi Students Italy Many students choose to study in Italy because of the quality of higher education. Apart from free tuition fees, there are scholarship opportunities for foreign students. If you cannot afford higher education in expensive countries like Australia, the USA, Canada, and the UK, you can choose to study in Italy. Tuition fees for EU and non-EU students depend on the student’s family income and the program applied for. Tuition fees at a public university range from a minimum of €500 to a maximum of €4000, but you can apply for a waiver too. Italian universities offer scholarships to international students based on merit and economic status. Top free Italian universities are the University of Bologna, Bocconi University, University of Padova, Polytechnic University of Mila, Bocconi University, and the University of Padova. However, these universities are not exactly free, but they offer scholarships for international students, which[h are easy to get. Read Study in the Netherlands: Scholarship Opportunities for Bangladeshi Students Norway Norway is in the western part of Scandinavia in Northern Europe. Public universities offer free tuition for all students, regardless of study level or nationality. However, as the vast majority of graduate programs are conducted in Norwegian only, international students must demonstrate proof of Norwegian language proficiency in order to study at this level. However, there are some universities in Norway that teaches in English. Therefore, it is not necessary for students from all countries to know the Norwegian language. If you only know the English language, you can get a cheap higher education in Norway. Top free universities in Norway are the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Nord University, Østfold University/College, the University of Agder, and Oslo Metropolitan University. Read Study in Norway: Scholarship Opportunities for International Students including Bangladesh Austria Austria is one of the best countries in Europe for foreign students, where foreign students only have to pay an admission fee of fewer than 1000 euros per semester. However, federal/public universities charge approximately €363 per semester in admission fees for Austrian and EU/EEA students. Austria would be a good place to pursue a bachelor’s or master’s degree with a fully funded scholarship. All the public universities in Austria are free for all EU and EEA citizens. Top free universities in Austria are FH Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, University of Vienna, University of Vienna, University of Salzburg, TU Wien, and University of Applied Arts Vienna. Belgium The Belgian government spends a portion of its budget on education to further improve its education sector. They teach at a low cost. Tuition fees for higher education in Belgium for international students are normally around 4,000 euros per year. Read Study in Australia: Scholarship Opportunities for Bangladeshi Students But the students from developing countries can pay less than 1000 euros per year. If you want to study Ph.D. from any Belgian university, you will be paid to carry out research. Apart from these, Belgian universities offer scholarships to foreign students. Top free universities in Belgium are, University of Namur, Ghent University, Hasselt University, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, University of Liege, UC Leuven-Limburg and Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Greece Public universities and colleges offer free study in Greece for students from all countries associated with the European Union. Although other countries such as Bangladesh are not included in this facility, still international students will be able to study at a much lower cost. Costs can range from $1,500 to $2,000 a year. The cost of living in Greece is also lower than in other European countries. Greece can be on your wish list to study abroad for free. Read Study in France: Scholarship Opportunities and Overview for Bangladeshi Students There is an opportunity to study tuition-free at famous Greek universities like the University of Patras, International Hellenic University, Aristotle University, and Athens University of Economics and Business. Iceland Iceland is a Nordic country and one of the best places to study for international students. They offer a variety of programs such as Bachelors, Masters, and Ph.D. in English medium. Icelandic public universities have no tuition fees for international students, but private universities charge around 4,000 to 16,000 euro tuition fees. Top free universities in Iceland are the University of Iceland, University of Akureyri, Agricultural University of Iceland, Hólar University College, Iceland University of the Arts, Bifröst University, and Reykjavik University. Read Studying Abroad in Canada: Prospects and Challenges Poland Poland is one of the countries in the world where higher education is offered at a low cost. Most universities in Poland offer courses in Polish. Polish is the official language of Poland. About 98% of people in Poland speak Polish. So if you know the Polish language well, you can study for free like all other students. Moreover, BBA courses are taught in English in Poland. For this, you have to spend 2 to 3 thousand dollars annually. Rich literature and culture in Poland motivate most international students to study there. You will also be attracted by the culture of this country. You can get higher education at a low cost in this European country. The top cheap universities in Iceland are the University of Wroclaw, AGH University of Science and Technology, Academy of Finance and Management in Bialystok, Adam Mickiewicz University, and Warsaw University of Technology. Read Studying Abroad: Major Pros and Cons You Need to Consider Final Words Many people dream of higher education abroad even if they enter the job field after completing their studies. But there are many people who have put their dreams in a box because of education costs. But what if you can get higher education abroad for free. So far, we have discussed top 8 European countries with no tution fees for international students. However, not all universities may offer free education in these countries. Some selected universities charge no tution fees for higher studies for foreign students. Apart from these countries, there are many other countries where you can get an education for free. Students who are looking for free education need to do in-depth research to find desired programs in the tution free universities. Following the proper application process recomended by respective universities education can be achieved for free or at a low cost.  Read What should Bangladeshi students pack and bring with them to Western Countries?

Bangladesh received (USD) $1553.70 million inward remittance in November, which is considered lowest in 18 months. Bangladesh Bank (BB) data shows that the expatriates sent $1553.70 million remittance in November 2021 compared to $2078.74 million in November 2020 amid the Covid-induced lockdown in almost all their host countries. Read: Bangladesh’s forex reserve expected to thrive on increased remittance inflow According to the BB, in the first five months (July-November) of the fiscal year (FY) 2021-22, Bangladesh received remittance of $8.61 billion down from $10.89 billion in the FY 2020-21. It means the expatriates’ income has decreased by 21 per cent to $2.28 billion in five month in the current fiscal year. The expatriate income shows fall for last five months in the current fiscal year despite renewed economic activities in the Middle Eastern and European countries and the USA.   The sector insiders say money transactions on illegal channels (hundi) have increased since the pandemic related restrictions were lifted. Besides, the rate of new employment has been lower than the job loss. Read: Bangladesh Bank allows receiving remittances through OPGSPs The inward remittance inflow of last five months of FY22 saw decreasing trend compared with the same period in the FY21. Arrival of remittance was $1.87 million in July, $1810.10 million in August, $1726.71 million in September, $1646.87 million in October and $1553.70 million in November of FY22. In the F21 inward remittance was received $2598.21 million in July, $1963.94 million in August, $2151.05 million in September, $1646.87 million in October and $2078.74 million in November.

US pharmaceutical company Pfizer confirmed Friday it will temporarily reduce deliveries to Europe of its COVID-19 vaccine while it upgrades production capacity to 2 billion doses per year.

After Switzerland, Bangladesh has exported mangoes to Italy's Milan while other consignments are going to the UK and Austria this week.   State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam confirmed it in a Facebook post on Monday.   On July 14, Bangladeshi mangoes reached Switzerland -- the export of first package of mangoes to the country.   Popular variety "Amropali" are now being sold at supermarkets in Switzerland.   It has been possible thanks to an initiative taken by Bangladesh Permanent Mission in Geneva.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the European Union on Tuesday announced a list of nations whose citizens will be allowed to enter 31 European countries.

France is opening its borders with other European countries at midnight for the first time since shutting them amid virus fears three months ago, and will start opening up to visitors from other continents July 1.

World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge on Thursday described the continent as being in the "eye of the storm" as some European countries start to reopen over signs of a slowing in the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.