The Council and the European Parliament have agreed on new rules to make Schengen visa applications possible online in the future. This means that visa applicants no longer have to travel to an embassy or an external service provider first.
Schengen visa: Visa applications are going digital
Yesterday, an agreement in principle was reached between the EU Member States and the European Parliament on the digitization of Schengen visas (Short Stay Visa). In the future, a Schengen visa can be applied for and issued online.
EU countries want to digitize the Schengen visa application procedure
The ambassadors of the EU member states have agreed on a proposal to digitize the visa application process. The proposal makes it possible to apply for a visa online and replaces the current visa sticker with a digital visa. The aim is to make the visa application process more efficient and to make the Schengen area more secure.
'European Commission wants to simplify and digitize a Schengen visa application in 2026'
The European Commission already made a proposal in April 2022 to digitize and simplify the process of applying for a Schengen visa, which should be completed in 2026.
EU wants to digitize Schengen visa application
The European Commission is working on the possibility of applying for a Schengen visa online and replacing the visa sticker. This digitization should put an end to the bureaucratic and cumbersome method that is currently used. The aim is to fully digitize visa procedures by mid-2025.