The German Consulate in Shanghai has loosened restrictions on frequent Chinese travelers applying for a visa that allows them to journey freely throughout Germany, Belgium, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, a consulate official said Wednesday.

The looser restriction will streamline the application process for Chinese travelers because the visa, called the Schengen visa, doesn't require applicants to sit for an interview, said Frédéric Jörgens, consul of the German Consulate in Shanghai.

The consulate simplified the application process to better deal with the growing number of Chinese travelers to Germany, Jörgens said.

"We have observed a growing trend in the number of Chinese going to Germany for science, education and as exchange students, so we simplified the procedure to better serve them," he said.

Along with local residents, the consulate also serves residents of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces, according to the consulate.

The number of Chinese citizens who have applied for visas through the consulate in Shanghai grew 20 percent year-on-year in 2010, Jörgens said. The number is expected to hit a record of 100,000 people by the end of this year.

Since April, some local residents have been complaining about the difficulty of booking interviews online when applying for German visas. Scalpers have been selling interview reservations online for as much as 1,000 yuan ($157).

Before the changes, only applicants who traveled on a Schengen visa within the previous two years would be considered frequent travelers, according to the consulate.

Under the looser restrictions, Chinese citizens qualify if they have used two or more short-term Schengen visas, a one-year or long-term Schengen visa, or two or more visas from Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, the UK or the US within the past three years.

Qualified frequent travelers can apply for the visa by making an appointment to turn in the required documents at the Shanghai branch of German Industry and Commerce (Taicang) Ltd, either in person or through an agent. The new rules also apply to an applicant's spouse and children under the age of 18.

Jörgens said that the consulate has been working closely with the country's foreign ministry to add more staff to handle the interviews.