Digitisation of Schengen visas receives green light
On 13 November 2023, the Council of the EU adopted rules for the digitisation of processes related to the issuing of short-stay or Schengen visas. What changes will this bring?
Single VAP platform
The EU is fully aware of the need to bring the Schengen visa agenda into the digital environment. At present, applications for these visas are still processed using paper documents, and paper visa stickers are affixed to travel documents.
The Schengen visa digitisation project should change this situation fundamentally. Applications will be submitted online, via user access to a new visa application portal (VAP). Applicants will be able to manage their application, pay visa fees, and receive their final visa in the app. Should they not be able to access the internet or encounter any other major obstacles, they will still be able to submit paper applications.
Online application not without exception
Today, with a few exceptions, applicants are required to appear in person to submit their application, either at the embassy of the country to which they are going or at the relevant visa centre. Only in rare cases is it possible to apply by mail or courier.
After the introduction of the VAP and its online applications, a personal visit will only be required for first-time applicants and for those who have new travel documents or whose uploaded biometric data are older than 5 years.
E-visa
The VAP platform will also ensure that the visas themselves are issued as digital visas in form of 2-D barcodes with cryptographic signatures. This code should contain both a photograph of the applicant, and precisely defined information about their person, travel document, and travel history. The e-visa should reduce the security risks associated with forgery, as well as simplify the whole process and make it cheaper. The online platform should also work if foreigners plan to visit more than one EU country. In such cases, the country responsible for the decision will have to be identified.
Next steps
The regulation containing the new rules for the digitisation of Schengen visas will enter into force on the 20th day after its publication in the Bulletin of the European Union. The rules will apply to all Schengen countries and other EU member states.
In the meantime, eu-LISA, an agency responsible for the whole digitisation process, will test the new procedures. The digitisation of visas should then be operational from 2026. From 2031, all visa applications, including their submissions and decision-making procedures, should be processed digitally.
The above-outlined process should primarily facilitate travel within the Schengen zone and reduce administrative costs associated with the EU’s visa policy.