Local Schengen cooperation

Article 48 of the Visa Code requires consulates and the Commission's delegation in each third country to cooperate to ensure a harmonised application of the common visa policy: a harmonised list of supporting documents (Article 14(5a)), the local-currency amount of the fee (Article 16(7)), the practical modalities of lodging, and, under Article 24(2b), whether the multi-entry cascade should be adapted to local circumstances. It aligns paperwork; it does not equalise how strictly individual consulates read a file, which is why refusal rates for applications lodged in India differ so much by state and by consulate.