Europe’s Schengen visa will soon be issued digitally. Here’s The Difference It’ll Make
The Schengen visa application and issuance process, as well as the visa itself, will shortly be predominantly digital. European Union (EU) member states and legislators have consented to alter the Schengen visas system in the near future.
The new law has not been officially adopted. However, once this occurs, the majority of EU visitors will be able to register for their visas online, rather than at consulates or visa offices. The purpose of the proposal, according to a statement issued by the EU, is to streamline the application procedure and enhance the security of the Schengen area.
Digitally accessible information on the Schengen visa application
After the regulations are in place, the EU would establish a platform for visa applications. With a few exceptions, applications for all Schengen visas will be submitted on this website, which will then be forwarded to the national visa systems of the countries for which visas have been requested.
Applicants for a Schengen visas would be able to upload all of their documents, add pertinent information, such as supporting travel documents, identification, and other details, and pay the visa fees online. In addition, the platform would inform them of the application status and final visa decision.
Only those applying for a Schengen visa for the first time or whose biometric data has expired, as well as those with a new travel document, are required to visit visa centres or consulates in person, according to the statement. Moreover, if an individual is travelling to more than one Schengen country, the platform will automatically determine, based on the duration of their stay, which country must approve their visa. Applicants can also specify where they want their application to be processed based on the reason for their trip. The visa itself will be digital and will be issued as a cryptographically signed 2D barcode.
Political accord on the digitalisation of applications for visas for Schengen visa
The Commission supports the accord reached today between the European Parliament and the Council to digitize the Schengen visas application procedure. This is a crucial deliverable under the Schengen Strategy, which the Commission will present in June 2021. The agreed-upon rules will modernize, simplify, and harmonize visa procedures for non-EU nationals applying for visas and for Member States tasked with digitally granting such visas.
Visa procedures for the Schengen area continue to rely heavily on paperwork, which increases traveller and Member State expenditures. Procedures for obtaining a Schengen visas vary by Member State, and only a few have partially digitalized procedures. Physical visa stamps are also more susceptible to forgery, fraud, and theft, a situation that digital visas will greatly improve.
The Regulation will modernize the digitalization of the visa badge and the digitalization of the visa application by establishing an EU online Visa application platform.
In particular, the new Regulation will provide for: Schengen Visa
Visa applicants will be able to register for a Schengen visas online, including the payment of the same visa fee, regardless of which Schengen country they intend to visit.
Specifically, the Online Schengen Visa Application System will:
- Provide applicants with a secure account through which they can submit online applications and receive application decisions.
- Provide applicants with up-to-date information on Schengen short-stay visas, as well as all necessary information on requirements and procedures (such as supporting documents, visa fee, and the need for an appointment to collect biometric identifiers).
- Determine automatically which Schengen country is responsible for examining a visa application when the proposed itinerary includes multiple Member States.
- Include a chatbot functionality that enables applicants to receive user-friendly responses to their queries.
- The Schengen visas badge will be replaced with a digital Schengen visa (encrypted 2D barcode), which will also apply to long-stay visas. Additionally, EU nations (Bulgaria, Romania, and Cyprus) that have not yet fully implemented the Schengen rules will issue it.
- A seven-year transition period for Member States to join the platform.
Next steps
Now, the European Parliament and the Council must formally adopt the Regulation.
Background
The New Pact on Migration and Asylum proposed by the Commission in September 2020 aims to entirely digitalize visa procedures, including the introduction of digital visas and online visa application submission. In addition, the Schengen Strategy presented in June 2021 identified the digitization of visa procedures and travel documents as a key proposal for the efficient administration of EU external borders. On April 27, 2022, the Commission submitted a legislative proposal to digitize the visa application process.
