Brussels, 27 April 2022
Today, the Commission is proposing the digitalisation of the Schengen visa process, replacing the visa sticker, and introducing the possibility to submit visa applications online through the European online visa platform. The New Pact on Migration and Asylum set the objective to fully digitalise visa procedures by 2025. It is an opportunity to effectively improve the visa application process by reducing the costs and the burden on Member States as well as the applicants, while also improving the security of the Schengen area.
Vice-President for Promoting our European Way of Life, Margaritis Schinas, said:
“Today we are bringing the EU’s visa policy into the digital age. With some Member States already switching to digital, it is vital the Schengen area now moves forward as one. We are proposing a fully digitalised visa application to help both travellers and Member States ensure smother and more secure application process.”
Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson said:
“A modern visa process is crucial to make travel to the EU easier for tourism and business. Half of those coming to the EU with a Schengen visa consider the visa application burdensome, one-third have to travel long distance to ask for a visa. It is high time that the EU provides a quick, safe and web-based EU visa application platform for the citizens of the 102 third countries that require short term visa to travel to the EU.”
In today’s digital age, applying for a visa is still a lengthy and heavily paper-based process with applicants having to travel to submit and collect their passport with a visa afterwards, leading to accumulating costs both for travellers and Member States. Several Member States have taken steps to move visa applications online but there are differences in the extent to which they have done this. Only a few offer the possibility of paying online. These procedures also proved problematic during the COVID-19 pandemic where applicants were no longer able to freely go to consulates to apply for visas.
Harmonising and unifying visa application procedures within the Schengen area will help to avoid so called ‘visa shopping’ by applicants who may be tempted to lodge an application with a Schengen country that offers faster visa application processing than with a country that is actually their destination. The digitalisation of the visa process will also reduce security risks posed by the physical visa stickers, which could still be prone to falsification, fraud and theft. Today’s proposal is also in line with the general EU approach to encourage the modernisation and digitisation of public services.
Through digitalisation, applying for a Schengen visa will become easier and the visa itself will be more secure:
- Visa applicants will be able to apply for a visa online, including paying the visa fee through a single EU platform, regardless of the Schengen country they want to visit;
- The platform will automatically determine which Schengen country is responsible for examining an application, in particular when the applicant intends to visit several Schengen countries;
- The platform will provide applicants with up-to-date information on Schengen short-stay visas, as well as all necessary information regarding the requirements and procedures (such as supporting documents, visa fee or the need for an appointment to collect biometric identifiers);
- Appearing in person at the consulate would only be mandatory for first time applicants for the collection of biometric identifiers, for applicants whose biometric data are no longer valid or those with a new travel document;
- The visa will include state-of-the-art security features, which will be more secure than the current visa sticker;
- The new system will ensure that fundamental rights are always protected.
Background
The European Commission in 2018 proposed to amend the Visa Code by adopting visa policies to new challenges and equally stressed that digital visas are the way forward for the longer term. When revising the EU Visa Code in 2019, the European Parliament and the Council stated the aim of developing a common solution to allow Schengen visa applications to be lodged online, thereby making full use of the recent legal and technological developments. The COVID-19 pandemic, which led to the slowing down of Schengen visa operations worldwide, due to the difficulty of receiving visa applicants in consulates and visa application centres, prompted Member States to call upon the Commission to speed up work on digitalisation of visa procedures. The Pact on Migration and Asylum proposed by the Commission in September 2020 set the objective of making the visa procedure fully digitalised by 2025, with the introduction of a digital visa and the ability to submit visa applications online.
Next steps
The Commission proposal will now be discussed by the European Parliament and the Council. Member States will have then five years to switch to the common online visa platform. Based on the outcome of the negotiations between the co-legislators, the development of the platform could start in 2024 and become operational in 2026. Considering the five year transition period, all Member States could use the platform in 2031.
For More Information
Questions and Answers – Visa Digitalisation: Visa travel to the EU becomes easier
27 April 2022
The Commission is proposing today the digitalisation of the Schengen visa process, replacing the visa sticker, and introducing the ability to submit visa applications online through a European online visa platform. Through digitalisation, applying for a Schengen visa will become easier and the visa itself will be more secure and less vulnerable to theft and fraud.
The von der Leyen Commission’s objective during its mandate has been to develop the Union’s visa policy as a tool towards a more modern, customer-friendly and secure way of managing third-country nationals’ travel to the Schengen area, which we have so far done with the adoption of the proposal to modernise the Visa Information System, the ongoing development of the Entry-Exit and ETIAS (European Travel Information Authorisation) systems and the implementation of the new Visa Code, including its Article 25(a) on cooperation on readmission.
When revising the EU Visa Code in 2019, the European Parliament and the Council explicitly stated the aim of developing a common solution to allow Schengen visa applications to be lodged online in the future, making full use of the recent legal and technological developments. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to the slowing down of Schengen visa operations worldwide partly due to the difficulty of receiving visa applicants in consulates and visa application centres, prompted Member States to call upon the Commission to speed up work on digitalisation of visa procedures. Finally, the Pact on Migration and Asylum, proposed by the Commission in September 2020, set the objective of making the visa procedure fully digitalised by 2025, with the introduction of a digital visa and the ability to submit visa applications online.
Will it still be possible to apply through paper application?
In principle, all visa applications will be submitted digitally through the EU Visa Application platform. However, in individual cases applicants would still be able to submit a paper application at a consulate or a visa application centre if the assistance (via chat-box and Q&A section) provided by the EU Visa Application platform or by family or friends is not sufficient to apply online. Specific provisions will also apply in case of humanitarian reasons. Family members of EU/European Economic Area citizens who are exercising their right of free movement will also be able to continue to apply through paper applications.
Will applicants still need to go to consulates in person to apply for a visa?
All applicants will be able to lodge their application fully online (fill in the application form, pay the visa fee, upload supporting documents and check if biometrics are still valid). Nevertheless, for first-time applicants or applicants whose biometrics are no longer valid, a visit to the consulate or Visa Application Centre will be needed to provide biometric identifiers. Applicants, who will need to appear in person, will be able to book an appointment online.
Why will the digital visa be more secure than a paper one?
The fact that the visa is issued on paper makes it more vulnerable to fraud and theft which poses risks to the security of the EU. The digital visa will be an electronic record in the Visa Information System and thus the visa will no longer have any physical features that can be tampered with.
Will it be easier to get a visa with this proposal?
Although the digitalisation proposal will make it easier to apply for a visa, it does not change the conditions that must be met when submitting an application and its subsequent examination.
Who will build and manage the future application platform?
The platform will be built and maintained by eu-LISA (European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice). The Commission will be responsible for ensuring that the general visa information on the platform is up to date.
How will the application process via the platform look like for applicants?
First, the applicants will check on the EU Visa Application platform whether they need a visa. If they do, they will then create a secure account, fill out an application form and upload all the necessary documents. Subsequently applicants will pay online the visa fees and submit their application. The Schengen country which is the main destination of the trip will be in charge of examining the application. Applicants will be able to check the status of their application via the platform and will receive notifications about its status. Once the visa has been approved, applicants will be able to access it online. If needed, they will also be able to extend their visa period online.
What are the advantages of having a single European portal (for applicants and for Member States)?
A single application platform will provide applicants with one harmonised and seamless application procedure irrespective of the Schengen country they wish to visit. It will enable them to access all their submitted applications in one place. This would not be the case with Member States’ own portals. Applicants would be faced with different procedures and they would have to access different systems to view their previous applications.
What about the existing national portals?
The Commission proposes to gradually phase out these national portals and replace them by a single application platform at EU level. The Commission has chosen to give the possibility to Member states to join the platform as soon as it becomes operational and at the latest five years after its establishment. This transition period will allow Member States phasing out smoothly their national tools and joining the EU Visa Application platform in a flexible manner.
How will the EU visa application platform protect the personal data of applicants?
EU Visa Application platform will be part of the recently revised Visa Information System, which has been recently upgraded and contains state-of-the-art data protection safeguards (purpose limitation, limited retention period).
Is today’s proposal linked to the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS)?
Both systems aim to facilitate travel to Schengen area while also strengthening its security. The proposed initiative applies to visa-required non-EU nationals, i.e. for non-EU nationals who need to apply for a visa when they wish to stay in the Schengen area for a period not exceeding 90 days in any 180 days period. ETIAS is to be used by non-EU nationals who are exempt from the visa requirement but who do need to apply for a Travel Authorisation prior to their trip.
When will the new system become operational?
The Commission proposal will now be discussed at the European Parliament and the Council. Based on the Commission’s proposal, Member States will have five years to switch to the common online visa platform. Based on the outcome of the negotiations between the co-legislators, the development of the platform could start in 2024 and become operational in 2026. Considering the five year transition period, all Member States could use the platform in 2031.
Will this proposal apply to Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia and Cyprus?
The proposal, once voted, will be applied by the countries applying in full the Schengen acquis: the EU27 (except Ireland and Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and Cyprus as not applying the Schengen acquis in full) + Iceland, Norway, Lichtenstein and Switzerland. This is 26 countries in total. Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and Cyprus do not apply the Schengen acquis in full and do not issue Schengen visas, nor do they have access to the Visa Information System. They will, therefore not apply this proposal which relates to the issuing of Schengen visas.
For More Information
Press Release: Visa Digitalisation: Visa travel to the EU becomes easier
Factsheet: Visa Digitalisation: Making visa travel to the EU easier