The Council of the European Union (EU) has recently approved new regulations allowing the entire Schengen visa application process to be conducted online. This move eliminates the need for physical visa stickers on passports, streamlining the application process and eliminating the requirement for consulate or service provider appointments.
Fernando Grande-Marlaska, Spain’s Interior Minister and the current holder of the Council’s presidency, emphasized that the digital visa system aims to simplify the application process for travelers while facilitating faster and more efficient responses from national administrations.
Those hailing from non-EU countries requiring a Schengen visa, the following three key changes will come into effect:
Online Visa Application
A new EU visa application platform will be established, allowing applicants to submit all necessary information, upload digital copies of documents, and pay visa fees online.
Elimination of Consulate Visits
In-person visits to consulates or visa service providers will no longer be required, with exceptions for first-time applicants, those with expired biometric data, and individuals with new travel documents.
Digital Visa Format
Instead of physical stickers, visas will be issued in a digital format as a 2D barcode, cryptographically signed. This shift aims to enhance security by reducing risks associated with counterfeit and stolen visa stickers.
The implementation date of these changes will be determined after the regulations are signed, published in the Official Journal of the European Union, and undergo technical work on the visa platform and digital visas. Once concluded, the new rules will enter into force on the twentieth day after publication
Read more: Schengen Visa Requirements – Complete Details.
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