EU institutions agree on digitalizing Schengen visa system

By Agnes Szucs

BRUSSELS (AA) – EU institutions agreed on Tuesday on the digital reform of the Schengen visa procedure.

The negotiating teams from the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union “have reached an agreement on digitalizing Schengen visas,” the European Parliament announced in a statement.

As the most important part of the reform, the Schengen visa application will change “from physical visa stickers and applications to a digital system,” it said.

Instead of applying to different national authorities, the EU will create a single digital platform where travelers can upload their documents, pay the application fee and follow the processing of their files.

The system will automatically determine which EU country is responsible for issuing the visa.

Only those will be obliged to go to the consulate of an EU member state who apply for the first time, have new travel documents or the biometric data expired in their documents.

The EU will issue visas in the digital format of a cryptographically signed 2D barcode, instead of traditional stickers after the reform to reduce the risk of counterfeiting or theft.

The reforms aim “to make the visa application procedure more efficient and to improve the security of the Schengen area,” the Council of the EU said.

The two EU institutions have yet to officially approve the law on the Schengen visa reform, but it will only be a formality after the agreement.