Schengen Visa to Be Fully Online

The European Parliament and the Council of Europe have agreed on digitizing the Schengen visa procedure.

“The agreed rules will modernize, simplify and harmonize visa procedures for third-country nationals applying for visas and for the Member States that have to issue them, thanks to digitization,” says a press release from the European Commission.

Digital visas are much safer than physical visa stickers, as they are less vulnerable to fraud, counterfeiting, and theft. A single European platform will allow online applications to be made directly.

Third-country travelers can pay the same visa fee regardless of which Schengen country they wish to visit.

Europe plans to replace the Schengen visa sticker with a digital Schengen visa (encrypted 2D barcode), which will also apply to long-stay visas.

EU countries that still need to fully implement Schengen rules, such as Bulgaria, Romania, and Cyprus, can issue short-stay visas. The system will identify which country will process the application if the stay involves multiple states.

Member States have a 7-year transitional period to join the platform. The European Parliament and Council must formally adopt the regulation.